2004 FORD ESCAPE Complaints

2004 FORD ESCAPE XLT WITH 72,000 MILES. AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON AFTER VEHICLE WAS STARTED. TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF AND AIR BAG LIGHT WENT AWAY. 4 DAYS LATER AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN AND NOW IT STAYS ON. THE LIGHT FLASHES A CODE OF 4-6 THREE TIMES AND THEN STAYS LIT. I WAS INFORMED THAT THERE IS A SERVICE BULLETIN CONCERNING THIS ISSUE AND THE FIX IS TO REPLACE THE WIRING HARNESS GOING TO THE SEATBELTS FOR A COST OF AROUND $400.00, WHICH IS NOT COVERED BY THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY. SINCE THE AIR BAG LIGHT IS ON, THE AIR BAG WILL NOT DEPLOY CREATING A SAFETY HAZARD. SINCE THIS IS A SAFETY RELATED ITEM IT SHOULD BE COVERED BY A RECALL. *TR

AFTER DRIVING ABOUT 10 MILES MY AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. ON THE WAY BACK, IT AGAIN CAME ON AFTER ABOUT 10 MILES - IT FLASHED A FEW TIMES AND THEN STAYED ON. THE FORD DEALER TESTED THE CAR AND SAID THE WARNING LIGHT WAS CAUSED BY BOTH FRONT PRETENSIONER CONNECTORS COSTING $397.99. I LOOKED UP PRETENSIONER ON THE INTERNET AND SAW MANY COMPLAINTS SPECIFIC TO 2004 FORD ESCAPES. THERE WERE ALSO SOLUTIONS SUCH AS DISCONNECTING THE LIGHT, IGNORING THE LIGHT, AND RIGGING THE WIRES UNDER THE SEAT. MY CONCERN IS THAT THIS IS A WIDE SPREAD DEFECT THAT MAY LEAD TO LACK OF SAFETY AND HIGHWAY DEATH. IT IS AN EXPENSIVE REPAIR THAT CONSUMERS MAY IGNORE.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN SHE DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, IT STUCK TO THE FLOORBOARD AND ACCELERATED UP TO 80 MPH ALTHOUGH THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS ALSO DEPRESSED. THE CONTACT HAD TO TURN THE VEHICLE OFF TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN INSPECTED OR REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 141,000.

THE #5 SPARK PLUG BLEW OUT OF CYLINDER HEAD ON MY 2004 FORD ESCAPE WHILE I WAS DRIVING APPROX 30 MPH. THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME THIS HAPPENED TO ME IN A YEAR (IT HAPPENED 1ST TIME IN AUG 2009). THESE WERE BOTH THE ORIGINAL FACTORY INSTALLED SPARK PLUGS, NOT REPLACEMENT PARTS. *TR

THE #5 SPARK PLUG BLEW OUT OF CYLINDER HEAD ON MY 2004 FORD ESCAPE WHILE I WAS DRIVING APPROX 30 MPH IN AUGUST 2010. THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME THIS HAPPENED TO ME IN A YEAR (IT HAPPENED 1ST TIME IN AUG 2009). IT HAPPENED AGAIN 12/5/10 AND I AM AWAITING REPORT ON WHICH SPARK PLUG IT HAPPENED TO THIS TIME. THE FIRST TWO WERE THE ORIGINAL FACTORY INSTALLED SPARK PLUGS, NOT REPLACEMENT PARTS. *TR

2004 FORD ESCAPE - REAR WINDOW EXPLODED AFTER REAR DEFROSTER WAS TURNED ON FOR SHORT PERIOD. OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE WAS APPROX. 28 DEGREES AND FROST WAS ON WINDOWS. VEHICLE WAS STARTED TO DEFROST WINDOWS BEFORE TRAVELING. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD ESCAPE. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ON AS HE DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL TO PAST ANOTHER VEHICLE THERE WAS SUDDEN ACCELERATION AND THE VEHICLE SPEED INCREASED MORE THAN IT SHOULD. HE HAD TO DEPRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL WITH EXTREME FORCE IN ORDER TO GET TO MOVE ONTO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND TURN THE ENGINE OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CLOSEST DEALER AND AFTER INSPECTION HE WAS TOLD THAT THE VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL CABLE BROKE AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO ACCELERATE. THE VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL WAS DISCONNECTED; YET, THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO HIS RESIDENCE. HE THEN TOOK THE VEHICLE TO ANOTHER DEALER WHERE THEY REPLACED THE CABLE AT HIS EXPENSE FOR $160. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND ALSO OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 107,394.

2004 FORD ESCAPE - A B S RINGS ON AXEL CRACKED AND ALLOWED THEM TO MOVE .RESULT IN BRAKE FAILING -HAVE TO LET OFF THE BRAKE SO IT CAN GRAB AGAIN AND A SENSOR MAKE IT PULSE THE BRAKES. USING GASKET REPAIR TO HOLD THE RINGS IN PLACE...BOTH SIDES HAVE THIS PROBLEM. WE KNOW OF THREE ESCAPES DIFFERENT YEARS THAT HAVE NOW THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR

ON SUNDAY, JULY 18TH, 2010, WHILE DRIVING ON 280 S. IN THE AFTERNOON, I PASSED A VEHICLE THAT WAS TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY. AS I PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR, THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. AS THIS WAS THE 2ND OCCURRENCE, I DID NOT PANIC BUT TRIED A COUPLE OF REMEDIES. I ENSURED THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS OFF, IT WAS. I TRIED TO "POP" THE GAS PEDAL OFF THE FLOOR BUT IT WAS LIMP. I TAPPED THE ACCELERATOR TO NO AVAIL. I PUT THE VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL AS THE RPM'S WERE HITTING OVER 4500 RPM AND THE MPH WERE HITTING OVER 70+ AND NOT SLOWING. I COASTED TO THE SIDE AND WAITED FOR A TOW TRUCK. THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THEY FOUND THE THROTTLE CABLE WAS INDEED SLACK AND THE THROTTLE BODY WAS IN THE WIDE OPEN POSITION. THEY CALLED THE FORD HOTLINE WHO SAID THEY HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THE PROBLEM OCCURRING OR HAD A RECORD OF THE OCCURRENCE. THE DEALER CHARGED ME FOR THE INSPECTION AND SUGGESTED I REPLACE THE THROTTLE BODY AND PVC VALVE? THEY WEREN'T SURE IF THAT WAS THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM BUT THEY SUGGESTED IT. THE THROTTLE BODY, THEY SAID WAS ON BACK ORDER BECAUSE OF INCREASED DEMAND. THE VEHICLE HAD 164,000 MILES ON IT. *TR

TWO AXLES ON THE CAR HAVE BROKEN. BOTH TIMES, THE CAR WAS USED FOR REGULAR USE (NO "OFF-ROADING", NO ACCIDENTS). THE CAR WAS DRIVING FINE, THEN SUDDENLY, WHEN BRAKING, A GRINDING NOISE WAS HEARD. WHEN I BROUGHT THE CAR IN TO BE REPAIRED, THEY FOUND A CRACKED BOOT, CRACKED ABS RING, AND CRACKED AXEL. FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED WAS IN 2007 (REAR AXEL), AND NOW IN 2010 (FRONT AXEL). *TR