2004 FORD ESCAPE Complaints

FOR THE 5TH TIME WHILE DRIVING UNDER NORMAL CONDITIONS, THE AIRBAG LIGHT FLASHED AND REMAINED ON CONSTANTLY. TOOK VEHICLE BACK TO SAME DEALER THAT HAS WORKED ON VEHICLE REPEATEDLY FOR SAME AIRBAG PROBLEM. PER DEALER, PERFORM SELF TEST ON RCM MODULE KOEO B1994. PINPOINT TEST FOUND AND REPLACED BOTH SIDE AIR BAG CONNECTOR ON HARNESS SIDE. CLEARED CODE AND RETEST OK AFTER REPAIR. *JB

AS I PULLED OFF I88 INTO A GAS STATION IN CHENANGO FORKS, NY, I ATTEMPTED TO BRAKE. THE CAR FELT AS IF IT DID NOT WANT TO BRAKE AND WANTED TO SPEED UP. THE CAR "PULLED" ME AND WOULD NOT STOP. THE ENGINE STARTED TO "REV" AS IF SOMEONE HAD THEIR FOOT DOWN ON THE GAS. THE BRAKE GAVE AND I PUT THE CAR IN PARK. I CHECKED TO SEE IF THE GAS PEDAL WAS "STUCK", CREATING THE "REV". IT WAS NOT. I STARTED IT 3 MORE TIMES AND EACH TIME I DID IT WOULD "REV" LOUD . I TURNED THE CAR OFF. I WAS TOWED BY AAA TO COREYS NORTHGATE FORD/MAZDA IN BINGHAMTON , NY. THEY CHECKED IT OUT, DROVE IT, SAID IT WAS FINE. WAS THERE FROM 10:00 AM-12:00 PM. LEFT AT 12:00 PM VIA I-88.10 MINUTES PRIOR TO EXIT 23 (THE EXIT FOR ROUTE 30), I FELT THE CAR ACCELERATING W/O MY FOOT ON THE GAS. THE CAR FELT LIKE IT WAS ON CRUISE, AND CONTINUING TO ACCELERATE. I COULD TAKE MY FOOT OFF THE GAS AND IT WOULD ACCELERATE. I HAD TO BRAKE TO KEEP THE CAR FROM GOING OVER 80 DOWN A HILL. BRAKING DID NOT FEEL RIGHT. I FELT VERY OUT OF CONTROL. I REACHED EXIT (ROUTE 30), PULLED OFF , TRIED TO BRAKE AND PULL OVER TO THE SHOULDER. THE CAR DID NOT WANT TO BRAKE AND WAS ACCELERATING. VERY SCARY. THE BRAKE "GAVE" ,THE CAR SLOWED DOWN. I PUT IT INTO NEUTRAL, PARK, AND TURNED IT OFF. VERY SCARY. I CALLED AAA (AGAIN) THEY TOWED ME TO AERO-FORD MERCURY - COBLESKILL, NY. GOT THERE AT 2:30 PM. WAS TOLD THE THROTTLE BODY WAS RUSTED, WATER WAS LEAKING IN. THIS MADE THE SEPARATOR NOT "SEAL" WELL, WHICH LEFT IT OPEN. WHEN IT IS OPEN, THE CAR ACCELERATES OUT OF CONTROL. THEY FOUND A CHUNK OF ICE WEDGED INTO THE SEPARATOR KEEPING IT OPEN. THEY SAID THIS IS UNUSUAL. ON 3-18-05 I BROUGHT MY CAR IN DUE TO THE RECALL & WAS GIVEN A NEW ACCELERATOR CABLE. WHAT HAPPENED TODAY WAS WHAT THE RECALL DESCRIBED WOULD HAPPEN WITH THE OLD CABLE. SCARY. THE 1ST SERVICE TEAM SHOULD NOT HAVE LET ME GO. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. AFTER THEY FIX IT TOMORROW I WILL STILL BE NERVOUS TO DRIVE. THE FIRST SERVICE TEAM LET ME GO AND SAID THE CAR WAS FINE. *JB

