2008 FORD ESCAPE Complaints

WE BOUGT A 2008 FORD ESCAPE LIMITED ALMOST TWO YEARS AGO,IT NOW HAS 70,000 MILES AND TRANSMISSION IS STARTING TO GO OUT., AND WHEN WE TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP THEY SAID THE COMPRESSOR AND THE GEARBOX NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE TRASMISSION FLUID POURS OUT AND IT SHIFTS SO HARD INTO FIRST AND SECOND GEAR THAT TIRES SPIN. *TR

I AM FILING THIS COMPLAINT ON BEHALF OF MY DAUGHTER. HER 2008 FORD ESCAPE STARTED JERKING AS IF THE TRANSMISSION WAS SLIPPING THEN ENGAGING. UPON CHECKING THE FLUID LEVEL I FOUND IT WAS SHOWING AT THE BOTTOM OF THE DIPSTICK. MY DAUGHTER IS A REGISTERED NURSE AND DOES A LOT OF DRIVING WITHIN OUR TRI-STATE AREA SO AS STRANGE AS I THOUGHT IT WAS TO BE THAT LOW, I ADDED 2 QTS. OF FLUID. TWO DAYS LATER IT WAS THE SAME SITUATION AGAIN EXCEPT THIS TIME I HAD HER MAKE AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE DEALER. AFTER DEALER INSPECTION SHE WAS TOLD THAT THE TRANSMISSION COOLER WAS LEAKING AND NEEDED REPLACED. I CALLED THE DEALERS SERVICE MANAGER TO SEE IF WAS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WASN'T COVERED UNDER THE 3YR. 38,000 MI. WARRANTY BECAUSE HER MILEAGE WAS AT 43641. I ASKED ABOUT IT BEING COVERED UNDER THE 5YR. 60,000 MI. POWER TRAIN WARRANTY BECAUSE IT IS CALLED A TRANSMISSION COOLER, AGAIN I WAS TOLD NO. NOW I AM SURE NOT A ROCKET SCIENTIST BUT TO ME A TRANSMISSION COOLER SOUNDS AS IF IT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE TRANSMISSION OPERATION! MY ARGUMENTS WITH THE SERVICE ADVISOR PROVED FRUITLESS. WHAT REALLY TICKED ME OFF WAS WHEN THE SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME THAT THE MECHANIC WHO HANDLED THE REPAIR SAID THAT THE TRANSMISSION COOLER WAS LEAKING IN THE SEAM (FAULTY WORKMANSHIP???). THE END RESULT IS THE REPAIR COST MY DAUGHTER $667.04. WHEN I ASKED TO SEE THE OLD PART THE SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME THAT THE MECHANIC HELD ONTO IT BECAUSE EACH MECHANIC KEEPS OLD PARTS TO SELL AS SCRAP. I WENT BACK AND GOT THE OLD TRANS. COOLER BECAUSE I FIGURED IF ANYONE SHOULD MONEY OUT OF THE SCRAP ALUMINUM IT SHOULD BE MY DAUGHTER. THE PLACEMENT OF THE TRANSMISSION COOLER RIGHT BEHIND THE GRILLE IS THE STUPIDEST DESIGN. WHY WASN'T SOME TYPE OF GUARD INSTALLED IN FRONT OF IT? *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD ESCAPE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, THE TRANSMISSION BEGAN TO SHIFT IMPROPERLY. THERE WERE INTERMITTENT HARSH SHIFTS. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS RELATED TO THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION COOLING UNIT AND LINES. THE MANUFACTURER WARRANTY WAS EXPIRED AND THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 41,000.

WE BOUGHT THE ESCAPE IN MARCH 2008 WITH 17,000 MILES AND NOW HAVE 41,000 MILES. THE OTHER DAY IT STARTED TO NOT SHIFT RIGHT SO WE CHECKED THE FLUIDS AND SAW THE TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS VERY LOW. WE FILLED IT AND IT STILL WASN'T REGISTERING AND TOOK IT TO THE DEALER THE NEXT MORNING. DEALER SAID THERE IS A SLOW LEAK AND WE WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE UNIT AT OUR COST BECAUSE WE'RE OVER THE 35,000 MILE WARRANTY. SERVICE MANAGER ADMITTED THAT THE LEAK MOST LIKELY WOULD HAVE STARTED WHILE STILL UNDER WARRANTY BUT COULD NOT GO BACK. CALLED FORD AND GOT NOWHERE WITH THEM. DID RESEARCH LAST NIGHT AND SAW ALL THE OTHER COMPLAINTS ALONG WITH THE TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN ISSUED BY FORD ABOUT THE PROBLEM. HEADING BACK TO THE DEALER THIS MORNING TO SEE WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT THE TSB. THE VEHICLE WILL SIT IN THE DRIVEWAY UNTIL FORD OR THE DEALER STEPS UP AND PAYS FOR THIS. FORD KNOWS IT'S A DEFECT SO WHY SHOULD WE HAVE TO SPEND THE ESTIMATED $800 TO CORRECT IT. HOPING THEY END UP RECALLING THIS TO SAVE OTHER CONSUMERS THE HASSLE WE'VE BEEN DEALING WITH. *TR

