2003 FORD ESCAPE Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE PAINT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR, LIFT GATE, AND LEDGE SHOWED SIGNS OF BUBBLING PAINT. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY AND DOES NOT HAVE A RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY WILL SPEAK WITH THE DEALER. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 19,400 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 19,350. THE CONSUMER PROVIDED A REPAIR INVOICE. UPDATED 08/31/07 *TR

THE AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON IN OUR 2003 FORD ESCAPE. WE HAVE TAKEN IT TO A FORD DEALERSHIP WHO INFORMED US THAT THE SENSOR HAS FAILED FOR NO APPARENT REASON AND THAT IF WE ARE IN AN ACCIDENT, THE AIR BAGS WILL NOT DEPLOY. THE COST FOR THIS REPAIR IS QUOTED AT APPROXIMATELY $500.00. AT THIS POINT WE ARE NOT IN A FINANCIAL POSITION TO MAKE THIS REPAIR AND WE ARE FORCED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE AND HOPE THAT WE WILL NOT HAVE AN ACCIDENT. THIS IS CLEARLY A SAFETY ISSUE. THERE HAS BEEN NO PRIOR WARNING NOR ANY ACCIDENT THAT WOULD CAUSE THIS FAILURE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE IMPROPERLY ACCELERATED WHILE DRIVING 20 MPH. A CRASH OCCURRED. THE VEHICLE ALSO FAILED TO ACCELERATE WHEN DRIVING UPHILL. THE CONTACT HAD THIS FAILURE REPAIRED LAST YEAR, BUT IT HAS SINCE RECURRED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 40,000. THE CONSUMER STATED THE RECALL WAS PERFORMED AND 18 MONTHS LATER THE ACCIDENT OCCURED. THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED AND HIT THE VEHICLE JUST IN FRONT AT A STOP LIGHT. THE CONSUMER STATED FORD WILL NOT PERFORM RECALL WORK A 2ND TIME. OFFICER FIELD REPORT PROVIDED. UPDATED 09/05/07 *TR

BEGINNING IN APRIL 2007, MY 2003 FORD ESCAPE XLT (CURRENT MILEAGE 118754) EXPERIENCED AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM WITH THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT. IF THE POWER DRIVER'S SEAT HAD BEEN MOVED, THEN THE LIGHT WOULD APPEAR AND FLASH ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL FOR A PERIOD OF TIME, THEN DISAPPEAR WITHOUT ANY ACTION TAKEN. THIS SERIES OF EVENT HAPPENED 2-3 TIMES BETWEEN APRIL - JUNE, 2007. THE LAST TIME THE PROBLEM SURFACED WAS JUNE 25, 2007. THE LIGHT WAS FLASHING WHEN I STARTED MY VEHICLE ON JUNE 26, 2007. APPROXIMATELY 5 MINUTES AFTER STARTING MY VEHICLE ON THAT DATE, I WAS STOPPED AT AN INTERSECTION WHEN A TRUCK APPROACHING FROM MY LEFT LOST ITS TRAILER. THE TRAILER CRASHED INTO THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE OF MY VEHICLE AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MILES PER HOUR. NONE OF THE AIR BAGS WITHIN MY VEHICLE DEPLOYED. MY VEHICLE SUSTAINED SEVERE DAMAGE TO THE FRONT END. ALTHOUGH NO INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED AS A RESULT OF THIS ACCIDENT, I BELIEVE THAT AN IMPACT OF THIS FORCE INTO MY FRONT BUMPER SHOULD HAVE DEPLOYED MY FRONT AIR BAGS, AND THAT THE FAILURE TO DEPLOY CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO THE FAULTY SENSOR ON MY INSTRUMENT PANEL.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD ESCAPE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH AND MAKING A LEFT TURN, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO COOPERATE AS THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO STEER FORWARD. THE FAILURE CAUSED HER TO DRIVE OFF THE ROAD AND DOWN AN EMBANKMENT, WHERE SHE CRASHED INTO A TREE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A BODY SHOP. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED THE CONTACT TO LEAVE THE VEHICLE AT THE BODY SHOP AND STATED THAT THEY WOULD INVESTIGATE THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS BADLY BRUISED FROM THE CRASH. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT HAS PICTURES OF THE VEHICLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 99,700.

