2004 FORD ESCAPE Complaints

DRIVING ON A STATE HIGHWAY APPROACHING A RED LIGHT, I APPLIED BRAKES AND FELT A PULSING SENSATION IN THE BRAKE PEDAL, IT BECAME VERY HARD TO STOP AND I HAD TO PULL TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL MORE TIMES SINCE, AT VARIOUS SPEEDS AND WITH NO WARNING. THE ABS LIGHT ON THE DASH DOES NOT COME ON AND THERE ARE NO OBD CODES. THE VEHICLE BECOMES VERY HARD TO STOP. I HAD THE VEHICLE CHECKED BY MY MECHANIC THIS WEEK. HE FELT THE PROBLEM ONCE, BUT COULD NOT FIND ANY PROBLEMS OR OBD CODES, EVEN AFTER RUNNING DIAGNOSTIC TESTS. AT THIS POINT I AM IN A QUANDRY; I NEED TO USE THE VEHICLE, BUT FEEL IT IS UNSAFE TO DO SO AND WILL PROBABLY PARK IT UNTIL SOMEONE CAN TELL ME WHAT IS HAPPENING AND FIND A RESOLUTION. I HAVE READ OF SIMILAR PROBLEMS DUE TO A DEFECTIVE 'TONE RING' IN THE ABS SYSTEM, BUT MINE IS NOT DEFECTIVE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER FAILED AND WAS REPLACED BY HIS PERSONAL MECHANIC. ONE YEAR LATER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT UNDER RECALL AND PROVIDED NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 156,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 177,000.

FOR OVER A YEAR I HAVE BEEN HEARING A RATTLING SOUND BUT THOUGHT NOTHING OF IT, FIGURED A SCREW WAS LOOSE IN THE PANELLING CAUSING A VIBRATION. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO A FORD SERVICE CENTER NUMEROUS TIMES COMPLAINING OF NOISE, THEY SAID THEY WOULD BALANCE THE TIRES AND CHECK THE BRAKES, BUT NEVER SAID ANYTHING ABOUT WHEEL WELL RUSTING THROUGH. THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL WELL IS RUSTED COMPLETELY THROUGH AND THE STRUT IS LOOSE DUE TO THE RUST DAMAGE THAT IS CONTINUING TO GROW. I HAVE RECENTLY BEEN INVESTIGATING THE ENTIRE VEHICLE TRYING TO LOCATE THE SOURCE OF THE SOUND, I FINALLY FIGURED IT OUT AND DECIDED TO TAKE IT TO AUTO BODY SHOP ON 5/22/2012 AT 11:33 AM AND THEY WERE STUNNED TO SEE THE INSIDE OF THE WHEEL WELL ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. THE APPRAISER CAME OUT AND TOOK PICTURES AND LOOKED AT IT. AFTER LOOKING IT OVER HE TURNED TO ME AND ASKED ME HOW OLD THE VEHICLE IS, I SAID IT IS A 2004. HE SAID, "I HAVE NEVER SEEN THIS HAPPEN BEFORE." HE CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT IT MUST BE A FACTORY DEFECT. HE SAID WHEN FORD WAS PUTTING THE COATING ON THE INSIDE OF THE WHEEL WELL, THEY MUST NOT HAVE COATED IT ENOUGH AND MOISTURE GOT INSIDE CAUSING IT TO RUST. HE WENT BACK INSIDE AND ONE OF THE GUYS FROM THE SHOP HAPPENED TO BE INSIDE, SO HE CAME AND LOOKED AT IT AND SAID HE HAS NEVER SEEN THAT HAPPEN BEFORE EITHER AND HE HAS BEEN DOING BODY WORK FOR 25 YEARS! HE ALSO SAID IT IS POSSIBLY BECOMING A SAFETY ISSUE, BECAUSE THE STRUT IS COMING LOOSE, DUE TO THE RUSTING OUT FROM AROUND THE STRUT. THIS MOVEMENT OF THE STRUT COULD POTENTIALLY CAUSE PROBLEMS WITH HANDLING, ESPECIALLY WHEN TURNING AROUND CORNERS. HE GRABBED THE STRUT AND IT SHOOK EASILY BY HAND. I HAVE NOTICED THE CAR PULLS TO THE LEFT WHENEVER I HIT A BUMP IN THE ROAD, AT FIRST I THOUGHT IT WAS WIND PULLING ME, BUT IT IS HAPPENING MORE OFTEN. I CALLED FORD, BUT THEY SAID WARANTY RAN OUT, CANT HELP YOU. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) *TT

