2001 FORD ESCAPE Complaints

DT: THE CONSUMER OWNS A 2001 FORD ESCAPE THAT EXPERIENCED A TRANSMISSION FAILURE. WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 55 MPH THE OVERDRIVE LIGHT FLASHED. THE CONSUMER EXITED THE HIGHWAY AND WAS STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT. WHEN THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN THE VEHICLE REVVED, BUT WOULD NOT MOVE FORWARD. THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT SHIFT. THE CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO ENGAGE SECOND GEAR AND DRIVE 10 MILES HOME. THE VEHICLE WAS SHAKING OR LURCHING BACK AND FORTH ON THE DRIVE HOME. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALERSHIP WHERE A DIAGNOSTIC CHECK WAS PERFORMED AND SUGGESTED A NEW TRANSMISSION. THE DEALER COULD OFFER NO EXPLANATION OTHER THAN IT MAY BE THE TORQUE CONVERTER. THIS HAPPENED AT 71,000 MILES. THIS WAS THE SECOND TRANSMISSION. THE EXACT SAME THING HAD HAPPENED AT 49, 000 MILES. THE CONSUMER SPLIT THE COST WITH FORD WITH THE FIRST TRANSMISSION. THE SECOND TRANSMISSION HAS NOT BEEN REPLACED. THE CONSUMER WAS NEGOTIATING WITH FORD ABOUT THE PROBLEM. *AK

BRAKE FLUID FROM THE MASTER CYLINDER LEAKED ON A WIRING HARNESS AND CAUSED MULTIPLE SYSTEM FAILURES INCLUDING THE ABS SYSTEM, THE CRUISE CONTROL, THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG, AND THE DISPLAY ON THE RADIO. THE SERVICE TECH INDICATED THAT I WAS LUCKY I AVOIDED A FIRE. THIS SEEMS VERY SIMILAR TO THE RECALL ON THE FORD F-150S THAT IS CAUSING MULTIPLE FIRES. *NM PER DIAGNOSTICS FOR THE VERIFICATION OF THE AIRBAG LAMP, THE CAUSE WAS DUE TO THE POWER FUSE OF THE MODULE/OPEN CIRCUIT FROM ABS INTERNAL CIRCUIT DAMAGE. *SC

APPROACHING HIWAY CONSTRUCTION WITH FLAGMAN AND ABOUT 10 CARS STOPPED, WHEN I HIT THE BRAKE, CRUISE CONTROL FAILED TO DISENGAGE, THROTTLE STUCK WIDE-OPEN. I TRIED TO TURN IT OFF WITH ON/OFF BUTTON ON STEERING WHEEL BUT NO RESULT,APPROACHING STOPPED LINE OF CARS AT FULL THROTTLE, TOWING CAMPING TRAILER. FINALLY, I SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL AND WAS ABLE TO STOP THE CAR/TRAILER, ENGINE RACING MAX REVS AND MAKING STRANGE NOISE, FALTERING AS IT MIGHT WHEN THE FUEL MIXTURE WAS TOO RICH. I THEN TURNED THE ENGINE OFF, AND UPON INSPECTION UNDER THE HOOD AND LOCATING WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS THE CRUISE CONTROL, WE JIGGLED A CABLE GOING INTO IT AND HEARD A CLUNK WITHIN. I THEN STARTED THE CAR AND IT RAN NORMALLY. CONTINUED TRIP, JUST DIDN'T USE CRUISE CONTROL !! UPON RETURNING FROM TRIP, I CALLED MY FORD DEALER IN DURANGO, CO AND WAS TOLD TO CALL CUSTOMER RELATIONS. I DID SO TWICE, AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS NO RECALL ON MY CAR. I THEN SEARCHED THE NHTSA WEBSITE, AND FOUND THERE WAS A RECALL ON 2001 ESCAPE FOR THIS VERY PROBLEM (SAFETY RECALL 00S18, NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID# 00V210001), BUT MY CAR'S VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED! I SUBMIT THAT THIS INCIDENT ILLUSTRATES THAT THIS VIN (AND MAYBE MANY OTHERS) SHOULD HAVE BEEN INCLUDED. THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN FIXED (I JUST DON'T USE THE CRUISE), SO I STILL HAVE THE OLD PART, PENDING RESOLUTION OF THIS ISSUE. THANK YOU. *NM

I HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE LIFTGATE LATCH NOT LOCKING PROPERLY FOR NEARLY A YEAR. I FOUND ON YOUR WEBSITE UNDER "RECALLS" THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH MY VEHICLE MODEL (FORD ESCAPE 2001). I CALLED MY LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD ME IT IS NOT FOUND UNDER THE FORD OASIS OF RECALLS. I'M CONCERNED AFTER READING THE INFORMATION, YOU PROVIDED ON YOUR WEBSITE, THAT THIS COULD CAUSE THE LIFTGATE TO OPEN DURING A CRASH. WHY ARE YOU CALLING THIS A "RECALL" WHEN FORD SAYS IT'S NOT A RECALL? I WANT TO GET THIS FIXED BUT BELIEVE FORD SHOULD SEE THIS IS A PROBLEM AND NEEDS TO BE RECALLED. *NM

NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER : 04V602000 I HAVE THIS ABOVE LATCH PROBLEM. FORD IS TELLING ME MY CAR IS NOT ELIGIBLE. VIN # 07/18/2012. *JB UPDATED 07/18/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

AIR BAG LIGHT HAS ILLUMINATED OCCASIONALLY SINCE VEHICLE WAS NEW(NOV 1, 2001). SEAT BELT BUCKLE LATCH WAS REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY IN JAN 03. PROBLEM FIXED. NEXT OCCURRENCE NOV 03. CONNECTIONS CLEANED AND TREATED, PROBLEM FIXED. IN MAY 05 PROBLEM APPEARED AGAIN, WITH THE ADDITION OF INTERMITTENT SEAT BELT LIGHT ILLUMINATION. VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO DEALER. A TSB HAD BEEN ISSUED BY FORD TO REPLACE THE SAFETY BELT BUCKLE PRE-TENSIONER ON BOTH SEATS. THE TSB WAS NOT COVERED BY AN EXTENDED WARRANTY, AND THE REPAIR WOULD COST APPROXIMATELY $695. REPAIR WAS DECLINED. HOWEVER, OWNER WAS CHARGED $75 TO READ THE CODES. OWNER CLEANED AND TREATED ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS UNDER BOTH SEATS. LIGHTS ARE NO LONGER ILLUMINATED. *JB

DT: 2001 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONSUMER FOUND A RECALL ON LINE, THIS RECALL DID NOT PERTAIN TO THIS VEHICLE DUE TO VIN. WHEN DRIVING, THE VEHICLE DIED, POWER STEERING MALFUNCTIONED, AND THE VEHICLE WAS HARD TO CONTROL. THE VEHICLE WILL NOT KEEP A IDLING. . THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALERSHIP, AND THEY HAVE NOT YET CONTACTED THE CONSUMER. THE PROBLEM STARTED TWO WEEKS AGO, ON AUGUST 30, 2005. THE CONSUMER STATED IT HAPPENED APPROXIMATELY TEN TIMES. *AK

IN JUNE 2005, I WAS TRAVELING TO WORK WHEN MY CAR HYDROPLANED AND I HIT A BRIDGE. UPON IMPACT, NONE OF MY AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. I SUFFERED A FEW BUMPS AND BRUISES BUT NEVER WENT TO THE DOCTOR. IF THE ACCIDENT WERE WORSE THAN WHAT IT WAS AND THE AIR BAGS MALFUNCTIONED, I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. I WENT TO FORD AND NOTHING WAS EVER DONE ABOUT IT. IT WAS NEVER LOOKED INTO TO SEE IF THEY DID INFACT MALFUNCTION. I LOOKED UP THE RECALLS AND THERE WAS ONE TO THE WHEEL AND SOMETHING ELSE AND I WANT TO SEE IF THAT RECALL WERE FIXED. *JB

(1) [2ND FAILURE] NO WARNING. (2) TRANSMISSION FAILURE COULD HAVE RESULTED IN CRASH. (3) TRANSMISSION REPLACEMENT. *JB

2001 FORD ESCAPE 33063 MILES VIN [XXX] COULD HAVE RESULTED IN CRASH. (1) NO WARNING (2) TRANSMISSION FAILURE (3) TRANSMISSION WAS REBUILT BY DEALER UNDER WARRANTY. *JB UPDATED 07/19/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)