2001 FORD ESCAPE Complaints

ACCELERATOR PEDAL STICKING. HAD INSPECTED, DETERMINED THROTTLE CABLE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THIS IS THE 2ND TIME IN 2 YEARS THIS HAS BEEN REPLACED. CURRENT RECALL BY FORD FOR THIS PROBLEM DOES NOT INCLUDE 2001 MODELS. *JB

BRAKE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. HAD CAR INSPECTED, DETERMINED BACK HALF OF MASTER CYLINDER WAS LEAKING CAUSING BRAKE FLUID LEVEL TO DROP AND WARNING LIGHT TO COME ON. MASTER CYLINDER TO BE REPLACED, REAR BRAKES NEED TO BE ADJUSTED AND ENTIRE BRAKE SYSTEM NEEDS TO BE FLUSHED. *JB

I WAS DRIVING HOME AND THE CAR STARTED TO SHAKE. I PULLED OVER AT A GAS STATION AND MY HUSBAND CHECKED TO SEE WHAT WAS WRONG. WE COULD NOT FIND WHAT WAS WRONG AND DROVE HOME. AGAIN THE CAR WAS SHAKING THEN IT STARTED TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY AND THEN WE HEARD SOMETHING SNAP AND THE CAR JUST SHUT OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY. AFTER HAVING IT TOWED IT TURNED OUT THAT WE NEEDED TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. THE VALVE SHEERED FROM THE VALVE STEM AND THE VALVE SHATTERED THE PISTON AND ENDED DENTING THE OIL PAN AND WAS FOUND IN THE OIL PAN. THIS ENDED UP COSTING US $5000. WE CALLED THE DEALER WHERE WE PURCHASED THE CAR IN APRIL OF 2004 AND HE SAID THAT HE WAS WILLING TO HELP US, BUT DECIDED NOT TO STATING IT WOULD BE "BAD BUSINESS" TO REPLACE TO CAR EVEN THOUGH WE HAD PURCHASED IT 8 MONTHS PREVIOUS TO THE INCIDENT. WE THEN HAD IT TOWED TO A FORD DEALERSHIP WHERE A NEW ENGINE WAS PLACED IN THE 2001 FORD ESCAPE. WHILE SPEAKING TO A FORD MECHANIC HE STATED THAT HE HAS SEEN THIS HAPPEN BEFORE TO THE ESCAPE. THE DEALER THAT FINALLY ENDED UP WORKING ON THE ESCAPE CALLED FORD AND TOLD THEM THE PROBLEM BUT FORD STATED THAT THEY HAD HEARD ABOUT THIS BUT THERE WASN'T ENOUGH COMPLAINTS TO WARRANT A RECALL BECAUSE OF THE DEFECT. THE CAR WAS OUT OF COMMISSION FOR 10 DAYS DUE TO THE DEALER MAKING PROMISES AND THEN TAKING THEM BACK. *JB

FORD ESCAPE 2001, WINDSHIELD WIPERS HAVEN'T KEPT WINDOWS CLEAR ENOUGH TO SEE DURING RAIN OR SNOW. *BF THE CONSUMER WAS ONLY GETTING 10-12 MILES PER GALLON ON THE HIGHWAY. THE VEHICLE WAS HARD TO DRIVE WHEN IT WAS WINDY OUTSIDE. WHEN THE CONSUMER ATTEMPTED TO STOP THE VEHICLE, THE BRAKE WENT DOWN TO THE FLOOR AND DID NOT COME BACK UP FOR SEVERAL SECONDS. THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKES DID NOT ENGAGE. THE CONSUMER SPOKE TO THE DEALER AND HE SAID THE BRAKES MUST HAVE FROZEN UP. THE BATTERY LOW LIGHT WAS ON. *JB

THE PLASTIC CAP ON THE MASTER BREAK CYLINDER LEAKED BREAK FLUID ON THE ELECTRICAL WIRING HARNESS. THE INSULATION ON THE HARNESS FAILED AND THE WIRING SHORTED, CAUSING A FIRE. THE BREAK FLUID ACTED AS FUEL FOR THE FIRE. THE BREAKING SYSTEM, ALTHOUGH ABLE TO BRING THE VEHICLE TO A SAFE STOP, WAS SERIOUSLY AND ADVERSELY AFFECTED. *JB

