2002 FORD ESCAPE Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 75 MPH, HE ATTEMPTED DISENGAGE THE CRUISE CONTROL BUT THE VEHICLE MAINTAINED 75 MPH. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE DEPRESSED THAT BRAKE PEDAL BUT THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO REV. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION WHERE THEY STATED THAT THE THROTTLE CABLE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000.

I WAS DRIVING AT 70MPH ON A HIGHWAY. I WENT TO TAKE MY EXIT AND PUSHED THE BUTTON TO TURN THE CRUISE CONTROL OFF, BUT THAT DID NOT SLOW THE VEHICLE DOWN AT ALL. IT KEPT ACCELERATING ALL THE WAY UP TO 90MPH. I TAPPED THE BRAKES BUT IT DID NOT SLOW THE CAR DOWN. I WAS AFRAID TO KEEP MY FOOT ON THE BRAKES DUE TO HEATING THE BRAKES UP SO MUCH THAT IT WOULD CATCH MY CAR ON FIRE. I PUT IT IN NEUTRAL BUT THE RPMS REVVED BETWEEN 5000-6000 SO I SWITCHED BACK IN TO DRIVE. WHEN I FINALLY HAD AN AREA WHERE THERE WERE NO OTHER CARS AROUND ME I SLAMMED ON THE BRAKE PEDAL TO SLOW IT DOWN AS MUCH AS I POSSIBLY COULD BEFORE PUTTING IT INTO PARK. WHEN IT WAS IN PARK THE RPMS JUMPED ALL THE WAY UP TO 5000 AND SOUNDED AS THOUGH THE CAR WAS GOING TO BLOW UP SO I TURNED THE CAR OFF. THEN I OPENED THE HOOD AND REMOVED THE CRUISE CONTROL CABLE. I HAVE HAD THE RECALL DONE ON THIS VEHICLE AND NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH THIS TIL NOW. MY CAR IS NO LEAKING OIL AND SMELLS LIKE SOMETHING IS BURNING. I HAVE CONTACTED FORD AND THEY SEEMED AS THOUGH THIS WAS AN UNIMPORTANT ISSUE. THEY STATED THAT THEY WERE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR REPAIRS. THIS SHOULD BE AN ISSUE FOR THEM SINCE THEY ARE THE ONES WHO FIXED IT IN THE FIRST PLACE WITH THE LAST RECALL THEY HAD ON THIS ISSUE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR HATCH DOOR FAILED TO LOCK. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN VERIFIED THAT THE DOOR LATCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 176,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 176,604.

THE REAR LIFTGATE GLASS SUPPORT BROKE WHILE OPENING THE REAR WINDOW. I WAS ABLE TO QUICKLY GRAB THE REAR WINDOW BEFORE IT COULD BREAK. I WOULD NOTE THAT THE FALLING REAR WINDSHIELD CAN STRIKE THE OPERATOR AND/OR BYSTANDER AND COULD CAUSE SIGNIFICANT INJURIES THAT COULD INCLUDE BRUISES TO THE HEAD, NECK OR BACK, AND POSSIBLY CUTS TO THE FACE, ARM OR HAND. I TOOK MY FORD ESCAPE TO MY LOCAL FORD DEALER (FRIENDLY FORD OF MONROE, MI) TO HAVE THIS ISSUE REPAIRED. I MENTIONED TO THE SERVICE MANAGER THAT EXPLORERS AND MOUNTAINEERS HAD BEEN RECALLED FOR THIS SAME EXACT DEFECT AND HE TOLD ME TO SAVE MY RECEIPT IN CASE MY VEHICLE IS RECALLED IN THE FUTURE. THE REPAIR TO MY VEHICLE COST $236.00 AT THE DEALER. I NOTED THAT ON SEPTEMBER 9, 2004, FORD NOTIFIED THE OWNERS THAT IT WILL RECALL APPROXIMATELY 955,732 VEHICLES, SPECIFICALLY 2002 AND 2003 FORD EXPLORER AND MERCURY MOUNTAINEER VEHICLES TO REPLACE THE LIFTGATE GLASS STRUT BRACKETS AND/OR HINGES. I'M SURE THESE HINGES WERE ALSO USED ON 2002 FORD ESCAPES. BEFORE BUYING THE ABOVE LISTED FORD ESCAPE, I TEST DROVE SEVERAL OTHER ESCAPES. ON ONE OF THE ESCAPES THAT I TEST DROVE, I OPENED UP THE REAR LIFTGATE GLASS AND NOTICED THAT ONE HINGE WAS BROKEN AND THAT THE GLASS WAS HANGING FROM JUST ONE HINGE. I NOTIFIED THE DEALER OF THIS PROBLEM AND TOLD HIM THAT I WOULD NOT BE BUYING THIS VEHICLE. MY NIECE ALSO OWNS A 2003 FORD ESCAPE AND HER HINGE BECAME RUSTED OUT AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. SEE "NHTSA RECALL" 04V442000 FOR DETAILS. *TR

