2004 FORD ESCAPE Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 65 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE BEGAN JERKING AND JUMPING ABNORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE DEALER ADVISED THAT THEY NEEDED TO REPLACE ALL OF THE SPARK PLUGS. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 111,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 111,500.

I MADE A LEFT TURN FROM EASTBOUND STEWART ROAD ONTO THE INSIDE LANE OF NORTHBOUND M125 (N. MONROE STREET), MONROE, MI AT APPROXIMATELY 09:00. WHEN APPROACHING FRENCHTOWN MALL AREA ON THE LEFT, CARS AHEAD WERE STOPPED FOR OTHERS MAKING LEFT TURNS INTO THE MALL. I TOOK MY RIGHT FOOT OFF OF THE GAS PEDAL TO COAST SO AS NOT TO HAVE TO BRAKE. SUDDENLY MY CAR ACCELERATED (SPED UP); MY RIGHT FOOT WAS STILL OFF OF THE GAS PEDAL AND ON THE FLOOR. I HIT THE BRAKE HARD WITH MY RIGHT FOOT AND THE VEHICLE DID STOP. (I NEVER USE MY LEFT FOOT TO BRAKE. I ALWAYS USE THE RIGHT FOOT TO DRIVE AND TO BRAKE.) I THOUGHT OF ALL OF THE INCIDENTS OF SUDDEN ACCELERATION; NOW KNEW HOW IT FELT. RESEARCHED, FOUND INFO AS TO RECALL ISSUED . WE NEVER RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE. PUT VIN # IN FORD SITE. OUR VEHICLE, 2004 ESCAPE 3.0L V6 NOT RECALLED. THE CRUISE CONTROL QUIT WORKING MAY, 2011. WE HAD THE ESCAPE IN FOR REGULAR SERVICE RECENTLY AND WE TOLD THE SERVICE ADVISOR, WHO IS ALSO THE ASSISTANT SERVICE MANAGER AT THE DEALER, THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL NO LONGER WORKED. HE SAID IT COULD BE CHECKED BUT IT WOULD BE EXPENSIVE TO FIX. WE CHOSE NOT TO INCUR ADDITIONAL EXPENSE GIVEN THE AGE OF THE VEHICLE. THIS VEHICLE HAS CONSISTENTLY HAD ALL SERVICE, OIL CHANGES, REPAIRS DONE AT THE FORD DEALER. WE DID NOT KNOW ABOUT THE RECALL, NOR OF THE TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN ISSUED TO ALL DEALERS BY FORD. INTERESTING NOTE: WE OWN AND DRIVE A 1989 FORD F150 AND THE CRUISE CONTROL WORKS FINE! *TR

AIR BAG LIGHT FLASHING RED, CODE 47, CONNECTORS REPLACED LIGHT STILL ILLUMINATED. DEALER COST ESTIMATE $400+ DOLLARS AND NO WARRANTY. UNABLE TO FIX DUE TO COST WITH NO WARRANTY. REAL SAFETY CONCERN AIR BAG WILL NOT DEPLOY IN CRASH. *TR

AS I WAS ACCELERATING TO GET ON THE FREEWAY I FELT MY CAR ACCELERATE BEYOND THE SPEED IN WHICH I WAS APPLYING PRESSURE. I IMMEDIATELY REMOVED MY FOOT FROM THE PEDAL BUT THE PEDAL REMAINED ALL THE WAY ON THE FLOOR BOARD. I TRIED BRAKING BUT THE BRAKE PEDAL APPLIED NO STOPPING FORCE. I EXITED THE FREEWAY NOT KNOWING WHAT WAS AHEAD IN TERMS OF INNOCENT BYSTANDERS AND TRAFFIC. NOT KNOWING HOW TO PROCEED I BEGAN STANDING ON THE BRAKE WITH BOTH FEET AND LIFTING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. MY CAR CONTINUED TO GAIN SPEED AND SHOWED NO SIGNS OF SLOWING DOWN. I DROVE THE RIGHT SIDE OF MY VEHICLE DOWN SOME CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION BARRIERS ON THE FEEDER IN HOPES THAT IT WOULD SLOW THE VEHICLE BUT OUR SPEED WAS SO GREAT AT THIS POINT WE WERE BOUNCING OFF AND I WAS AFRAID WE WOULD CAUSE A MORE HORRIFIC ACCIDENT BY BEING THROWN BACK ON TO THE FREEWAY. I MADE IT THROUGH AN INTERSECTION NARROWLY MISSING A TRUCK DRIVING THROUGH. I GOT ON TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CONCRETE BARRIERS AT THE INTERSECTION AND BEGAN DRIVING ON THE DIRT ROAD UNDER CONSTRUCTION. SEARCHING FOR SOMETHING TO CRASHED INTO TO STOP MY VEHICLE AS EACH PASSING SECOND OUR SPEED INCREASED, I LOCATED A TELEPHONE POLE AND CRASHED INTO IT WITH MY TWO SMALL CHILDREN, MY MOTHER AND MYSELF IN THE VEHICLE. I AM UNSURE IF THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE BUT THERE WERE BYSTANDERS WOULD CAME WITH A FIRE EXTINGUISHER AND SPRAYED MY ENGINE. I AM ALSO UNSURE OF THE SPEED OF THE VEHICLE AT THE POINT OF IMPACT. THE LAST TIME I LOOKED IT WAS AROUND 60 MILES PER HOUR WHEN I WAS ENTERING THE FREEWAY. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT UPON STARTING, THERE WAS AN INCREASE IN THE ENGINE RPMS AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED FORWARD ONCE SHIFTED INTO GEAR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP. THE REPAIR SHOP STATED THAT THE THROTTLE BODY GASKET AND SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 97,769 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 98,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD SPORADICALLY EXHIBIT SUDDEN ACCELERATION. THE CONTACT HAD TO USE THE EMERGENCY BRAKES ON EACH OCCASION, BUT THE WHEELS CONTINUED SPINNING. THE CONTACT'S MECHANIC CLEANED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BUT STATED THAT THEY DID NOT FIND A PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE RECURRED AFTER THE CLEANING OF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 146,000. UPDATED 08/28/12*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PUT INTO REVERSE AND THEN ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN. THE CONSUMER DEPRESSED THE BRAKE BUT, THE VEHICLE DID NOT STOP UNTIL THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WAS PULLED. THE FRONT WHEELS CONTINUED TO SPIN. THE SECOND TIME SHIFTING FROM REVERSE TO PARK, THEN TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED AGAIN. THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WAS PULLED AND THE FRONT WHEELS CONTINUED TO SPIN. UPDATED 09/05/2012 *JS