TRANSMISSION FAILED AT 83,000 WHILE DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY AT SPEED OF 60MPH. WAS TOLD BY DEALER THIS WAS A LACK OF MAINTENANCE AND WOULD COST APPROXIMATELY $3,800 TO FIX. TOOK TO LOCAL MECHANIC WHO REPLACED TRANS. FOR $3,000. WHILE TAKING APART OLD TRANS FOUND THAT AN INTERNAL COMPONENT FELL APART CAUSING THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION TO FAIL. SAID THIS WAS A DEFECT IN THE TRANSMISSION AND NOT FAULT OF 'LACK OF MAINTENANCE'. HAVE CONTACTED FORD SINCE AND THEY REFUSE TO REIMBURSE FOR EXPENSES.*AK

WHILE DRIVING THE BRAKES AT 38000 MILES WERE COMPLETELY WORN OUT, SO WERE THE ROTORS. TOOK THE VEHICLE TO DEALER TO BE REPAIRED. *AK THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE IN TO FIND OUT WHY SO MUCH BLACK AN SILVER DUST WAS ON THE FRONT WHEELS. THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS NORMAL WEAR AN TEAR. THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT THE DUST WAS ON THE FRONT TIRES WITHIN 200 MILES AFTER CLEANING. FRONT BRAKE PADS AND ROTORS WERE REPLACED AT NO CHARGE TO THE CONSUMER. *TC

RECALL CAMPAIGN 00V210001 CONCERNING VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL CABLE. WHILE DRIVINGTHROTTLE CABLE BECOMES INOPERABLE. UPON DEPRESSING THE PEDAL IT WILL STICK. CONSUMER HAS TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FIVE TIMES FOR THE VERY SAME PROBLEM AS THE RECALL STATED. *AK

ONE WEEK PRIOR TO FIRE, THERE WAS A UNUSUAL SMELL THAT WAS ALMOST LIKE A "FUNNY WOODSTOVE' SMELL. THIS SMELL WAS ONLY PRESENT UNTIL THE CAR HEATED UP AND THE AIR FRESHENER WOULD COVER THE ODOR. IT GOT VERY STRONG THE AFTERNOON BEFORE THE FIRE HAPPENED. IT WAS MORE OF A STALE TIN CAN IS THE BEST WAY THAT I CAN DESCRIBE IT. I CAME HOME IN THE EVENING AND AT 5:30 AM OF THE 30TH MY MOTHER AND I HEARD A LOUD EXPLOSION WHICH WE FOUND OUT WAS LATER THE REAR TIRE ON THE DRIVER SIDE OF MY 2001 FORD ESCAPE BURSTING DUE TO THE INTENSITY OF THE FIRE AND THE ORIGIN, THE REAR LEFT SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE FORD ESCAPE IS DESTROYED AND BURNED AT OVER 1400 DEGREES AND SPREAD SO RAPIDLY THAT BY THE TIME THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO BUT CONTROL THE FORE AND PUT IT OUT. MY PARENTS VEHICLE WAS IN THE DRIVEWAY NEXT TO MY ESCAPE AND WAS ALSO DESTROYED. SINCE THE INCIDENT I HAVE CONTACTED FORD SEVERAL TIMES TO REPORT THE INCIDENT AND HAVE AN INVESTIGATOR COME OUT TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE AS THE ORIGIN IS ALREADY DETERMINED DUE TO THE WAY THE VEHICLE BURNED. I HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE RUNAROUND SEVERAL TIMES, AND IT HAS BEEN ALMOST THIRTY DAYS. THERE WAS SOMETHING VERY WRONG WITH MY CAR AND THIS FIRE HAPPENED ONLY A COUPLE OF HOURS AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN MY DRIVEWAY, LUCKILY I WAS NOT KILLED AND MY FAMILY STILL HAS A HOME. THE FIRE MARSHAL HAS STATED THAT THE FIRE PATTERNS ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE CAR ARE CONSISTENT WITH A LEAKING O RING FROM THE GASOLINE TANK. THIS MATTER WAS GOING TO FURTHER BE INVESTIGATED WHEN MIDDLESEX MUTUAL AND FORD WERE PRESENT TO LIFT THE VEHICLE UP OFF THE GROUND, HOWEVER FORD HAS BEEN IGNORING THIS SERIOUS ISSUE AT HAND. *NM

THE LIFTGATE DOOR WOULD OPEN WHEN THE REMOTE IS USED. POSSIBLE RECALL 04V602000. *AK THE LIFTGATE WOULD NOT LOCK AT TIMES. THEN SOMETIMES WHEN THE REMOTE WAS USED TO OPEN THE LIFTGATE, IT WOULD NOT OPEN. *SC