FRONT BRAKE ROTORS WORE OUT PRIOR TO BRAKE PADS AT 34,000 MILES ON VEHICLE. I WAS TOLD THAT THIS WAS NORMAL BY THE DEALER AND WILL OCCUR AGAIN. I EXPLAINED TO THEM THAT THE ROTORS SHOULD BE HARDENED AND THE PAD SHOULD WEAR FIRST, BUT THEY TOLD ME THAT THIS WAS NORMAL. *AK

I WAS IN MY DRIVEWAY AFTER RUNNING ERRANDS AND DECIDED TO WASH POLLEN OFF CAR. DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR WAS OPEN, SO I JUST "SPRINKLED" WATER ON THE CAR AND WHEN IT HIT THE SUNROOF, I HEARD A POP. LOOKING AT TOP OF SUNROOF I SAW NOTHING UNUSUAL. WHEN I OPENED THE INSIDE ROOF, I SAW THE GLASS WAS ALL SPLINTERED. AS I CLOSED THE DRIVER'S DOOR, THE GLASS ALL FELL ONTO THE INSIDE ROOF. GUY AT FORD TOLD ME I MUST'VE HAD A CRACK IN THE SUNROOF & WHEN THE WATER HIT, IT SHATTERED. MY WINDSHIELD DID HAVE A CRACK IN IT, AND THAT DIDN'T SHATTER SO THAT BLOWS THAT THEORY! 70 DEGREES THAT DAY.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD ESCAPE. WHILE DRIVING UNDER 40 MPH, THE ENGINE FAILED. THE FAILURE HAS OCCURRED ON FOUR DIFFERENT OCCASIONS. SAFETY RECALL # 04V165000 (POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE (TCM, PCM)) DOES NOT APPLY TO THE VIN. THE PURCHASE DATE AND ENGINE SIZE WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 66,000. UPDATED 02/01/08. *LJ UPDATED 02/01/08 *TR

CAR TO DEALERSHIP ON 6/1/07 FOR SERVICE. BRAKE PADS REPLACED, ROTORS TURNED, TIRES ROTATED, REPLACED STABILIZER BAR. LEFT DEALER AND IN LESS THAN 2 MILES, ABS DASH LIGHT CAME ON. WENT BACK TO DEALERSHIP FOR INSPECTION--THINKING MAYBE SOMETHING HAD GONE AWRY WHEN CAR WAS SERVICED. PER THEM (AND THEY SHOWED ME WHAT WAS WRONG), COLLAR ON OUTSIDE OF AXEL THAT TURNS TO SEND SIGNAL TO ABS SENSOR HAS A CRACK THAT WILL INTERMITTENTLY MAKE THE ABS BRAKE SYSTEM COME ON. REPLACEMENT PER THEM--$425.00. *TR

THE 2003 FORD ESCAPE DIED WHEN GOING TO A STOP OR PRIOR TO ACCELERATION. NO APPARENT REASON. THIS HAS CONTINUED TO HAPPEN. I CONTACTED FORD ,AND THEY TOLD ME IT WAS PROBABLY BAD GAS. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR MONTHS. ALSO, I HAD TO PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND CHECK FOR FIRE INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. AS THERE WAS A VERY STRONG SMELL OF BURNING RUBBER OR WIRE. NO FIRE FOUND YET. ENGINE WILL RACE FOR NO APPARENT REASON. VEHICLE ATTEMPTED TO ROLL FORWARD AFTER IT HAS BEEN PUT IN PARK AND EVEN AFTER IT HAS BEEN TURNED OFF. TODAY ONE MORE NIGHTMARE HAS BEGAN. I DROVE THE ESCAPE APPROXIMATELY 4 MINUTES, RETURNED HOME, AND KILLED THE VEHICLE. IT WILL NOT START. IF I TURNED THE KEY TO THE 3RD POSITION ALL LIGHTS WENT OUT. IT WILL NOT MOVE OUT OF PARK. THIS HAS BEEN A COMPLETE NIGHTMARE TRYING TO KEEP THIS VEHICLE GOING. I HAVE TRIED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS TO GET THE VEHICLE INTO FORD FOR RECALL ON ABS. THEY CAN GIVE APPROXIMATE DATE, BUT NOTHING DEFINITE. *AK