AT FIRST, MY ESCAPE ONLY STARTED HESITATING ON RAINY DAYS WHEN I GOT TO ABOUT 45-55 MPH. AT FIRST I THOUGHT I HAD BAD GAS SO I STOPPED AT AUTO ZONE TO GET DRY GAS FOR IT. THIS SEEM TO WORK LIKE A CHARM AND I THOUGHT THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED. THEN IT HAPPENED AGAIN; SPUDERING, NOT ACCELERATING, CAR SHAKING, AND ENGINE LIGHT BEGAN TO FLASH ONCE I REACHED 45MPH. THIS HAD BEEN AN ISSUE FOR A FEW MONTHS ON AND OFF, THEN ONE SUNNY DAY ITS BEGAN HESITATING AND MISFIRING VERY BADLY NOW NOT ONLY IN 5TH GEAR BUT AT IDLE AND 1ST GEAR. IT MISFIRED AND HESITATED EVERY TIME I DROVE IT FOR A WEEK BEFORE THE MECHANIC COULD GET IT INTO THE SHOP. I DID A LOT OF RESEARCH ON THE TWO CODES THAT THE ENGINE WAS PULLING P0305 AND P0316 PENDING. I FOUND OUT THAT THERE WERE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AS ME WHEN THEIR ESCAPES REACH 90,000 MILES OR HIGHER, SOME EVEN WORSE. PEOPLE ARE SAYING THAT THE ISSUES BEING CAUSED ARE A RESULT OF FORD PUTTING IN THE WRONG SPARK PLUGS WHICH IS CAUSING THE COMPUTER CHIP TO BURN OUT LEADING TO MISFIRES IN THE COIL PACKS. MY MECHANIC JUST INFORMED ME THAT IT WILL COST $400 TO FIX TWO OF THE COILS AND THERE IS ONLY A 50/50 CHANCE THAT IT WILL FIX THE PROBLEM (FOR NOW). HE SAID IT WILL PROBABLY HAPPEN AGAIN BUT THERE IS NO TELLING HOW LONG THAT MIGHT BE, IT MIGHT BE RIGHT AWAY, A WEEK FROM NOW, OR A YEAR. WILL ALL THESE PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE WITH NO WAY TO TELL IF IT IS ACTUALLY GOING TO FIX THE PROBLEM THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL OR AT LEAST A WARNING TO OWNERS SAYING WHAT MAY HAPPEN ONCE THE CAR GETS OVER 100,000 MILES. *TT

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL WELL ACCUMULATED WATER ABNORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER LOCATED CORROSION IN THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR WHEEL WELL THAT CAUSED THE SUSPENSION AND BOLTS TO CORRODE. THE DRIVER SIDE WHEEL WELL WAS ALSO SHOWING SIGNS OF CORROSION. THE MANUFACTURER DENIED ASSISTANCE WITH THE REPAIR, STATING THAT THE WARRANTY WAS EXPIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 115,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 140,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AT ENGINE START UP,AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. ON A SEPERATE OCCASSION, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE WHILE ATTEMPTING A TURN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND A PRIVATE MECHANIC TO DIAGNOSE BOTH FAILURES. THE DEALER CONFIRMED THAT A COMPUTER CHIP FAILED AND THE PRIVATE MECHANIC REPLACED THE THROTTLE CABLE FOR THE DETACHED ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 52,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 78,116.

