2004 FORD ESCAPE Complaints

THE PROBLEM STARTED WHEN THE CAR WAS DRIVING AND ALL OF SUDDEN THE CAR STARTS STRUGGLING AND THEN SHUTS OFF. IT WOULD TAKE A SEVERAL ATTEMPTS FOR THE CAR TO RESTART BUT EVENTUALLY IT WOULD. NOW THE CARS JUST IDLES AND RUNS REALLY ROUGH AND SHUTS OFF WHILE DRIVING. TOOK IT TO FORD AND THEY SAID ALL IT NEEDED WAS A NEW CAT-CONVERTER MANIFOLD, NOT STATING WHY. WE REPLACED IT ($1500) BUT THE PROBLEM STILL REPEATED. TOOK IT TO A REPAIR SHOP AND THEY SAID IT NEEDED TO REPLACE 6 IGNITION COILS AND PLUGS AND POSSIBLY THE PCM. THEY ALSO SAID THE IGNITION COILS CAUSED THE CAT-CONVERTOR MANIFOLD TO MALFUNCTION IN THE FIRST PLACE. SO WE REPLACED ALL COILS AND PLUGS FOR $1600 BUT THEY SAID THE PCM WAS FINE FOR NOW BUT IT WAS A MATTER OF TIME FOR THE PCM TO FAIL. I'M NOT SURE IF FORD DELIBERATELY NEGLECTED THIS IGNITION COIL ISSUE BUT IT IS SUSPICIOUS. MY COMMUTE IS MAINLY INTERSTATE HWY AND I'M AFRAID THIS PROBLEM IS MIGHT CAUSE A MAJOR ACCIDENT WHILE ON A MAJOR INTERSTATE HWY. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE FAILURE RECURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR REPAIR. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WIRING IN THE FRONT DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE SEATS WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 165,000. *TR

GOING UP A HILL ON SNOW COVERED ROADS SO WAS GOING SLOW WHEN CAR STARTED ACCELERATING ON ITS OWN. KEPT STEPPING ON THE BRAKE, BUT CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. GOT OFF THE ROAD AND STOPPED THE RPM WAS UP TO 7. THE ACCELERATION CONTINUED TO HAPPEN A FEW TIMES EVERY WINTER FOR THE NEXT FEW YEARS AND I WOULD TAKE IT TO A FORD DEALERSHIP TO HAVE IT CHECKED EACH TIME IT HAPPENED. THEY TRIED A FEW DIFFERENT REPAIRS AND NOTHING WORKED. JAN. 21,2011 CALLED FORD AND REPORTED THE PROBLEM AND THEY SAID THIS IS THE FIRST THEY HEARD OF THIS PROBLEM. IN SEPT. OF 2011 THE RECALL #12S37 CAME AND I TOOK IT IN TO HAVE THE RECALL TAKEN CARE OF. SINCE JAN. OF 2013 IT HAS DONE IT TO ME TWICE - THIS RECALL OBVIOUSLY DID NOT FIX THE HAZARDOUS PROBLEM! I AGAIN CALLED FORD, GOT A CASE NUMBER, AND [XXX] - THE FORD REGIONAL CUSTOMER SERVICE MANAGER CALLED ME AND SAID HE INVESTIGATED MY CASE AND WITH THE VEHICLE BEING OUT OF WARRANTY AND THERE ARE NO CURRENT RECALLS THERE IS NOTHING FORD CAN DO. I TOLD HIM THAT I FELT THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND THE VEHICLE NEEDS TO BE OFF THE ROAD AND I CAN'T ETHICALLY TRADE IT BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO PUT ANYBODY ELSE IN HARM'S WAY AND I HOPED FORD WOULD MAKE IT RIGHT BY ME AND HE SAID THERE IS NO TRADE ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE FROM FORD. I ASKED HIM IF FORD WOULD PAY ME WHAT IT WAS WORTH SINCE THE VEHICLE SHOULD BE OFF THE ROAD AND HE REPEATED IT IS OUT OF WARRANTY AND FORD WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO PAY ME. OBVIOUSLY THE SPOKESPERSON FOR FORD DOESN'T HAVE THE SAME ETHICS I HAVE.[XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL KNOCKING NOISE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION WHERE THEY STATED THAT THE FRAME WAS RUSTED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND ADVISED THAT THEY COULD NOT PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE TO THE CONTACT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 98,000.

