2008 FORD ESCAPE Complaints

WHILE DRIVING AT ABOUT 40 MPH, MY CAR UNEXPECTEDLY APPLIED THE BRAKES ITSELF, WITHOUT ME TOUCHING THE BRAKES AT ALL, RAPIDLY BRINGING THE CAR FROM 40 MPH TO ABOUT 5 MPH. LUCKILY, I WAS DRIVING ON A BACK ROAD WITH NO ONE BEHIND ME, SO THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT. IN ORDER TO MOVE THE CAR OUT OF THE WAY TO SOMEWHERE SAFE ALONG THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, I HAD TO SHIFT DOWN INTO FIRST GEAR AND ALMOST FLOOR THE GAS IN ORDER TO FIGHT AGAINST THE HEAVILY APPLIED BRAKE SYSTEM. ONCE OUT OF THE WAY, I CALLED A TOW TRUCK AND HAD THE CAR REPAIRED AT A LOCAL GARAGE. THE GARAGE FIXED THE PROBLEM BY REPLACING A BROKEN "TONE RING" ON THE CAR - A TOOTHED RING AROUND THE AXLE THAT THE ABS SYSTEM USES TO MEASURE WHETHER THE WHEELS ARE SLIPPING. A CRACK IN THE RING HAD WIDENED THE GAP BETWEEN TWO OF THE TEETH, MAKING THE ABS COMPUTER GO HAYWIRE THINKING THAT THE WHEELS WERE SLIPPING. SINCE THEN IN 15000 ADDITIONAL MILES, I'VE HAD ALL THREE OTHER TONE RINGS BRAKE, CAUSING SIMILAR SITUATIONS TO DIFFERENT DEGREES. I'VE BEEN TOLD BY MULTIPLE MECHANICS THAT THIS PROBLEM IS COMMON ON THE FORD ESCAPE, AND THAT THE TONE RING - DESPITE BEING HIGHLY EXPOSED TO THE ELEMENTS ON THE UNDERCARRIAGE OF THE CAR - IS MADE OUT OF VERY CORRODIBLE MATERIAL AND THEY SEE THEM BREAK ALL THE TIME. MY EXPERIENCE AFFIRMS THIS OBSERVATION, AND HIGHLIGHTS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION THAT COULD EASILY BE FIXED BY FORD USING MORE ROBUST QUALITY MATERIALS TO MAKE THE TONE RING. *TR

I HAVE A 2008 FORD ESCAPE PURCHASED USED IN 2011, AND FROM DAY ONE BEEN HAVING PROBLEMS. I BROUGHT IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP WITHIN THE FIRST WEEK I PURCHASED IT. IT STALLED WHILE DRIVING AND THEY COULDN'T RESOLVE/FIND THE PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM WENT AWAY, ONLY TO COME BACK TO WHERE THE CAR STALLED WHEN EVER I CAME TO A STOP AND ENGINE LIGHT ON. NOW IT DOESN'T STALL BUT HAS A ROUGH IDLE, HESITATES WHEN SHIFTING GEARS AND THE CHECK ENGINE AND THROTTLE LIGHT COMES ON.DRIVING IN TRAFFIC I FEEL I WILL GET WHIPLASH FROM IT NOT ACCELERATING WHEN TRYING PRESSING THE GAS AND IT NOT GOING AND BUCKING. I SEE IM NOT ALONE WITH THIS PROBLEM. I FEEL FORD SHOULD PLAY A PART IN FIXING THIS BEING THAT'S ITS NOT THE DRIVER OBVIOUSLY ITS THE CAR! IF I COULD AFFORD TO GET ANOTHER CAR I WOULD BUT HAVE NO CHOICE TO BE STUCK WITH THIS ONE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE STOP SAFELY NOW WARNING MESSAGE DISPLAYED AS THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ELECTRONIC COOLING PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 67,838 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. UPDATED 01/23/2014 *BF

2008 FORD ESCAPE. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO STEERING COLUMN ISSUES. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED THE ELECTRONIC MODULE IN THE STEERING COLUMN FAILED.

