2003 FORD ESCAPE Complaints

THE TRANSMISSION ON MY 2003 FORD ESCAPE HAS FAILED TWICE. TALKING WITH MY TRANSMISSION GUY I AM CONVINCED THAT THE TRANSMISSION IS NOT HEAVY DUTY ENOUGH TO HANDLE THIS USAGE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED UPON STARING THE VEHICLE, THERE WAS AN ABNORMALLY INCREASE IN ENGINE RPMS. HE PROCEEDED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE, MERGING ONTO THE HIGHWAY. THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED WITHOUT DRIVER INTENT TO SPEEDS OF UP TO 45 MPH. THE CONTACT STATED HE HAD TO USE EXTREME FORCE ON THE BRAKE PEDAL IN ORDER TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER ADVISED THAT HE NO LONGER DRIVE THE VEHICLE UNTIL IT COULD BE INSPECTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY REPLACED THE IAC VALVE IN AN ATTEMPT TO REMEDY THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED THE FAILURE SINCE THE DATE OF REPAIRS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 96,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 97,000.

A WIRING HARNESS FOR THE AIRBAG/SAFETY RESTRAINT SYSTEM IN MY 2003 FORD ESCAPE FREQUENTLY HAS PROBLEMS CAUSING THE AIRBAG LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE -- AND ACCORDING TO FORD THE AIRBAG IS DISABLED. I HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM OFF AND ON SINCE APPROXIMATELY 2005. FORD IS AWARE THAT THIS MODEL YEAR HAS PROBLEMS WITH THIS WIRING HARNESS AND ISSUED A TECHNICAL BULLETIN THAT OWNERS MUST REPLACE THE HARNESS. IF WIRING HARNESS IS FAULTY AND CAUSES AIRBAGS TO DISABLE, SHOULDN'T THIS BE A SAFETY RECALL INSTEAD OF A TECHNICAL BULLETIN FOR CONSUMERS TO REPAIR AT THEIR OWN EXPENSE? *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD ESCAPE. INTERMITTENTLY, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH UP AN INCLINE. THE VEHICLE WOULD ALSO SUDDENLY ACCELERATE WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE GASKET RECIRCULATOR WAS REPAIRED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE ON THE HIGHWAY AT A HIGH SPEED. AS THE CONTACT WAS ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE TO A HIGH SPEED SHE SUDDENLY HEARD A LOUD SOUND. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER WHERE THE GASKET RECIRCULATOR WAS REPAIRED FOR THE SECOND TIME AND THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WAS ALSO SERVICED. IN MARCH 2010 WHILE TRAVELING AT 60 MPH THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE AND THE PEDAL HAD FALLEN TO THE FLOOR AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THEY WOULD NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE WITH THE REPAIRS. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 100,000 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 80,600.

I OWN A 2003 FORD ESCAPE WITH A 6 CYLINDER ENGINE WHICH I BOUGHT NEW FROM HARROLD FORD IN SACRAMENTO 11/2002. I NOTICED A STRONG OIL BURNING SMELL. AND OIL LEAKING FROM THE ENGINE. I WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE THE SOURCE OF THE LEAK, SO I TOOK THE VEHICLE INTO HARROLD FORD ON 12/30/2009. THE DEALER INFORMED ME THE OIL WAS LEAKING THRU THE OIL PAN, AND THAT FORD HAD A RETROFIT FOR THE PROBLEM. I ASKED IF THIS WAS A SEAL PROBLEM. I WAS TOLD NO, THE MATERIAL THE OIL PAN WAS MADE OF ALLOWED THE OIL TO EVENTUALLY START LEAKING DIRECTLY THRU THE MATERIAL. I ASKED IF THIS WAS A RECALL DUE TO THE FIRE DANGER, AND WAS TOLD NO. THE REPAIR WAS COMPLETED AND THE OIL PAN WAS REPLACED. I KEPT THE OLD OIL PAN. *TR

