2003 FORD ESCAPE Complaints

ON MAY 2 2013, MY DAUGHTER LOST THE ABILITY TO STEER THE VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH ON A BUSY CITY STREET. THE VEHICLE MADE A LEFT TURN IN FRONT OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC AND EVENTUALLY CAME TO A STOP IN THE ENTRANCE DRIVEWAY OF A FAST FOOD RESTAURANT. IT WAS TOWED TO THE LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP, WHERE IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE SUBFRAME HAD FAILED DUE TO CORROSSION WHICH CAUSED THE RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER TIRE TO BECOME PARTIALLY DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. IT APPEARS THE FAILURE MAY BE RELATED TO THE VEHICLE AIR CONDITIONING DISCHARGING CONDENSATE ON THE AFFECTED PART. THE FORD DEALER ADVISED THEY HAD SEEN 1 OTHER VEHICLE RECENTLY WITH THE SAME ISSUE. I HAVE ASKED FOR A FACTORY REPRESENTATIVE TO INVESTIGATE THE FAILURE BUT SO FAR MY REQUEST HAS NOT BEEN HONORED. *TR

ON MAY 8,2013, THE ANTI-THEFT ALARM SOUNDED WHILE MY CAR SAT IN THE DRIVEWAY. IT HAD NOT BEEN DRIVEN FOR 3 + HOURS. UPON INVESTIGATION OF THE ALARM, THERE WAS SMOKE COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE WIRING HARNESS ATTACHED TO THE ABS HAD A SMALL FLAME AND SMOKE FROM ITS WIRING INSULATION. AFTER EXTINGUISHING THE FLAME AND DISCONNECTING THE BATTERY, I CALLED FOR A TOW . THE SAFETY FEATURES WORKED WELL AND LOCKED OUT THE ENTIRE AUTO SYSTEM. THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN SAID THERE WAS A RECALL ( RECALL 07S51 SUPPL #2 DTD 9 OCT 2009 ) AND THAT FORD SHOULD PROBABLY PROVIDE A FIX OR CREDIT TOWARD SAID FIX. THE CAR WAS THEN TOWED TO A FORD DEALERSHIP. THE CURRENT STATUS IS: 1.) THE WIRING HARNESS IS NO LONGER MANUFACTURED BY FORD AND THE DEALERSHIP HAS NO APPROVED PROVISIONS TO SECURE A HARNESS. 2.) RECALL 07S51 WAS IMPLEMENTED PER THEIR RECORDS SO THERE IS NO PROVISION FOR THE DEALERSHIP TO FIX THIS ISSUE EVEN IF THEY COULD GET A WIRING HARNESS AND THEN TROUBLESHOOT THE EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE.3.) MY PRIVATE INSURANCE'S COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DOES NOT COVER A VEHICLE SITTING STATIC FOR A WIRING FIRE. 4.) I AM AWAITING FORMS FROM FORD QUALITY GROUP TO PLEA FOR CONSIDERATION. ONCE THE FORMS ARE COMPLETED AND RECEIVED BY FORD CORPORATE OFFICES, THEIR LAWYERS WILL REQUIRE APPROX 15 DAYS TO MAKE A DETERMINATION IF MY CLAIM HAS MERIT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE RPM INCREASED EXCESSIVELY AND THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED WHICH CAUSED THE CONTACT TO CRASH INTO A BUILDING. THE CONTACT WAS RUSHED TO THE HOSPITAL WHERE HE SUSTAINED BACK AND NECK INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED FOR THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER : 12V353000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING , VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 150,000. *TR..UPDATED 06/24/13 *BF UPDATED 06/28/2013 *JS

THE INCIDENT OCCURRED DURING RUST HOUR TRAFFIC. MY VEHICLE WAS ON THE HIGHWAY AT 70 MPH, I HAD THE CRUISE CONTROL ON. I TRIED TO SLOWDOWN BY PRESSING ON THE BRAKE BUT THE VEHICLE STARTED TO ACCELERATE. I HAD TO MOVE TO THE SLOW LANE (2 LANES TO THE RIGHT) TO GET TO THE SHOULDER.I HAD TO LITERALLY STAND ON THE BRAKE PEDAL WITH MY WHOLE WEIGHT ON THE PEDDLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. I WAS ABLE TO SLOW DOWN THE VEHICLE AND STOP BY FORCING THE GEAR LEVER IN TO PARK POSITION. WHEN THE VEHICLE STOPPED, THE ENGINE WAS STILL ACCELERATING. I HAD TO TURN OFF THE IGNITION TO STOP THE ENGINE ACCELERATION. *TR

