2008 FORD ESCAPE Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE COMING TO A STOP, THE ABS AND THE BRAKE LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION AND THEY STATED THAT THE MASTER CYLINDER HAD TO BE REPLACED IN THE HYDRAULIC SYSTEM. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 139,000.

WHILE DRIVING THE STEERING JUST LOST ALL POWER, THIS VEHICLE HAS ELECTRIC STEERING CONTROL, WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER AND SHUT DOWN . RESTARTED AND STEERING CAME BACK. UPON RESEARCH ONLINE, THERE SEEMS TO BE QUITE A FEW OF THESE STEERING INCIDENTS AND FORD IS NOT DOING ANY RECALL. *JS

I PURCHSED THIS CAR DECEMBER 22, 2007. IN LATE JANUARY 2008 I WAS STOPPED AT A STOP SIGN AND WHEN I ACCELERATED THE CAR CREPT ALONG FOR SEVERAL FEET BEFORE THE TRANSMISSION "SLAMMED" INTO GEAR AND THEN THE CAR MOVED NORMALLY. I WENT TO THE DEALER WHERE I PURCHASED THE CAR AND SINCE THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM THEY SAID THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. I HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM MANY TIMES SINCE AND EVERY TIME THE DEALER SAYS THEY CAN'T DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM IF THEY CAN'T DUPLICATE IT. THERE IS NO PATTERN TO HIS TRANSMISSION "SLIPPAGE," SO I CAN'T PREDICT WHEN IT WILL HAPPEN AND NEITHER I NOR THE MECHANICS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO CAUSE IT TO HAPPEN. LAST WEEK I WAS STOPPED AT A LIGHT ON A VERY BUSY 4-LANE STREET IN THE MIDDLE OF SARASOTA, FL, AND WHEN THE LIGHT CHANGED THE ENGINE RACED, BUT THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE. IT FINALLY STARTED MOVING SLOWLY AND AFTER A FEW FEET THE TRANSMISSION FINALLY KICKED INTO THE RIGHT GEAR AND MOVED NORMALLY. I WAS LUCKY THAT NO ONE SLAMMED INTO THE BACK OF MY CAR. I TRIED TO FIND A PHONE NUMBER FOR FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE, BUT APPARENTLY THEY NO LONGER TAKE PHONE CALLS. A FRIEND OF MINE HAS A 2011 ESCAPE AND SHE SAID SHE HAS EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM. THERE ARE MANY SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ON INTERNET BLOGS. THIS IS A REAL SAFETY ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED.

I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY WHEN MY HOOD BLEW UP, I COULD NOT SEE! I WAS ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE LANES AND BY LOWERING MY HEAD I COULD SEE A SMALL AREA AND WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER. I WAS LUCKY NOBODY WAS INJURED. I HAVE TO GET MY HOOD REPLACED BECAUSE IT WAS DAMAGED. *TR

THIS OCCURRED IN 2012 ALSO. LOSS OF POWERSTEERING -WHEN PULLING INTO OUR YARD. HAD SON CHECK THE BELTS-FLUID LEVELS-ALL OK;RESTARTED AND IT WAS OK. TOOK AROUND BACK YARD AND IT IMMEDIATELY LOSS THE POWER ASSIST AGAIN. ACTUALLY STEERED IT AS WAS FOR ABOUT 400 YARDS AROUND THE LARGE BACK FIELD OF OUR FARM AS IT WAS-IT NEVER BECAME NORMAL AGAIN DURING THAT APPROXIMATE 400 YARDS --UNTIL I SHUT OFF ENGINE-RESTARTED AGAIN AND TIL TODAY SEPTEMBER 19, NO RE OCCURRENCE. HAVE BEEN ON MANY FORUMS AND SEEN SO MANY OTHERS WITH SAME PROBLEMS. A STEERING ASSIST ELECTRIC MODULE OR SOMETHING SIMILAR SEEMS TO BE THE PROBLEM. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO MY WIFE TWO TIMES -ONE IN THE BACK YARD AND ONE IN MALL PARKING LOT AREA. WE KNOW WHAT TO DO NOW-SHUT DOWN ENGINE AND RESTART; HOWEVER, IF THIS HAPPENS WHILE ON HIGHWAY IN TRAFFIC WHILE ATTEMPTING TO EITHER PASS OR GET BACK IN YOU LANE --IT COULD BE LIFE THREATENING TO NOT ONLY US BUT THE OTHERS ON HIGHWAY. PLEASE, THERE HAVE BEEN ENOUGH COMPLAINTS FOR A REMEDY -OR AT LEAST AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT BY FORD -NOT AS OUR E-MAIL TO FORD CUSTOMER RELATIONS AND A REPLY BY A REPRESENTATIVE, [XXX], WHO STATED THEY HAVE DONE WHAT THEY FEEL NECESSARY AND AS TO THEIR RESPONSIBILITY OF THIS PROBLEM, BY TELLING US TO TAKE TO FORD DEALERSHIP FOR AN ANALYSIS TEST BY THEIR PROFESSIONAL MECHANICS AND TECHNICIANS. WE AS DO SO MANY FORD OWNERS KNOW THE PROBLEM-CAUSE-AND WHY MUST WE PAY A LARGE ANALYSIS PROBLEM FOR SAME. THANK YOU NHTSA-WE ARE FORTUNATE TO HAVE SOME ONE THAT IS CONCERNED. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE POWER STEERING FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT MERGED SHUT OFF AND RESTARTED THE ENGINE, AND THE VEHICLE RESUMED NORMAL FUNCTION. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN INSPECTED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 105,000.