I HAVE A 2003 FORD ESCAPE, THE GAS PEDAL STICKS. I HAVE TAKEN NUMEROUS TIMES TO HAVE IT FIXED AT THE FORD DEALERSHIP. THEY SAY I NEED TO USE DIFFERENT GAS WHICH I DID. THEY TOLD ME TO CHANGE MY FUEL FILTER, WHICH I HAVE DONE NUMEROUS TIMES. AND IT STILL STICKS. MY WIFE WILL NOT DRIVE THE VEHICLE, SHE IS AFRAID TO DRIVE IT. WHEN I SAY IT STICKS, WHEN YOU PUT YOUR FOOT ON THE GAS PEDAL YOU HAVE TO PUSH IT DOWN HARD THEN LET UP OR YOU GO TO FAST. I AM GETTING NO WHERE. I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER FORD PRODUCT EVER. I REALLY NEED HELP IN THIS MATTER. I SEE ALL THIS ON TOYOTA, AND I CAN'T GET ANY WERE WITH FORD. HELP! *TR

INTERMITTENTLY WHEN THE BRAKES ARE APPLIED, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATES WITHOUT WARNING. THE OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE DOES NOT SEEM TO MATTER. THE ONLY WAY TO STOP THE INCREASE IN SPEED IS TO APPLY HARD PRESSURE TO THE BRAKES AND SHUT OF THE IGNITION. THE FIRST TIME WAS ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO. THE LAST TIME WAS IN DECEMBER, 2009. I( NOTIFIED THE DEALER IN 2008 AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS NO SIMILAR OCCURRENCES REPORTED. *TR

I WAS TRAVELING AT APPROX 40 MPH IN MY 2003 FORD ESCAPE, WHEN MY VEHICLE BEGAN TO INCREASE IN SPEED. I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE GAS & IT WENT FASTER. I PRESSED HARD ON THE BRAKES, BUT THE ACCELERATION CONTINUED. I PANICKED & PUT THE VEHICLE INTO PARK, WHERE WE SLAMMED TO A STOP BUT THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO REV AND THE CAR WAS HOPPING FORWARD. I WAS 9 MONTHS PREGNANT AND I HAD 4 YR OLD & 9 YR OLD CHILD WITH ME. I TURNED THE CAR OFF & REMOVED THE KEYS & CALLED A TOW TRUCK. AT THE FORD DEALERSHIP, THE SERVICE MANAGER WAS ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE TROUBLE ORIGINALLY, BUT THEN IT STOPPED. THEY CHARGED ME NEARLY $100 FOR 2 DAYS OF TESTING, BUT COULDN'T FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS CAUSING IT. AT THAT TIME I HADN'T HEARD ABOUT THE TOYOTA ACCELERATION PROBLEM, SO I THOUGHT IT WAS A FLUKE. *TR

JUST AS I PARKED MY 2003 FORD ESCAPE IN MY DRIVEWAY, I HEARD A HUGE CRASHING SOUND. THE BACK WINDOW HAD EXPLODED. I CALLED FORD COMPANY OF CANADA. WHILE, ACKNOWLEDGING THAT IT WAS A DEFECT AND A RECURRING PROBLEM, THEY WOULD NOT COVER THE COST OF REPAIR ($360) SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. THE MAN WHO FIXED THE WINDSHIELD TOLD ME THAT THE BACK WINDOW EXPLODING HAS BEEN AN ONGOING ISSUE WITH THE FORD ESCAPE--- MORE THAN ANY OTHER CAR/TRUCK/SUV ON THE ROAD TODAY. WHY HASN'T THERE BEEN A RECALL? *TR

FORD IS NOT ALLOWING MY CAR TO BE INCLUDED IN THE SAFETY RECALL: 04S13 FOR POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE RE-CALIBRATION. I HAVE NOTIFIED FORD AND THEY ARE SAYING THEY NEVER MISS A VEHICLE THAT GETS RECALLED. MY VEHICLE HAS STALLED MORE THAN 7 TIMES WHEN DECELERATING UNDER 40PMH. I HAVE BROUGHT MY CAR INTO A MECHANIC TWO TIMES FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. EVERYTIME IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS NO REASON FOR THE VEHICLE TO STALL. *TR