2003 FORD ESCAPE Complaints

VEHICLE WENT IN FOR CONTROL ARM BRACE RECALL IN 2014 DUE TO POOR METZL USED ON THE SUBFRAME, MARCH OF 2015 IT FAILED LEAVING LIMITED CONTROL OF STEERING, FORD WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THEY ARE ONLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONTROL ARM RECALL AND TO CONTACT THE DEALER. THEY SAID THEY DID WHAT THEY WERE TOLD TO DO AND THE ROTTED SUBFRAME WAS NOT A PART OF THE RECALL. FORD NEEDS TO RECALL THE SUBFRAME PART BEFORE SOMEONE GETS SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED. *TR

VEHICLE STALLS OR WILL NOT START AS DESCRIBED IN FORD RECALL NUMBER 04S13. I HAVE REPLACED MULTIPLE PARTS INCLUDING FUEL PUMP, GAS CAP, FUEL FILTER,ETC. AND NOW I FOUND THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE PCM PROGRAMMING ON THIS VEHICLE. I PURCHASED THIS TRUCK USED AND DO NOT KNOW IF THIS WAS SERVICED. THIS IS A DANGEROUS PROBLEM AS STALLING CAN CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. *TR

HAD MY 2003 ESCAPE IN TO THE DEALER FOR A WHEEL BEARING PROBLEM, WHILE IT WAS IN THE SHOP THEY DID THE OPEN RECALL 14S02 SUB FRAME BRACE INSTALLATION. DROVE THE CAR 2 TIMES. THE WIFE DECIDED TO DRIVE TO THE STORE ON A 3RD TIME AND CALLED ME TO SAY CAR WAS PULLING HARD TO THE PASSENGER SIDE. AFTER GETTING THE CAR HOME I REMOVE THE PASSENGER FRONT TIRE THINKING THAT WE HAD A STICKING BRAKE CALIPER AND COULD SEE RIGHT AWAY THAT THE SUB FRAME HAD RIPPED APART RIGHT WHERE THE LOWER CONTROL ARM BOLTS UP. AFTER MORE INVESTIGATION AND MANY PHOTOS IT APPEARS TO ME THAT THE BOLT THAT WAS USED TO INSTALL THE BRACE PER THE RECALL HAS CAUSE THE UPPER PART OF THE FRAME TO RIP APART FROM THE LOWER PART (SPLIT IT OPEN) THERE IS SIGNIFICANT RUST ON THE FRAME BUT THIS REALLY LOOKS LIKE THE BANDAID CAUSED A BIGGER PROBLEM. I CALLED THE DEALER, THEY SAID TO CALL FORD, I CALLED FORD THEY SAID TAKE IT BACK TO THE DEALER AND THEY WOULD EVALUATE IT. BUT AFTER READING COMMENTS HERE I DECIDED AGAINST THAT AND WILL PROBABLY JUST HAUL IT TO SCRAP YARD. WHAT A WASTE. *TR

2003 FORD ESCAPE. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICLE TIRES ISSUE. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED THE TIRES HAD TO BE REPLACED AFTER ONLY 33,000 MILES OF DRIVING, WHEN THEY WERE SUPPOSE TO HAVE AN 85,000 MILE TREAD WARRANTY. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE HAVING A ROUTINE INSPECTION PERFORMED, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO PASS INSPECTION DUE TO RUST ON THE RIGHT WHEEL WELL, THE RIGHT FENDER, THE CROSS MEMBER AND THE FRAME. THE INSPECTOR DETERMINED THAT THE COMPONENTS DETERIORATED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 14V165000 (STRUCTURE). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 57,600. UPDATED 5/4/15*CN UPDATED 05/26/15*JB

I HAVE BEEN HAVING MULTIPLE PROBLEMS WITH MY HITCH NOT WANTING TO OPEN I HAVE TO LOCK AND UNLOCK MULTIPLE TIMES OR TURN CAR ON GO IN REVERSE THEN FORWARD AND PUT IN PARK SHUT CAR OFF SOME TIMES MULTIPLE TIMES BEFORE IT WILL ALLOW ME TO OPEN IT. LAST FALL (2014) MY HINGE THAT HOLDS MY WINDOW ON FELL OUT. AND AROUND THE SAME TIME I STARTED HAVING ISSUES WITH MY BACK DRIVERSIDE DOOR NOT OPENING DUE TO THE LOCK GETTING STUCK IT IS NOW COMPLETELY UNUSABLE UNTIL I FIND SOME ONE TO FIX IT I HAVE SEEN ON MANY SITES THIS ISSUE WITH RECALL CODE 04V6020000 DATE OF ANNOUNCEMENT 12/23/2004 RECALL BEGIN DATE 3/31/2005 BUT WHEN I CALLED FORD THEY TOLD ME MY CAR WAS NOT ON THE LIST BUT HERE IS THE SAME ISSUE?!?!? *TR