AS I WAS SITTING IN MY CAR WITH MY 9 YEAR OLD IN THE BACKSEAT, IN PARK, WITH THE ENGINE ON, WAITING FOR MY OLDER SON, WE HEARD A LOUD EXPLOSION AND THE BACK WINDSHIELD HAD SHATTERED INTO A MILLION PIECES. I THOUGHT SOMEONE HAD SHOT OR THROWN SOMETHING AT THE CAR BUT ONCE I GOT OUTSIDE AND LOOKED AT IT I COULD TELL BY THE WAY THE GLASS HAD BLOWN OUTWARD (FOR THE MOST PART) THAT SOMETHING THAT I COULD NOT EXPLAIN MUST HAVE HAPPENED/MALFUNCTIONED WITH THE WINDSHIELD. IT WAS VERY SCARY AND, AS I WAS A HALF HOUR FROM HOME AND IT WAS RAINING, PRETTY INCONVENIENT. THE EXPLOSION WAS SO FORCEFUL THAT IT DAMAGED BOTH THE REAR WIPER SYSTEM AND THE HYDRAULIC ARM WHICH LIFTS THE REAR WINDOW. I AM GLAD MY DOG WAS NOT TRAVELING IN THE BACK OF THE CAR AS PLENTY OF GLASS ENDED UP IN THE BACK OF THE CAR. ALSO, NOW I HAVE TO PAY FOR ALL OF THIS TO GET FIXED? THIS IS A PROBLEM. *TR

CAR'S ENGINE VIBRATED VIOLENTLY AND COMPLETELY STALLED GOING 45 MPH DOWN A HIGHWAY, ACCIDENT AVOIDED AS CAR BEHIND ME SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES. CAR WOULD NOT START, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON. TOWED VEHICLE TO FORD DEALERSHIP WHO FOND TWO ENGINE COILS DEFECTIVE AND ALL SPARK PLUGS REPLACED. THIS VEHICLE HAS REPEATED ISSUES WITH DEFECTIVE COILS AND DANGEROUS TO TRAVEL ON A HIGHWAY WHEN ENGINE ABRUPTLY STOPS. THIS IS POOR ENGINEERING ON FORD'S PART AND DEMAND THE US GOVERNMENT FORCE A RECALL! *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR CONSTANTLY ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MECHANIC STATED THE SEAT BELT PRE-TENSIONER CONNECTORS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 74,000. UPDATED 3/14/13 *CN

I WAS DRIVING ON THE EXPRESSWAY. THE ROADS WERE CLEAR, FLAT, AND SMOOTH. OUTSIDE TEMP WAS IN THE 20'S. I HAVE BEEN DRIVING FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTES, AFTER LETTING THE VEHICLE WARM UP FOR 15 MINUTES, WHEN THE REAR WINDOW EXPLODED FOR NO REASON ON THE EXPRESS WAY. THERE WERE NO BRIDGES OR OVERPASSES FOR ANYTHING TO FALL ON IT. THE REAR WINDOW DEFOGGER HAD BEEN ON FOR ABOUT 15 MINUTES PRIOR. I RECENTLY PURCHASED THE VEHICLE USED FROM A PRIVATE PARTY. I HAD DRIVEN IT LESS THAN 200 MILES SINCE MY PURCHASE. APPROXIMATE TIME OF INCIDENT 16:36. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH DOWNHILL AND THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL REPEATEDLY HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO DECELERATE UNTIL THE GEAR LEVER WAS SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ONLY AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 12V353000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 215,198.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD ESCAPE. WHILE PARKED, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE ABS WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE ABS MODULE WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 07V156000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE) BUT WAS ADVISED BY THE MANUFACTURER THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. AFTER A PERIOD OF TIME ELAPSED, THE CONTACT BEGAN TO NOTICE A LOUD SQUEAKING NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE AND A GRINDING SOUND WHEN DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE CONTACT HAD THE BRAKES REPLACED BUT THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT FURTHER REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 203,258.