AS I WAS ACCELERATING TO PASS A SLOW MOVING VEHICLE, I PRESSED ON THE GAS PETAL AND AFTER I WAS BACK IN MY PROPER LANE, MY VEHICLE KEPT SPEEDING AND NOT BACKING OFF ON THE GAS. I THEN PUT THE CAR IN NEURAL AND THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO KEEP RACING. I TRIED TO STOMP LIGHTLY ON THE GAS PETAL TO SEE IF IT WOULD COME BACK UP BUT IT DIDN'T. I THEN SHUT OFF THE ENGINE AND CALLED THE TOW TRUCK COMPANY. *TR

I DO NOT OWN A FORD ESCAPE BUT RATHER I'M A MECHANIC THAT HAS RAN INTO THIS PROBLEM 2 OR 3 TIMES OVER THE LAST COUPLE YEARS. THE THROTTLE STICKS ON THESE VEHICLES DUE TO THE SPEED CONTROL ACTUATOR TO THROTTLE CABLE. THERE IS A PLASTIC SLEEVE AROUND THE STEEL CABLE THAT ALLOWS THE CABLE TO RETRACT FREELY. THE PLASTIC DEGRADES AND BRAKES UP OVER TIME ALLOWING THE SPEED CONTROL THROTTLE CABLE TO BIND AND WEDGE ITS SELF UNDER THE ENGINE COVER CAUSING A STUCK WIDE OPEN THROTTLE CONDITION. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THIS CABLE. IT RUNS FROM THE SPEED CONTROL (CRUISE CONTROL) ACTUATOR TO THE THROTTLE BODY BUTTERFLY. REMOVAL OF THE ENGINE COVER IS THE SIMPLE FIX FOR THIS ISSUE, BUT THE SPEED CONTROL CABLE IS INDEED AT FAULT. *TR

I WOULD LIKE TO ADD MY COMPLAINT TO THE ACCELERATION PROBLEMS OF THE 2001-2004 FORD ESCAPES WHICH MY 2004 HAS ALSO EXPERIENCED. THERE HAVE BEEN A FEW SITUATIONS OVER THE LAST 2-3 YEARS WHERE MY CARS ENGINE WOULD SUDDENLY START RACING WHILE PARKED AT IDLE. WHEN THE ISSUE FIRST BEGAN I WAS ABLE TO TAP THE GAS PEDAL WITH MY FOOT AND THE CAR WOULD RETURN TO A STANDARD IDLE. THE MORE RECENT INSTANCES NOW REQUIRE TURNING THE VEHICLE OFF AND IT WOULD IDLE NORMAL AGAIN AFTER BEING RESTARTED. I BELIEVE THIS PROBLEM IS CONNECTED TO A CURRENT INVESTIGATION AND THE LETTER DATED 7/10/12 WRITTEN TO FORD FROM THE CENTER FOR AUTO SAFETY. THIS MAY ALSO BE CONNECTED TO A PRIOR RECALL 04V-574 THAT I WAS RECENTLY MADE AWARE OF. PLEASE KEEP ME ADVISED OF YOUR EFFORTS OR ANYTHING I CAN DO TO HELP. THANK YOU *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT WAS TRYING TO OPEN THE TRUNK BY ENGAGING THE KEY ALARM BUT THE TRUNK WOULD NOT OPEN. THE TRUNK ALSO COULD NOT BE OPENED MANUALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY STATED THAT THEY NEEDED TO REPLACE THE TRUNK LATCH. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURE WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,100 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 43,000. . UPDATED 07/27/12 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THAT DEALER WANTED TO CHARGER 24,500 TO REPAIR THE MOTOR AND 125.00 TO EVALUATE. THE CONSUMER FEELS THIS IS TOO EXPENSIVE. UPDATED 08/02/2012 *JS