WHILE DRIVING MY 2008 FORD ESCAPE THIS MORNING THE GAS PEDAL GOT STUCK AND WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. THIS PROBLEM HAPPENS OFTEN IN COLD WEATHER AND OCCOURS WHEN DURRING THE FIRST START OF THE DAY. THIS HAPPEND TO ME WHEN PULLING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY INTO TRAFFIC. I WAS ABLE TO SAFELY ROLL INTO AN ADJACENT PARKING AREA WHERE AFTER ALLOWING THE VEHICLE TO WARM UP AND TESTING THE GAS PEDAL A FEW TIMES IT RESUMED NORMAL OPERATIONS AFTER ABOUT FIFTEEN MINS. IF YOU GOOGLE GAS PEDAL STUCK ON COLD MORNINGS..FORD ESCAPE 2008 QUITE A FEW COMPLAINTS COME UP. THIS NEEDS ATTENTION AS IT IS VERY DANGEROUS.

VEHICLE WILL NOT SHIFT GEARS UNTIL 3250-3750 RPM. WRENCH WARNING LIGHT TURNS ON. *TR

AS I WAS ACCELERATING ONTO THE INTERSTATE MY 2008 FORD ESCAPE SURGED AND SPEED DECELERATED. THE WRENCH WARNING SYMBOL CAME ON WHICH IS THE "THROTTLE/POWERTRAIN" WARNING LIGHT. THE RPM'S GO AS HIGH AS 4,000 RPM'S BEFORE IT CHANGES GEARS. I TOOK IT INTO AAMCO TO FIND OUT WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS, THEY SAID THE TRANSMISSION HAS TO BE REPLACED $3,000.00 SO I BROUGHT IT TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP WHICH IS LOOKING INTO THE PROBLEM NOW. AS I READ ALL THE COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS SAME ISSUE A RECALL SHOULD BE ISSUED, NOT JUST A SERVICE BULLETIN. FORD NEEDS TO STAND BY ITS PRODUCT AND CORRECT THERE MISTAKES. I FEEL THIS IS A STRONG SAFETY ISSUE AS IT MAKES THE VEHICLE VERY UNSAFE TO DRIVE. *TR

THE VEHICLE'S POWER STEERING SYSTEM SUDDENLY FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THIS OCCURRED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED SO THERE WAS NO RISK OF ACCIDENT AT THE TIME. THIS ISSUE HAS NEVER OCCURRED BEFORE. I TURNED OFF AND RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND THE POWER STEERING RETURNED. I DID AN ON ONLINE SEARCH AND DISCOVERED THIS IS FAR FROM AN ISOLATED PROBLEM. I FOUND LITERALLY HUNDREDS OF OTHER 2008 ESCAPE OWNERS REPORTING SUDDEN STEERING LOSS PROBLEMS WITH CHARACTERISTICS MATCHING PRECISELY WHAT I EXPERIENCED. THESE COMPLAINTS SEEMED TO BEGIN TO SURFACE WITHIN THE LAST 2 YEARS. IT APPEARS THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT (ECU) MOUNTED IN THE STEERING COLUMN IS TO BLAME FOR THE FAILURES. I BELIEVE 2008 WAS THE FIRST YEAR FORD INTRODUCED THE ECU TO REPLACE CONVENTIONAL POWER STEERING PUMPS. WELL IT LOOKS LIKE THEY HAVE A PROBLEM WHICH FORD HAS APPARENTLY IGNORED SO FAR. I AM SUBMITTING THIS COMPLAINT IN THE HOPES THAT THE NHTSA WILL COMPEL FORD TO ISSUE A RECALL. THIS IS NOT AN INCONVENIENCE, THIS A LIFE THREATENING DEFECT. IF POWER STEERING FAILS AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS SOMEONE IS GOING TO GET HURT AND QUITE POSSIBLY DIE. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS. AND PLEASE DO IT SOON. *TR