I WAS AWAKE SITTING AT MY DINNING ROOM TABLE, I SMELT SOMETHING (BURNT RUBBER) SO I CHECK ALL ROOM IN THE HOUSE. I WALK OUTSIDE AND SAW SMOKE COMING OUT FROM MY FORD ESCAPE THAT WAS PARK. I WOKE MY KIDS, CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND GRABBED THE WATER HOSE. ONCE THE FIRE FIGHTERS WERE ON THE SCENE, THEY OPENED THE DRIVER DOOR, SMOKE EXITED THE DOORS EXPOSING OXYGEN CAUSING SOME FLICKERING OF THE FLAME TO START. WATER WAS DISCHARGED ONTO THE SMOLDERING INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE & COOLING DOWN IGNITION OF DASH AREA (RADIO IS LOCATED). THE HEAT WAS SO HOT THAT IT CRACKED FRONT WINDSHIELD, MELTED ALL PLASTIC FRAME INSIDE THE VEHICLE (MIDDLE AREA NEAR RADIO & SHIFT GEAR) AND BLACKEN ALL THE WINDOWS. ONCE FIRE WAS UNDER CONTROL, FIRE FIGHTER STATED IT WAS AN ELECTRICAL WIRE. BATTERY CABLE WAS ALSO CUT TO PREVENT ANY DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIR BAGS. BUT THEN I WAS IN SHOCK JUST THINKING OMG! I WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE TO WORK ALL WEEK AND PARK IT LATER THAT NIGHT. TODAY I STILL DON'T KNOW THE ELECTRICAL FIRE STARTED, VERY PUZZLING BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS NOT RUNNING AND THERE ARE NO RECALLS FROM FORD DEALER ON THIS MODEL. UNFORTUNATELY, I DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO PAY FOR MY VEHICLE INSURANCE FOR ANOTHER MONTH SO THERE FORE AM STUCK WITH THE BILL. I BOUGHT THE USE VEHICLE AT DRIVE TIME IN PHOENIX ARIZONA AND THE FINANCE COMPANY HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH MY SITUATION BUT FOR ME TO PAY THE VEHICLE OFF. LIKE I SAID I STILL DON'T KNOW THE EXACT CAUSE OF THE FIRE EXPECT IT WAS CAUSE BY WIRING. I COULD SEE THE V SHAPE OUTLINE OF WHERE THE FIRE STARTED. NOT ONLY THAT BUT I HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE IGNITION, I HAD TO TURN THE KEY ALL THE WAY AROUND IN ORDER FOR THE VEHICLE TO START (NO RECALLS)? I AM STILL SAD BY ALL OF THIS BUT VERY THANKFUL THAT NO ONE WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE......WHO KNOWS WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED?

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE WAITING AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT AFTER TURNING OFF THE ENGINE AND RESTARTING, THE VEHICLE RESUMED NORMAL FUNCTION. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 86,000.

I RECENTLY HAD TO PAY FOR A REPAIR FOR A KNOWN DEFECT FOR THE 2008 FORD ESCAPE. IT WAS A TRANSMISSIONS FLUID LEAK NEAR THE AC CONDENSER ASSEMBLY WHICH REQUIRED REPLACEMENT. THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS AND I WOULD LIKE TO ADD TO THE LIST AS OPPOSED TO SITTING BY AND TAKING IT. MANUFACTURERS WANTS PEOPLE TO FAITHFULLY SUPPORT THEM BY BUYING THEIR PRODUCTS AND IN RETURN THEY SHOULD FAITHFULLY REPAIR KNOWN COMMON PROBLEMS INSTEAD OF ACTING AS IF THEY DON'T EXIST. I SHOULD NOT BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE NOR RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR FACTORY DEFECTS! *JB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE AS THE WRENCH WARNING ICON ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WOULD HAVE TO BE REBUILT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000. *TT

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE BECAME DIFFICULT TO STEER AS THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME VERY LOOSE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE CAP OF THE U-JOINT HAD BECOME DETACHED AND WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 118,000.

AT THE TIME I WAS DRIVING THIS CAR I WAS GOING AROUND A CURB IN A PARKING GARAGE WHEN I SUDDENLY LOST ACCELERATION ON THE GAS PEDAL. THE PEDAL WENT FLAT TO THE FLOOR AND APPARENTLY CAME UNDONE FROM ITS CABLE. I WAS UNABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR AND CALLED A TOW COMPANY. THE TOW DRIVER HOOKED THE CABLE BACK UP FOR ME AND I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE AGAIN. AFTER SEARCHING ON LINE, IT APPEARS THAT FORD OFFERS AN INEXPENSIVE PLASTIC CLIP THAT COULD PREVENT THIS IN THE FUTURE. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME IT HAS HAPPENED SINCE I HAD THIS CAR. THIS IS A DEFECT ON FORD'S PART AND THERE SHOULD CERTAINLY BE A RECALL FOR THIS TO PREVENT AN ACCIDENT FROM HAPPENING. FORD WANTED ME TO BRING THE CAR IN AND CHARGE ME ALOT FOR THE SERVICE. THEY NEED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS PROBLEM SINCE MANY OTHER 2008 FORD ESCAPE OWNERS HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR