2002 FORD ESCAPE Complaints

FRONT KNOCKING NOISE. HAS BEEN PRESENT SINCE WE FIRST BOUGHT THE CAR NEW. MANY MECHANICS, INCLUDING THE FORD DEALER, COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM. BRAKES, TRANSMISSION, AND STRUTS WERE CHECKED OR REPLACED. THE KNOCKING PERSISTED. ON 8/15/08, THE BALL JOINT FAILED AS MY WIFE WAS TRAVELING AT 45 MPH AROUND A CORNER CAUSING THE DRIVER SIDE WHEEL TO FLOP AT A 90 DEGREE ANGLE. STEERING WAS IMPOSSIBLE. LUCKILY, MY WIFE WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR STOPPED SAFELY WITHOUT OUT ANY LIFE THREATENING CONSEQUENCES. FORD ESCAPE 2002 XLT. *TR

MY FAMILY AND I WERE DRIVING ALONG THE INSTERSTATE WITH CRUISE CONTROLL SET AT 75 MPH. WE WERE GOING UP A SMALL HILL AND ABOUT TO GO INTO THE PASSING LANE. THE CAR SOUNDED LIKE THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPED IN OVER DRIVE AND THE RPMS WENT THROUGH THE ROOF. WE WERE ABLE TO COAST TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. WE TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF FOR SERVERAL MINUTES AND THEN TURNED IT BACK ON. THE OIL PRESSURE LIGHT FLICKERED ON AND OFF AND THE ENGINE MADE A HORRIBLE SCREECHING NOISE. WE CHECKED THE OIL AND IT WAS FULL. THE CAR HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE MECHANIC WERE HE THEN INFORMED US THAT THE CAR NEEDED A NEW ENGINE. HE STATED THE THE CATALYTIC CONVERETED HAD GONE OUT CAUSING THE ENGINE TO FAIL. THE CAR ALSO WILL NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION. THE TOTAL COST TO FIX THIS IS AROUND $8000.00. I CONTACTED FORD TODAY TO TELL THEM WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND THEY STATED THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO SINCE THE CAR HAD NOT BEEN SERVICED AT A FORD SERVICE STATION CONSISTANTLY SINCE THE CAR WAS FIRST PURCHASED AND THAT THEY HAVE HAD NO OTHER SIMILIAR COMPLAINTS WITH THIS VECHILE. AFTER RESEARCHING ONLINE I HAVE FOUND MANY SIMILAR COMPLAINTS WHERE EVER ONE HAS SEEMED TO CONTACT FORD AND THEY SAY THE SAME THINGS TO THEM. I ALSO HAVE HAD SOME SMALLER PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE LIKE THE ENGINE LIGHT GOING ON AND THE EMERGENCY BREAK LIGHT GOING ON AND BROUGHT THEM IN TO THE SHOP AND HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE SENSORS. RIGHT NOW I AM NOT ABLE TO REPLACE THE VEHICLE DUE TO FINICIAL REASONS.

2002 FORD ESCAPE STALLS WHEN BACKING UP, GOING FORWARD GOING DOWN THE ROAD. GOING AROUND A CORNER. WENT TO FORD DEALER AND THEY HAD THE VEHICLE FOR A WEEK AND FOUND NOTHING. I CAN'T DRIVE THIS VEHICLE BECAUSE IT'S UNSAFE. THIS IS MY ONLY VEHICLE. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD ESCAPE. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AND DRIVE HOME. THE DEALER TEST DROVE THE VEHICLE, BUT COULD NOT DIAGNOSE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT IF THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE, THEY COULD NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 80,000.

I OWN A FORD 2002 ESCAPE. WHILE VISITING MY MOTHER ON 06/25/08, I HAD PARKED MY CAR IN HER DRIVE AND TURNED THE IGNITION OFF. THE KEYS WERE IN THE IGNITION. I HAD BEEN AT MY MOTHERS FOR APRX. 30-40 MINS WHEN I HEARD A LOUD EXPLOSION. I RAN TO THE DOOR AND LOOKED OUT AND MY VEHICLE WAS IN FLAMES. THE FIRE DEPT. SEEMS TO THINK THAT IT WAS ELECTRICAL. AFTER RESEARCHING THIS ONLINE, I SEE THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED WITH SEVERAL FORD VEHICLES. MY CAR IS TOTALED. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD ESCAPE. THE DEALER PERFORMED A RECALL REPAIR ON THE VEHICLE TO PREVENT IT FROM CATCHING FIRE. TWO MONTHS AFTER THE REPAIR, THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE IN THE CONTACT'S DRIVEWAY AFTER IT HAD BEEN PARKED FOR TWO MINUTES. FORD STATED THAT THEY ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY DAMAGES. THE RECALL NUMBER WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 112,653.

THE CAR WAS MAKING A NOISE. THE REPAIR SHOP FOUND THAT THE GAS TANK WAS SCRAPING ON THE DRIVE SHAFT BECAUSE THE STRAP THAT HOLDS THE GAS TANK AND SHIELD IN PLACE HAD RUSTED THROUGH AND BROKEN IN HALF CAUSING THE GAS TANK TO FALL DOWN ON THE DRIVE SHAFT. LUCKILY I DID NOT DRIVE VERY FAR WITH THIS SITUATION BECAUSE THE DRIVE SHAFT WOULD HAVE PUT A HOLE IN THE GAS TANK AND COULD HAVE POTENTIALLY CAUSED A FIRE. *TR

I PURCHASED (4) TIRES ABOUT ONE YEAR AGO FROM A BRIDGESTONE TIRE DEALERSHIP. THE TIRES ARE: 062065 DUELER H/L D683 OWL P225/70R15 100S. LATE APRIL '08, AS I WAS WASHING THE TIRES I NOTICED "CRACKS" ON THE SIDES, AROUND AND IN BETWEEN THE TREADS OF ALL FOUR TIRES. ON MAY 3, I TOOK THE CAR TO THE BRIDGESTONE DEALER AND FILED THE COMPLAINT THAT I BELIEVE THE TIRES ARE NOW UNSAFE AND REQUESTED REPLACEMENT. THE SERVICE MANAGER (DAN HILBORN) PROMISED TO INVESTIGATE WITH FIRESTONE AND GET BACK WITH ME. ON MAY 23, 2008, DAN CALLED ME AND SAID THAT THE REPLACEMENT TIRES ARE IN AND I CAN BRING IN MY CAR TO REPLACE THE TIRES. SAME DAY, I TOOK MY CAR IN AND THEN DAN TELLS ME THAT THE SAME TIRES ARE NO LONGER INSTOCK AND THAT I NEED TO PAY AN ADDITIONAL $288.54 FOR UPGRADED TIRES TO REPLACE MY DEFECTIVE TIRES. DAN ALSO STATED THAT THE DEFECTIVE TIRES WERE FROM AN "OLD STOCK" THAT WERE ACTUALLY SOLD AS NEW TO MOVE THEM. DAN REFERRED ME TO "BILL" FROM BRIDGESTONE FIRESTONE TECHNICAL SERVICE DEPT IN WOODBRIDGE, ILL. BILL ALSO REFUSED TO REPLACE MY DEFECTIVE TIRES AT NO COST TO ME. HE STATED THAT THESE TIRES ARE SAFE TO DRIVE ON THEM WITH CRACKS BETWEEN AND AROUND THE TIRE TREADS. BILL STATED THAT THERE MAY BE SAFETY CONCERN IF YOU "CAN DRIVE A HEAD OF A BALL POINT PEN IN THE CRACKS"!!! I BELIEVE THESE TIRES ARE DEFECTIVE AND SHOULD BE RECALLED, AS I BELIEVE THAT AN AVERAGE CONSUMER WOULD NOT NOTICE THESE CRACKS AND WILL CONTINUE TO DRIVE ON THEM WHICH IS A SAFETY RISK TO THE LIVES OF OUR PEOPLE. I HAPPENED TO NOTICE THE CRACKS IN TIRES BECAUSE OF MY BACKGROUND IN QUALITY CONTROL IN THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY. YOUR PROMPT ATTENTION TO THIS POTENTIALLY SERIOUS SAFETY SITUATION IS MOST APPRECIATED. THANK YOU. *TR

I PURCHASED MY 2002 FORD ESCAPE IN FEBRUARY 2006. WITHIN A FEW DAYS THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED ON. I TOOK IT TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THAT THE SEATBELT PRETENSER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, BUT I CAN NOT AFFORD TO PAY ALMOST $500. THE DEALERSHIP SAYS THAT BECAUSE I CAN'T HAVE IT FIXED, MY AIRBAGS MAY NOT DEPLOY IN AN ACCIDENT. I HAVE REPORTED THIS TO THE FORD COMPANY AND GOT NO HELP. SO, BASICALLY THEY ARE SAYING THAT I DESERVE TO BE HURT OR KILLED IN AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE I CAN'T AFFORD TO HAVE THE PRETENSER FIXED. I FOR ONE DO NOT THINK THAT IS FAIR. *TR

AIR BAG TROUBLE LIGHT BEGAN BLINKING AFTER TURNING THE ENGINE ON ONE MORNING. A SERIES OF BLINKING......6 TIMES, 4 TIMES, 6 TIMES, 4 TIMES AND THEN REMAINED ON. ONLY WENT OFF WHEN TURNING ENGINE OFF. LOCAL REPAIR SHOP SAID ONLY DEALER COULD HANDLE THIS. DEALER QUOTED PRICE TO JUST INVESTIGATE. AND THAT IT WOULD DEPEND ON WHAT THEY FOUND IF THE QUOTE WOULD BE APPLIED TO THE TOTAL REPAIR COST. HMMM. DEALER ALSO SAID THAT MOST LIKELY WHILE THE WARNING LIGHT IS ON THAT THE AIRBAGS WILL NOT DEPLOY IN THE EVENT OF A COLLISION. I HAVE SEEN THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS HERE AT THIS WEBSITE AND ELSEWHERE AND MERELY WANT TO ADD MINE TO THE GROWING LIST. THE MORE WE COMPLAIN MAYBE WE'LL GET SOME RESULTS. THANKS. *TR