THIS IS A FOLLOW UP TO EARLIER COMPLAINT #10256871 DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DO REPAIRS TO VEHICLE AT EARLIER DATE BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT FIND PROBLEM. VEHICLE NOW QUIT MOVING IN MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC REQUIRING IT BE TOWED. DEALER NOW REPLACED ENTIRE TRANSMISSION DUE TO COMPLETE INTERNAL FAILURE WHICH APPEARED TO BE CAUSED BY LACK OF LUBRICATION TO INTERNAL COMPONENTS. DEALER COMMENTED THAT IT APPEARS TO BE A COOLER RELATED DESIGN PROBLEM, WHICH RESTRICTS FLUID FLOW IN COLD CLIMATES. *TR

HAVE A 2008 ESCAPE WITH 15,500 MILES AND IT BEGAN SHIFTING HARD. TOOK A SHORT TRIP AND PROBLEM WORSENED. HUSBAND NOTED TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAKING, RIGHT PASSENGER SIDE. TOOK VEHICLE TO SHOP AND THEY DETERMINED THE TRANSMISSION COOLER NEEDED REPLACED. STILL UNDER WARRANTY SO THERE WAS NO COST TO ME OTHER THAN A DAY WITHOUT MY VEHICLE AND SHOP WAS EXCELLENT IN CLEANING MY VEHICLE FROM ALL THE TRANSMISSION FLUID SPLATTERS. GREAT SERVICE BUT THIS PROBLEM ON SO MANY OF THESE VEHICLES SHOULD BE A RECALLED ITEM. *TR

MY 2008 FORD ESCAPE IS CURRENTLY AT 16000 MILES AND I HAVE NOTICED FOR ABOUT A WEEK THAT THE TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN SLIPPING. THEN WHEN I PUT IT INTO REVERSE, IT SOUNDS LIKE IT IS GOING TO STALL BUT DOESN'T. HOWEVER, WHEN THEN GOING INTO DRIVE MY CAR HAS STALLED 4 TIMES. I TOOK IT TODAY AND THAT WAS THE SECOND CAR TODAY BROUGHT IN FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. THEY AUTOMATICALLY SAID IT WOULD TAKE A COUPLE OF DAYS AND GOT ME A RENTAL CAR TILL TUESDAY. *TR

WHEN STANDING AT THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE IT HAS A NOTICEABLE LEAN TO THE DRIVERS' SIDE (BOTH FRONT AND REAR) OF ALMOST 1/2 INCH. THERE HAVE BEEN NO MODIFICATIONS DONE, TIRES ARE ALL THE SAME SIZE AND PROPERLY INFLATED AND IT DOESN'T MATTER IF THE TANK IS FULL OR EMPTY. DEALER ACKNOWLEDGES THE PROBLEM BUT IS UNWILLING TO PURSUE IT. *TR

I BROUGHT MY 2008 FORD ESCAPE INTO THE DEALERSHIP AFTER NOTICING IT WAS LEAKING TRANSMISSION FLUID TOWARD THE FRONT PASSENGER-SIDE OF THE CAR. DEALER DIAGNOSED THE CAR WITH NEEDING A REPLACEMENT OF THE TRANSMISSION COOLER AT A TOTAL COST OF $1,142. MY ESCAPE WAS PURCHASED IN JUNE OF 2007 AND HAS JUST GONE OUT OF WARRANTY HAD JUST OVER 40,000 MILES WHEN FLUID STARTED LEAKING. TSB 08-5-7 WAS ISSUED FOR THIS EXACT ISSUE. DEALERSHIP OFFERED 60 (FORD)/40 (ME) SPLIT OF COST, BUT I THINK THIS SHOULD BE RECALLED SINCE IT IS ADMITTEDLY A DESIGN FLAW. I'VE ALSO READ OF MANY OTHERS HAVING THE SAME EXPERIENCE. FORD SHOULD DO THE RIGHT THING AND ISSUE A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM. *TR

VEHICLE WOULD NOT GO IN REVERSE AFTER DRIVING ABOUT TEN MILES. SUB ZERO WEATHER, VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN HEATED GARAGE. IT WORKED OK OUT OF GARAGE, AFTER DRIVEN FOR THE TEN MILES REVERSE SLIPPED BADLY. POWERTRAIN LIGHT ON DEALER CHECKED FOR CODES AND CODE READ AS UNKNOWN PROBLEM. TRANSMISSION NOW HAS DELAYED ENGAGEMENT INTO REVERSE. DEALER CHECKED FLUID AND IT IS BURNT, AGAIN NO KNOWN CODES YET LIGHT IS STILL ON. VEHICLE IS 4 CYLINDER WITH 4 WHEEL DRIVE. *TR