BACK IN OCT 2012 TOOK THE CAR TO MALCOLM CUNNINGHAM FORD DEALERSHIP IN CAMBLEE GA B/C OF THE RECALL OF THE CRUISE CONTROL CABLE WHICH CAUSES THE THROTTLE TO GET STUCK-GAS PEDDLE. THEY CLAIMED THEY FIXED IT. SUNDAY MORNING @11:30 AM ON APRIL 14TH WHILE ON MY WAY TO CHURCH ON I-285 MY GAS PEDDLE GOT STUCK & I COULD NOT STOP THE CAR. FOR 6 MILES I TRIED EVERYTHING TO STOP THE CAR EMERGENCY BRAKE WAS ALL THE WAY UP, PUMP THE BRAKE. SHIFT THE GEAR TO ONE BUT CAR KEPT ON GOING FAST. THE CAR SPEED WAS BETWEEN 60 & 80MPH. FINALLY CALLED 911 & THEY ADVISE ME TO PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL . THE CAR FINALLY STOPPED AND BACK TIRE BLEW. I HAD MY FRIEND AND HER DAUGHTER IN THE CAR. IF THE CAR DID NOT STOP I WAS GOING TO CRASH IT INTO THE GUARD RAIL. I HAD THE CAR TOWED BACK TO MALCOLM CUNNIGHAM FORD AND YESTERDAY THE PROVIDE ME WITH A RENTAL AND ALSO CALLED ME TODAY TO ADVISE THAT IN FACT WHAT THEY CLAIMED THEY FIXED IN OCTOBER WAS NEVER FIXED ALL THEY DID WAS DISCONNECT CRUISE CONTROL CABLE. WHICH I ALREADY KNEW WHEN I LOOKED UNDER THE HOOD SUNDAY WITH THE POLICE OFFICER. I WANT OTHERS TO BE WARN ABOUT THIS RECALL IN THERE CAR BECAUSE THERE HAS ALREADY BEEN ONE DEATH BECAUSE OF THIS RECALL ISSUE. SUNDAY FOR ME COULD HAVE TURNED OUT BAD BECAUSE OF THE NEGLIGENCE OF THIS DEALERSHIP. *TR

MY FORD ESCAPE IS RUSTING ABOVE THE BACK WHEELS I ALSO NOTICED THE SAME RUST ON SIMILAR MODELS AND YEARS OF THE ESCAPE IS THERE A RECALL THERE SHOULD BE. *TR

UPON START-UP THE ENGINE IMMEDIATELY REVVED TO 4000 TO 5000 RPM & WOULD NOT RETURN TO IDLE. GAS PEDAL WAS NOT DEPRESSED. THIS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES. MOVING THE GAS PEDAL HAD NO EFFECT. CAR WAS SHUT OFF. REACHING BY HAND TO THE END OF THE PEDAL ASSEMBLY WHERE THE THROTTLE CABLE IS ATTACHED, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE CABLE DID NOT RETURN TO THE IDLE POSITION. BY PUSHING THE END OF THE CABLE THE THROTTLE RETURNED TO IDLE. THE CAR WAS STARTED & RAN AT NORMAL IDLE SPEED. *TR

THE FRONT BRAKE LINE HOSES BLEW OUT (R & L) WHILE DRIVING IN THE CITY. THE PARKING BRAKE WAS INEFFECTIVE IN SLOWING THE VEHICLE AS IT WAS TRAVELING DOWN HILL. WITH NO MEANS OF SLOWING, THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED INTO A PARKING LOT IN AN ATTEMPT TO GET ON LEVEL GROUND WHERE IT WAS MORE CONTROLLABLE AND COULD BE STOPPED MORE EASILY. THE PARKING LOT WAS NOT LARGE ENOUGH TO SLOW THE VEHICLE AND A CHOICE HAD TO BE MADE TO CRASH INTO A BUILDING OR DRIVE OFF THE EDGE OF THE PARKING LOT TO ANOTHER LOT THAT WAS APPROXIMATELY 4 FEET LOWER. THE 2ND OPTION WAS CHOSEN. ONCE THE VEHICLE HAD LANDED WITH GREAT FORCE, IT WAS DIRECTED UPHILL WHERE IT EVENTUALLY CAME TO A STOP AND PUT INTO PARK. UNFORTUNATELY, EXTENSIVE DAMAGE WAS DONE TO THE FRAME AND UNDERSIDE OF THE VEHICLE INCLUDING OIL PAN, EXHAUST SYSTEM, ENGINE MOUNTS, RADIATOR SUPPORT FRAME AND UNDER BODY ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION MOUNTING POINTS. I WAS TOLD BY THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER, THE FIRESTONE AUTO CENTER AND FOUND IN OTHER RESEARCH THAT FORD ESCAPES ARE KNOWN FOR RUBBER BRAKE LINE FAILURES. I HAVE HAD VEHICLES MUCH OLDER THAN THIS AND HAVE NEVER HAD A RUBBER BRAKE LINE DRY ROT AND RUPTURE LIKE THESE. THIS SEEMS TO BE A KNOWN ISSUE AND SHOULD BE ADDRESSED BEFORE MORE DAMAGE IS DONE AND MORE PEOPLE INJURED OR WORSE. WE WERE LUCKY. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH WORSE. SAFETY ISSUES LIKE THIS NEED TO BE ADDRESSED WITH AN IMMEDIATE RECALL. *TR

2003 FORD ESCAPE . SUBFRAME ROTTED AND CONTROL ARM CAME OFF. LEFT PASSENGER. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 12V353000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) AND TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR RECALL REPAIRS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT APPROXIMATELY SIX MONTHS AFTER HAVING THE VEHICLE SERVICED UNDER THE RECALL THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO EXHIBIT ACCELERATION ISSUES. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE OVER 60 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY ADVISED HER THAT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 86,900. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 88,841. *TR