2002 FORD ESCAPE Complaints

WAS APPROACHING A STOP SIGN AND THE TIRE FELL SIDEWAYS. CALLED FOR A TOW TRUCK AND THE GARAGE CALLED AND SAID THE SUBFRAME WAS SO BADLY RUSTED THAT THE CONTROL ARM SEPARATED FROM THE SUBFRAME. I FIND THIS HARD TO BELIEVE THAT A VEHICLE WITH SUCH LITTLE MILEAGE COULD RUST SO BAD. FORD SHOULD SERIOUSLY LOOK INTO THIS ISSUE BECAUSE IF YOUR TRAVELING @ A HIGH SPEED AND THE CONTROL ARM SEPARATES YOU CAN HAVE A MAJOR ACCIDENT AND CAUSE INJURIES OR EVEN DEATH. *TR

WHILE DRIVING THROUGH A PARKING LOT MY 2002 FORD ESCAPE SUDDENLY MADE A CLUNKING SOUND THEN SUDDENLY STOPPED. I COULD NOT STEER THE CAR TO THE SIDE OR MOVE IT FORWARD OR BACKWARD. I EXITED THE CAR AND LOOKED AT THE DRIVERS SIDE TIRE AND IT SEEMED FINE . I THEN WENT OVER TO THE PASSENGER SIDE AND SAW THAT MY WHEEL WAS COMPLETELY TURNED IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. I FIGURED THAT I PROBABLY BROKE A TIE ROD. I CALLED AAA TO HAVE THE AUTO TOWED TO A LOCAL SERVICE STATION. WHEN THE TOW DRIVER ARRIVED HE TOOK A LOOK AT MY ESCAPE AND SAID THAT MY SUBFRAME WAS RUSTED SO BAD THAT IT HAD SEPARATED IN TWO. BY DOING THAT MY WHEEL AXLE HAD COMPLETELY SEPARATED FROM THE TRANSMISSION. HIS OPINION WAS THAT IF I WAS DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY AND THIS HAD HAPPENED IT PROBABLY WOULD HAVE CAUSED A MAJOR AUTO COLLISION AND MAYBE EVEN CAUSING MY ESCAPE TO ROLL OVER. THIS TO ME SEEMS TO BE A VERY DANGEROUS FLAW IN THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF THE SUBFRAME AND I AM VERY FORTUNATE THIS DID NOT HAPPEN ON THE HIGHWAY. IT COULD HAVE CAUSED MAJOR DAMAGE AND EVEN DEATH TO INNOCENT PEOPLE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT BRAKE FLUID WAS LEAKING ONTO THE BRAKE RESERVOIR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN ADVISED THAT THE MASTER CYLINDER WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED BUT THE PART WAS NOT AVAILABLE FOR REPAIR. THE BRAKE WARNING LIGHT CONTINUED TO ILLUMINATE INTERMITTENTLY. THERE WAS A RECALL UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 12V005000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE) THAT COULD HAVE BEEN RELATED TO THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 25,000.

AGAIN I OWN THREE OF THESE VEHICLES AND WHILE PUMPING GAS MY FUEL TANK STRAPS ROTTED OUT, SAME AS THE OTHER TWO. AGAIN DEALER WILL NOT WARRANTY AND THEY WON'T HELP ESPECIALLY WITH THE SAME PROBLEM WITH ALL THREE VEHICLES. *TR

I OWN THREE FORD ESCAPES AND ON THIS VEHICLE I'VE HAD THE RIGHT FRONT ABS RING SNAP SAME AS ALL THE OTHERS WITH NO WARRANTY FROM THE DEALER. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE EMITTED A BURNING ODOR AND THE VEHICLE STALLED SEVERAL TIMES WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT SOMETIMES THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR INSPECTION, BUT THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE OR DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 156,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE 162,000.

THE VEHICLE, AFTER BEING TURNED OFF, WOULD NOT TURN BACK ON, AND THE GEAR INDICATOR SQUARE THAT SURROUNDS THE ENGAGED GEAR WAS MULTIPLYING, FLASHING AND "DANCING" FROM GEAR TO GEAR. THIS HAPPENED A SECOND TIME EXACTLY ONE WEEK LATER, AND THIS TIME THE INTERIOR LIGHTS WERE FLASHING AND COULD NOT BE STOPPED. AFTER QUITE SOME TIME ONCE THE KEY WAS REMOVED AND THE DOOR WAS CLOSED, THE FLASHING INTERIOR LIGHTS CEASED AND WOULD ONLY CONTINUE AGAIN ONCE THE KEY WAS IN THE IGNITION. THOUGH REMOVING THE KEY CAUSED THE LIGHTS TO STOP FLASHING, EVEN ONCE THE KEY WAS REMOVED, THE INDICATOR SQUARE CONTINUED THE BEHAVIOR. PERIODICALLY DURING OPERATION THE LIGHTS STRENGTHEN IN AND OUT WHEN IDLING. *TR

WHEN I FIRST START MY VEHICLE AND BEGIN DRIVING IT, UNLESS I REACH 20 MPH BEFORE NEEDING TO BRAKE, THE BRAKES MAKE A GRINDING NOISE AND AT FIRST THE PEDAL RESISTS, THEN IT GIVES WAY IN, CAUSING THE BRAKE TO NEED TO PRESSED DOWN COMPLETELY BEFORE THE VEHICLE WILL COME TO A STOP. ONCE I REACH THE 20 MPH OR SO, THE ABS LIGHT COMES ON, AND AFTER THAT, THE BRAKES WORK FINE. I TOOK IT TO MY FORD DEALERSHIP, THEY REPORTEDLY DID NOT FIND A PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKES, BUT PERFORMED A RECALL ON ONLY THE ABS LIGHT ITSELF. THIS DID NOTHING FOR THE GRINDING RESISTANCE AND FAILURE OF THE BRAKE PEDAL UPON INITIALLY NEEDING TO STOP, AND STILL THE ABS LIGHT POPS ON ONCE I REACH 20-25 MPH. *TR

GOING BETWEEN 34-37 MPH TODAY, MY VEHICLE COMPLETELY STALLED UPON SLIGHT DECELERATION AS I WAS ATTEMPTING TO SWITCH INTO ANOTHER LANE. *TR

UPON PRESSING THE BRAKE, AT ANY SPEED, THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY SHUTS OFF. THIS HAS CAUSED ME TO BE NEARLY REAR-ENDED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. IT HAPPENS WITHOUT NOTICE, AND IS BECOMING MORE CONSISTENT. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP, AS THERE WERE RECALLS ON MY VEHICLE, BUT THEY SAID WHILE THAT IS A PROBLEM FOR MY MAKE AND MODEL, IT WAS IN FACT NOT ONE OF THE RECALLS TO BE PERFORMED. I HAD TWO RECALLS PERFORMED, NEITHER OF WHICH HELPED THIS PROBLEM AT ALL. IT LEAVES ME HALTED IN INTERSECTIONS, AND MAKES FOR ABRUPT STOPS, AS I HAVE TO COMPLETELY BRAKE TO A FULL AND COMPLETE STOP, THROW THE TRUCK INTO PARK, TURN THE KEY OFF, WAIT A MOMENT, TURN THE KEY BACK ON, AND BACK INTO DRIVE. *TR