2008 FORD ESCAPE Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE WAS UNABLE TO SHIFT FROM SECOND GEAR. THERE WAS AN INCREASE IN ENGINE RPMS AS SHE ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESPOND. THE DEALER ADVISED THE CONTACT TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE HOWEVER DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE SINCE THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOR THE FAILURE. NO REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED. THE CURRENT AND THE FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 76,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

I HAD PURCHASED THIS TRUCK NEW FROM THE DEALER IN MARCH OF 2008, THIS TRUCK HAS HAD MANY PROBLEMS IN THE PAST STARTING WITH THE DAY I BOUGHT THE TRUCK. NOW A FEW YEAR'S LATER THE "A.C. CONDENSER" WAS LEAKING TRANSMISSION FLUID AND THE DEALER IS NOW TELLING ME THAT IT IS NOT COVERED UNDER MY "DRIVE TRAIN WARRANTY". I AM NOT A MECHANIC BUT THE SEVERAL MECHANIC'S THAT I HAVE SPOKEN TO SAID THAT, THAT PART IS VITAL TO THE POWER TRAIN. I AM A YOUNG STRUGGLING NURSE TRYING TO PAY OFF SCHOOL LOANS, AND THEY ARE TELLING ME THAT THIS IS GOING TO COST $700.00, I CANNOT AFFORD IT AND I NEED MY TRUCK. I BOUGHT THIS NEW WITH THE IMPRESSION THAT THESE THINGS WILL NOT BE AN ISSUE AND IF THEY WERE THEY WOULD BE COVERED BY FORD'S WARRANTY. I HAVE DONE SOME RESEARCH ON THE INTERNET AND THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH THIS SPECIFIC YEAR AND TRUCK. I AM HOPING THAT YOU GUY'S WILL BE ABLE TO HELP WITH THIS MATTER. THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 35 MPH WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT DID NOT REPLACE THE STEERING COLUMN DUE TO THE PART BEING ON BACK ORDER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 81,000.

HTTP://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=-6XQ2ZYQMOI - THIS VIDEO DEPICTS EXACTLY WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE FORD 2008 ESCAPES. MY VEHICLE STARTED TO LEAK TRANSMISSION FLUID PROFUSELY LAST WEEK; WHICH IS NOT ONLY A PROBLEM IN MAJOR TRAFFIC IF THE FORD ESCAPE 2008 TRANSMISSION HAS NO FLUID, BUT ALSO IS AN SAFETY ISSUE TO THOSE WHO WALK IN PARKING LOTS WHERE MY CAR HAS LEAKED FLUID; IT MAY CAUSE A FALL... ESPECIALLY WITH SO MANY FORD ESCAPES 2008 HAVING THIS EXACT PROBLEM. HOW MANY FORD ESCAPES 2008 MUST ABRUPTLY RUN OUT OF TRANSMISSION FLUID BEFORE THIS DOES BECOME A DIRE SAFETY PROBLEM? SIDE NOTE: FORD HQ STATES THIS IS AN AC PROBLEM; HOWEVER, IF MY CAR LEAKS OUT ALL THE TRANSMISSION FLUID, ISN'T IT A DRIVE LINE PROBLEM? *TR

PURCHASED 2008 FORD ESCAPE IN JUNE 2007. AFTER AROUND 25K MILES THE TRANSMISSION WAS LEAKING FLUID ACCORDING TO THE FORD SERVICE CENTER WE TOOK IT TO. THEY REPAIRED THIS AT NO COST SINCE THIS WAS UNDER THE 3 YEAR/36,000 MILE WARRANTY. HAD A MINOR ISSUE BACK IN AUGUST WITH THE AIR FAN NOT BLOWING AIR PROPERLY. THE FAN HAD TO BE PLACED ON HIGH BEFORE IT WOULD BLOW OUT ANY AIR. THIS WAS FIXED AND COST APPROX. 200 DOLLARS SINCE THE WARRANTY WAS OUT IN JUNE 2007. NO BIG DEAL. THEN ON OCTOBER 30, AROUND 73K MILES ON THE CAR, IT STARTED STALLING WHILE DRIVING AND SHAKING VIOLENTLY. PUT ON BRAKES IT WOULD START TO STALL AND WHEN GIVING GAS IT WOULD SHAKE AND THEN STALL. TOOK IT TO THE FORD SERVICE SHOP WHICH IS ALSO THE DEALER WHERE WE HAVE PURCHASED AROUND 5 OR 6 VEHICLES AND WHO HAS ALWAYS SERVICED OUR FORD VEHICLES AND WERE TOLD THAT IT NEEDED A BRAND NEW TRANSMISSION AND SINCE IT IS OUT OF WARRANTY THIS WILL COST $4,900.00. HAVE CHECKED ON NUMEROUS WEBSITES AND THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE WITH FORD ESCAPES. I ACTUALLY KNOW SOMEONE WHO BOUGHT HER VEHICLE AT THE SAME DEALER, THE SAME YEAR VEHICLE AND HAD THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM WITH AROUND THE SAME MILEAGE WHEN HER TRANSMISSION WENT OUT AS WELL AS THE FAN PROBLEM. I DO NOT FEEL THAT I SHOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR THIS SINCE WE HAD THE SAME ISSUE BACK WHEN THE CAR ONLY HAD 25K MILES ON IT. THIS CAR IS ONLY 3 1/2 YEARS OLD AND WE SHOULD NOT HAVE THESE MANY ISSUES WITH THIS CAR. I CANNOT AFFORD TO HAVE IT FIXED SO IT WILL SIT IN MY DRIVEWAY. *TR