CLICKING NOISE WHILE MAKING A RIGHT HAND TURN. STEERING WHEEL NO LONGER IN THE STRAIGHT UP POSITION WHEN VEHICLE IS TRAVELING IN A STRAIGHT LINE. APPROXIMATELY TURNED 20-25 DEGREES CLOCKWISE. INSPECTION OF THE FRONT END REVEALED THAT THE FRONT SUSPENSION CROSSMEMBER HAS RUSTED THROUGH AT THE PASSENGER SIDE LOWER CONTROL ARM FRONT MOUNT AREA. *TR

ARRIVED HOME, PARKED VEHICLE IN DRIVEWAY AND SHORTLY AFTER MY WIFE TOOK OUR PUPPY OUTSIDE AND SAW MY CAR WAS ON FIRE UNDER THE HOOD, I WAS ABLE TO OPEN THE HOOD AND SAW FLAMES AND SPARKS COMING FROM THE DRIVERS SIDE FIREWALL AREA, CALLED FIRE DEPT AFTER MY FIRE EXTINGUISHER FAILED TO FULLY PUT OUT THE FIRE FEARING IT WOULD CATCH THE HOUSE ON FIRE AS I WAS PARKED LESS THAN 10 FT FROM IT. *TR

FIRST INCIDENT- I WAS COMING OFF AN EXIT AND THE CAR INFRONT OF ME GOT CUT OFF ON THE OFF RAMP BECAUSE THERE WAS AN ENTRANCE RIGHT AFTER THE TURN, HE BRAKE AND I SLAMMED ON MY BRAKES. MY ABS DID NOT KICK IN. I DID REAR ENDED THE CAR INFRONT OF ME, BUT MY CAR HAD ALL THE DAMAGE. I DID NOT THINK ANYTHING OF THIS AND ONLY BLAMED MYSELF. MY CAR GOT REPAIRED. NOW (10/28/13)- MY CARS ABS/BRAKES ARE NOT WORKING. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE BEHIND THE CAR. LAST YEAR 2012, I GOT THE RECALLS COMPLETED BUT THEY WERE MINOR. BUT MY ABS SYSTEM/BRAKES ARE CRUCIAL. MY BRAKES ARE STICKING, PULSING, GOING ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. IT IS MORE THAN JUST A TONE RING! THAT IS THE RESPONSE I RECEIVED WHEN I WENT TO A FORD DEALERSHIP. SOMETHING IS INCORRECT WITH MY ABS PUMP AND SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE ABOUT IT. WHEN I THINK OF THE FIRST INCIDENT I THINK SOMETHING MAY HAVE BEEN WRONG ALL ALONG. *TR

I WAS DRIVING MY 2002 FORD ESCAPE AT 25 MPH ON A SUBURBAN SIDE STREET. SUDDENLY THERE WAS A LOUD CLUNK SOUND ON THE RIGHT FRONT OF THE CAR WITH THE FRONT DROPPING AND THE CAR GRINDING TO A STOP. INSPECTION REVEALED THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL WAS BASICALLY BROKEN OFF WITH THAT SIDE OF THE CAR SITTING ON THE GROUND. FURTHER INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THE LOWER FRONT SUSPENSION A-FRAME PULLED LOOSE FROM THE ENGINE CRADLE DUE TO RUST ON THE CROSSMEMBER. *TR

MY VEHICLE BEGAN TO MAKE UNKNOWN NOISES WHEN DRIVING, AND STEERING CONTROL BECAME VERY LOOSE. I PROMPTLY TOOK THE CAR TO MY MECHANIC. I WAS TOLD THE SUBFRAME WAS SO BADLY ROTTED THAT THE PASSENGER WHEEL CONTROL ARM HAD SEPARATED FROM THE SUBFRAME AND CAN NOT BE REATTACHED WITHOUT REPLACING THE SUBFRAME. THE VEHICLE IS NOW NO LONGER SAFE TO DRIVE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE STOPPED AT A STOP LIGHT, THE ACCELERATOR WAS DEPRESSED AND THE VEHICLE STALLED SUDDENLY. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC, WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 200,000. THE VIN WAS NOT PROVIDED.