2001 FORD ESCAPE Complaints

BOTH BACK DOORS OF MY 2001 FORD ESCAPE: I DO NOT USE MY BACK DOORS VERY OFTEN SINCE THERE ARE ONLY 2 MEMBERS OF MY HOUSEHOLD. I UNLOCKED THEN TRIED TO OPEN BOTH BACK DOORS, BOTH WERE STUCK SHUT, THE HANDLES WERE LOOSE ON THE OUTSIDE. IT WAS NOT A FREEZING COLD NIGHT. I LOCKED AND UNLOCKED THE DOORS A BUNCH OF TIMES, THEN TRIED TO OPEN AGAIN. THEY FINALLY OPENED, BUT WOULD NOT LATCH SHUT. THE OUTSIDE HANDLE DOESN'T SEEM TO BE ATTACHED TO THE IN DOOR MECHANISM. MY HUSBAND FINALLY GOT THE DOORS TO STAY SHUT. I HAVE NOT OPENED THEM SINCE. I AM AFRAID THEY MIGHT OPEN WHILE DRIVING! *NM

MY DAUGHTER WAS INVOLVED IN A CAR CRASH WHICH RESULTED IN HER 2001 FORD ESCAPE BEING TOTALED AND AT NO TIME DID THE AIR BAGS DEPLOY. SHE WENT ACROSS THREE LANES OF HIGHWAY HIT THE GUARD RAIL WENT BACK ACROSS THE THREE LANES AND HIT THE OTHER GUARD RAIL. SHE LIVES TO TELL HER STORY. SHE NOW HAS PAIN IN HER CERVICAL SPINE RESULTING IN HER SEEING A DOCTOR ON A REGULAR BASIS. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP WHO DETERMINED THE ALTERNATOR WAS BURNT AND WAS REPLACED. NINE MONTHS LATER, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND A BURNING SMELL WAS OBSERVED. IT WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER WHO BUILT A CASING AROUND THE ALTERNATOR TO STOP THE BURNING. TWO YEARS LATER, THE VEHICLE STALLED AGAIN. WHEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER, THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED. TWO YEARS LATER, THE VEHICLE STALLED AGAIN. WHEN IT WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER, IT WAS DETERMINED THE ELECTRICAL HARNESS WAS CORRODED AND RUSTED AND THE HARNESS WAS REPLACED.

I NOTICED A 2001 FORD ESCAPE WITH A BRAKE HISSING PROBLEM AT 74K I HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM AT 40K. I'VE HAD SO MANY PROBLEMS WITH THIS CAR THAT I AM CONSIDERING NOT TO EVER BY A FORD VEHICLE AGAIN. THEY SHOULD HAVE RECALLS ON THESE SO THE CONSUMER DOES NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR THEIR MISTAKES. *NM

THIRD TIME MY REAR DIFFERENTIAL HAS LEAKED!!! FIRST TIME WAS IN 2003, SECOND TIME IN 2005, AND THIS TIME IN LATE 2006. *NM

2001 XLT - HISSING NOISE WHEN PRESSING THE BRAKES. IF TAPPED THE SOUND DECREASES. THIS JUST STARTED AT 75K. WILL NEED TO GET BOOSTER CHANGED. I HAVE NEVER HAD THIS TO ANY OF MY OTHER VEHICLES. *NM

TRANSMISSION IN MY FORD ESCAPE XLT HAS HAD A VIBRATION FOR 2 YEARS OR SO AND I JUST FOUND OUT THAT THE TORQUE CONVERTER IS NOW BAD! I SPOKE WITH A FRIEND AT APPLE FORD IN LYNCHBURG VIRGINIA AND HE TOLD ME THAT THE FACTORY RECOMMENDS A FLUID FLUSH FIRST AND IT DIDN'T FIX THE PROBLEM! TORQUE CONVERTER MUST BE REPLACED! IT SEEMS LIKE TO ME THAT THE FACTORY IS DEFINITELY TRYING TO PATCH THE PROBLEM BY FLUSHING THE SYSTEM AND USING A NEW TYPE OF TRANSMISSION FLUID TO MASK THE PROBLEM SO THE CAR IS OUT OF WARRANTY BEFORE THE TORQUE CONVERTER FAILS AGAIN! *NM

ON FRIDAY 8/11/06 I WAS ON MY WAY TO WORK DRIVING MY 2001 FORD ESCAPE (WITH 5-SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION). I WAS GOING AT AROUND 45 MPH IN A BUSY ROAD. SUDDENLY THERE WAS A TOTAL TRANSMISSION FAILURE AND MY VEHICLE CAME TO AN INSTANT TOTAL STOP. THERE WAS SCREECHING OF TIRES AND I WAS VERY FORTUNATE NOT TO CRASH AND THAT THE VEHICLES BEHIND ME DID NOT HIT ME. IT WAS ALSO A MATTER OF LUCK THAT THERE WERE NO PERSONS KILLED NOR INJURED. MY CAR WAS STUCK ON GEAR AND COULD NOT BE PUSHED FORWARD OR BACKWARD, SO IT HAD TO BE TOWED WITH A PLATFORM TRUCK. I BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE NEW IN 2001 AND HAVE BEEN THE SOLE OWNER. I HAVE GIVEN THIS VEHICLE ALL OF ITS RECOMMENDED MAINTENANCE EVERY 3,000 MILES. I INFORMED FORD MOTOR COMPANY ABOUT THIS FAILURE AND THEY WERE NOT HELPFUL AT ALL. I THINK THE GENERAL PUBLIC HAS TO BE INFORMED ABOUT THIS SAFETY RISK WITH 2001 FORD ESCAPES. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCES SUDDEN ACCELERATION FROM 0-45 MPH AFTER RELEASING THE BRAKE PEDAL WHILE IN THE STOPPED POSITION. THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCES INCREASED BRAKING AND JOLTS FORWARD WHEN BRAKING IS APPLIED. WHEN THE VEHICLE IS PLACED IN PARK, THE ENGINE REVS ON ITS OWN. THE VEHICLE MUST BE TURNED OFF FOR THE ENGINE TO QUIT REVVING. THIS PROBLEM WAS INITIALLY SPORADIC, BUT IS NOW GETTING PROGRESSIVELY WORSE AND OCCURS MORE OFTEN. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE ACCELERATOR CABLE BUT THE PROBLEM STILL OCCURRED. AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP DETERMINED THAT THE PROBLEM MIGHT BE THE SPEED CONTROL SERVO. THERE IS AN NHTSA RECALL, #00V210001, REGARDING THE: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL.

I SEE MORE AND MORE PEOPLE ARE HAVING PROBLEMS OF REPLACING THE EGR VALVE ON THEIR 2001 FORD ESCAPE. I REPLACED MINE TWICE AND THE DPFE SENSOR TWICE AND JUST HAD THE COMPUTER REPLACED AT JUST UNDER 42000 MILES. THERE IS TOO MANY PROBLEMS WITH THIS MODEL YEAR AND THE WARRANTY IS UP.. THEY (FORD) MAKE SO THESE CHEAP PARTS LAST UNTIL WARRANTY EXPIRES, SO THE CONSUMER HAS TO PAY I BOUGHT FORDS ALL MY LIFE BUT I'M HAVING SECOND THOUGHT AFTER THIS BUY. *NM