11/01/2011: WHILE DRIVING THE 2008 FORD ESCAPE XLS AT APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH ON A SMOOTH PAVED STREET, THE REAR WINDOW COMPLETELY SHATTERED. THE REAR WINDOW AND TAILGATE WERE CLOSED AT THE TIME. NO INJURIES OR OTHER DAMAGE REPORTED. THE REAR DEFROSTER HAD BEEN ON FOR 5-10 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT AND WAS TURNED OFF ABOUT A MINUTE BEFORE THE REAR WINDOW SHATTERED. NOTE: THE GLASS HAD AN AFTERMARKET TINT FILM APPLIED APPROXIMATELY 6 MONTHS PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING AT IDLE SPEEDS WHEN A CLUNKING NOISE WAS HEARD FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY CONFIRMED THAT THE UNIVERSAL JOINT FOR THE STEERING COLUMN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 58,000.

NOTICED STEERING WHEEL VIBRATING WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AT POSTED SPEED 70 MPH. CONTINUED TO VIBRATE AND MOVE WHILE STOPPED AT STOP LIGHTS. ON 10-25-11 MY WIFE DROVE ACROSS THE UNIVERSITY CAMPUS AND LOST POWER STEERING WHILE IN PARKING LOT. TURNING VEHILCE OFF AND RESTARTING APPEARED TO SOLVE LOSS OF POWER ASSIST STEERING. STEERING WHEEL CONTINUED TO MOVE SLIGHTLY SIDE TO SIDE WHILE DRIVING TO DEALERSHIP. CURRENTLY UNDER INSPECTION AND WE ARE WAITING FOR PRICE ESTIMATE AT THE TIME OF THIS COMPLAINT. *TT

WHILE DRIVING TO WORK,A WRENCH LIGHT ILLUMINATED. MY CAR THEN HAD DIFFICULTY SHIFTING AND SEEMED TO STRUGGLE TO SHIFT INTO GEAR. I TOOK THE CAR TO MY MECHANIC THE NEXT DAY AND ENDED UP HAVING TO SPEND $3,400 ON A COMPLETE TRANSMISSION OVERHAUL. I DO NOT THINK THIS SHOULD BE SINCE I SERVICE MY CAR INCLUDING TRANSMISSION SERVICE ON A REGULAR BASIS.THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE CONDENSER A WHILE BACK. THIS WAS CORRECTED. *TR

WHILE MY WIFE WAS DRIVING OUR 2008 FORD ESCAPE WITH 70K MILES, THE STEERING SUDDENLY LOCKED UP. I WAS TOLD BY FORD THAT THIS PROBLEM WAS RARE, BUT I HAVE FOUND DOZENS OF COMPLAINTS WITH THE EXACT SAME ISSUE. THE ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING (EPS) MODULE HAS FAILED. FORD HAD MODIFIED THIS MODULE 8 TIMES SINCE 2008 WHEN IT WAS FIRST USED. THE REPAIR ESTIMATE IS $1300. FORD IS UNWILLING TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT THE PROBLEM. THE REASON THE PROBLEM IS RARE IS DUE TO THE FACT THAT IT APPEARS TO HAPPEN AROUND 45K MILES OR ABOVE. MOST 2008 MODEL CARS ARE JUST NOW COMING INTO THAT MILEAGE. THIS IS A LIFE AND DEATH DEFECT AS THE DRIVER LOSES CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. I HAPPEN TO BE IN THE FIELD OF BROADCAST. I INTENT TO LAUNCH A NATIONWIDE CAMPAIGN TO ALERT 2008 ESCAPE OWNERS OF THE TICKING TIMEBOMB THEY ARE DRIVING AND TO DETERMINE HOW MANY FAILURES HAVE ALREADY OCCURRED. IF YOU OWN A 2008 FORD ESCAPE, PLEASE BE AWARE THAT YOU ARE LIKELY TO EXPERIENCE THIS ISSUE. FIRST INDICATION MAY BE A SLIGHT VIBRATION IN THE STEERING WHEEL. AT THIS POINT, FAILURE IS IMMINENT. *TR