DAUGHTER DRIVING HER VEHICLE HOME FROM WORK NOTICED SEVERE VIBRATION IN FRONT OF VEHICLE AND GRADUAL LOSS OF CONTROL OF STEERING. FOLLOWING DAY, VEHICLE BROUGHT TO REPAIR SHOP FOR INSPECTION. DISCOVERED THAT RIGHT LOWER CONTROL ARM BROKEN. DISCOVERED THAT THERE WAS A MASSIVE RECALL FOR EXACT ISSUE. REMEDY SAID TO BE SUPPORT BRACE/CROSS MEMBER. VEHICLE BROUGHT TO FORD DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR. RECALL DEVICE INSTALLED, HOWEVER, DEALERSHIP FAILED TO ADVISE VEHICLE OWNER OF ROTTING SUB FRAME IN RIGHT FRONT OF VEHICLE. INSPECTED BY INDEPENDENT AUTO SHOP AFTER INSTALL AND SEVERE ROTTING AND STRUCTURAL DEFECTS FOUND IN RIGHT FRONT SUB FRAME. SUPPORT BRACE SUPPLIED BY RECALL ESSENTIALLY USELESS AS IT BOLTS IN TO ROTTING SUB FRAME. INDEPENDENT SHOP ADVISES THAT VEHICLE IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE FOR BOTH OCCUPANTS AND OTHER DRIVERS DUE TO SERIOUS LIKELIHOOD OF LOSS OF CONTROL. NOTE THAT THERE ARE MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS ON SAME ISSUE. ALSO NOTE THAT A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER, (OVER 50%), OF THESE COMPLAINTS REVEAL SEVERE ROTTING AND STRUCTURAL FAILURE TO RIGHT FRONT SUB FRAME. CONTACTED FORD ABOUT SUB FRAME ISSUES AND CONCERNS AND WAS REFERRED BACK TO FORD DEALERSHIP. ADVISED TO EXPRESS CONCERNS OVER WORKMANSHIP! FORD DEALERSHIP INSTALLED THE REPLACEMENT CROSS MEMBER JUST FINE. BUT THEY BOLTED IT TO A RUSTED DEFECTED SUB FRAME!! COME ON PEOPLE. DO WE HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL SOME YOUNG UNSUSPECTING MOTHER WITH A CAR LOAD OF KIDS LOSES CONTROL OF HER VEHICLE AND HITS A TREE, OR A POLE, OR ONCOMING TRAFFIC BEFORE THE REAL ISSUE IS ADDRESSED? I CAN ONLY IMAGINE THE LAWSUITS!! CERTAINLY HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE FOR A CLASS ACTION.

ON 1/19/1993, I EXPERIENCED UNCONTROLLED ACCELERATION IN MY 2003 FORD ESCAPE. I TURNED OFF THE ENGINE AND COASTED TO A STOP. FORTUNATELY, I WAS ON A LOW TRAFFIC ROAD. AFTER TOWING THE ESCAPE TO MY MECHANIC, HE IDENTIFIED THAT THE ACCELERATION CABLE WAS BINDING AGAINST THE ENGINE COVER. AFTER FURTHER IDENTIFYING A RECALL RELATED TO THIS (NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER:12V-353), THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO MY FORD SERVICE CENTER, WHO PERFORMED THE MODIFICATION. UPON PICKING UP THE CAR AFTER REPAIR AND LEAVING THE LOT OF THE FORD SERVICE CENTER, I IMMEDIATELY EXPERIENCED UNCONTROLLED ACCELERATION A SECOND TIME. QUICKLY HITTING THE BREAKS AND PERFORMING A U-TURN BACK INTO THE FORD LOT, I AGAIN TURNED OFF THE ENGINE AND COASTED TO THE GARAGE AREA. THIS TIME I WAS ON A MULTI-LANE ROAD IN A HIGH TRAFFIC AREA DURING 5:00 TRAFFIC AND SUFFERED NEAR COLLISION WITH MULTIPLE OTHER CARS. UPON INVESTIGATING THE CAUSE WITH THE SERVICE PERSONNEL, WE OBSERVED THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL CABLE HAD COME LOOSE AND BOUND WITH THE ACCELERATION CABLE, RESULTING IN THE UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. ON MULTIPLE ATTEMPTS TO RECONNECT THE CRUISE CONTROL CABLE, IT BECAME APPARENT THAT IT WOULD EASILY COME LOOSE AND BIND AGAIN WITH THE ACCELERATION CABLE. THE CRUISE CONTROL CABLE WAS DISCONNECTED AND FIXED INTO LOCATION AWAY FROM THE ACCELERATION CABLE. THE DEALER DID NOT KNOW OR RECOMMEND ANY OTHER METHOD TO FIX THE PROBLEM. MY OBSERVATION IS THAT THERE WAS SIGNIFICANT WEAR ON THE CRUISE CONTROL CABLE CONNECTION, POSSIBLY AS A RESULT OF THE INTERFERENCE CONDITION WITH THE THROTTLE COVER. THE CURRENT FORD RECALL DOES NOT APPEAR TO ADEQUATELY CORRECT THE PROBLEM OR LOOK FOR THIS ADDITIONAL PROBLEM. *TR

2003 FORD ESCAPE XLT. AIRBAGS DIDN'T DEPLOY WHEN THE CONSUMER HIT A DEER. *TA THE CONSUMER STATED THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE CAVED IN, UPON IMPACT. *JB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE SUBFRAME WAS FRACTURED. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THE SUBFRAME NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V165000 (STRUCTURE). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 116,994. UPDATED 3/12/15*CN UPDATED 9/11/2017*CN