AIRBAG LIGHT FLASHES AND THEN STAYS ON. WARNING CODE IS 46. TOOK VEHICLE INTO FORD DEALERSHIP TO FIX THIS APPROXIMATELY 4 YEARS AGO. NOT SURE WHAT SERVICE WAS PERFORMED, BUT THE ISSUE WAS NEVER FIXED. LIGHT WENT ON AGAIN A YEAR LATER AND HAS GONE ON AND OFF FOR YEARS. DUE TO TIME AND COST , COULD NOT BRING VEHICLE IN FOR REPAIR A SECOND TIME. WAS RECENTLY TOLD BY FORD SERVICE REP THAT I WOULD PROBABLY PAY $400 TO FIX. MAY BE SEATBELT PRETENSIONER. WAS INFORMED THAT AIRBAGS WOULD NOT DEPLOY IF THIS WAS NOT FIXED.THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE AND THERE WAS A TSB (TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN)REGARDING THIS ISSUE. IN MY RESEARCH I FOUND THAT THERE ARE MANY FORD ESCAPE OWNERS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. DUE TO THE HIGH COST TO REPAIR, AND WITH SO MANY PEOPLE OUT OF WORK, MANY CONSUMERS MAY NOT HAVE THIS WORK DONE, WHICH IS A SAFETY HAZARD. TO DATE, I AM NOT ABLE TO PAY FOR THIS REPAIR. DUE TO SAFETY ISSUE THIS POSES THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL FOR THIS. *JS

WHEN TAKING MY ESCAPE IN FOR AN OIL CHANGE, THE MECHANICS POINTED OUT TO ME THAT THE REAR PASSENGER SHOCK MOUNT WAS ALMOST COMPLETELY RUSTED OUT. I TOOK IT FOR AN ESTIMATE THAT DAY AND COULD NOT IMMEDIATELY AFFORD THE REPAIRS. WITHIN A FEW DAYS THE SHOCK HAD COMPLETELY BROKEN THROUGH THE MOUNT AND INTO THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT WITH ONLY NORMAL ROADWAY DRIVING. ONLY THE REAR PASSENGER WHEEL WELL HAS THIS PROBLEM. ONLINE RESEARCH WITH OTHER ESCAPE OWNERS SHOWS THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM THAT FORD KNOWS ABOUT AND EVEN ACKNOWLEDGES AS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT BUT WILL NOT COVER. *TR

THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT STAYS ON. TOOK IT IN TO SEE WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. THEY SAID WE NEED TO REPLACE THE PRETENSIONER AND CONNECTERS. VERY EXPENSIVE ESTIMATE. I DID A LITTLE RESEARCH AND SOMEONE SUGGESTED CHECKING UNDER THE SEAT (DRIVER SIDE) FOR A LOOSE CONNECTION. WE HAVE BEEN ADJUSTING THE SEAT BACK AND FORTH BECAUSE WE HAVE A TEENAGER LEARNING TO DRIVE. WE DID CHECK UNDER THE SEAT TO MAKE SURE THERE WAS NOT A LOOSE CONNECTION. NOW THE AIR BAG LIGHT DOES NOT STAY LIT. NOT SURE IF BY JIGGLING SOME WIRES TO MAKE SURE THERE WASN'T A LOOSE CONNECTION THAT WE MAY HAVE SOLVED THE PROBLEM. NOT SURE THIS VEHICLE IS SAFE TO DRIVE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START HOWEVER, ALL OF THE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS WERE WORKING NORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT HAD THE FUEL PUMP REPLACED. FIVE YEARS PRIOR TO THE MOST RECENT FAILURE, THE SAME FAILURE OCCURRED AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WERE THE FUEL PUMP WAS REPLACED FOR THE FIRST TIME. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT RECENTLY REPAIRED FOR THE SIMILAR FAILURE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 34,000 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 14,659.