ENGINE WOULD REMAIN AT FULL THROTTLE AFTER HIGHWAY DRIVING AND WOULD NOT RETURN TO IDLE. FOUND THAT THERE WERE PING PONG SIZE YELLOWISH ICE CHUNKS STUCK IN THROTTLE BODY KEEPING IT HELD OPEN. ALSO FOUND THAT THROTTLE BODY WAS SEVERELY ICED. REMOVED THROTTLE BODY AND REMOVED ICE AND CLEANED THROTTLE BODY. CONCERN HAS HAPPENED 4 TIMES WITHIN 9 DAYS. *JB

MY 2004 FORD ESCAPE FAILED STATE INSPECTION DUE TO A LOOSE WHEEL BEARING AT 21,500 MILES. THE DEALERSHIP INDICATED THAT I SHOULD NOT DRIVE THE VEHICLE AS THIS WAS A SAFETY CONCERN. WHEN ASKED WHY THIS WASN'T FOUND DURING A COMPLETE SUSPENSION CHECK 2 MONTHS PRIOR, I WAS TOLD THAT THIS DEFECT MAY NOT BE DETECTED UNTIL THERE WAS A FAILURE. WHEN I ASKED ABOUT THE OTHER WHEEL BEARINGS I WAS TOLD THIS WAS AN UNUSUAL EVENT. I HAVE SINCE DISCUSSED THIS WITH ENGINEERS FROM DETROIT AND WAS TOLD THESE WHEEL BEARINGS ARE A MAJOR WARRANTY PROBLEM. I AM CONCERNED THAT I AM DRIVING A VEHICLE THAT MAY LOOSE CONTROL WITHOUT WARNING SHOULD OTHER BEARINGS BECOME LOOSE. SHOULD WHEEL BEARING BE REPLACED EVERY 20,000 MILES? *NM

TL* - THE CONTACT WAS ACCELERATING ONTO THE INTERSTATE WHEN THE THROTTLE BECAME STUCK. THE VEHICLE WAS A 2004 FORD ESCAPE WITH 47,000 MILES. THE CONTACT HAD BOTH FEET ON THE BRAKES AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP. THE VEHICLE REACHED 100 MPH. THERE WERE NO WARNING SIGNS OR NOISES PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE TRAVELED AT THIS SPEED FOR APPROXIMATELY 1 MILE. THE CONTACT KEPT APPLYING THE BRAKES AND WAS ABLE TO SLOW THE VEHICLE TO 45 MPH. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER TO THE SHOULDER AND WAS ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT CALLED THE POLICE , AND THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A FORD DEALER. THE DEALER REPLACED THE THROTTLE CABLE. THE CONTACT HAS THE REPAIR ORDER. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE WEATHER CONDITIONS WERE DRY. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. AK UPDATED 01/29/07. *JB

TL* - THE CONTACT STATED THAT HIS FORD ESCAPES JUST STALLS WHILE DRIVING, THERE ARE NO WARNINGS SIGNS. THE VEHICLE WILL JUST STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. THIS HAPPENS AT ANY SPEED. THE VEHICLE WILL START BACK UP RIGHT AWAY. THIS STARTED HAPPENING DURING THE WEEK SECOND WEEK OF NOVEMBER 2006. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIRS ON 12/9/06 AND THE DEALER COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH. THE NEXT DAY THE VEHICLE STALLED AGAIN. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK IN AND THE DEALER CHANGED THE AIR CONTROL VALVE, AND THE CRANK SHAFT TIMING SENSOR. THE DEALER ALSO TOLD CONTACT THAT THEY HAD CONTAMINATED FUEL AND REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP AND FILTER. THE STALLING OCCURS TWO OR THREE TIMES A DAY. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALER AGAIN FOR REPAIRS FOR THE SAME ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAS THE REPAIR ORDER, NO INJURIES HAVE OCCURRED DUE TO THIS FAILURE.

2004 FORD ESCAPE REAR DEFOGGER WAS ON AND THE REAR WINDOW EXPLODED THROWING GLASS EVERYWHERE. *NM

I PURCHASED A 2004 ESCAPE ON MAY 13, 2004 WITH THE STANDARD 3-YEAR/ 36,000 MILES COVERAGE. ON THE JUNE 11, 2006 THE CD PLAYER STARTED GRINDING. IT GAVE ME A NON-DESCRIPT ERROR MESSAGE AND WHEN I TRIED TO EJECT THE CD IT WOULD NOT COMPLY. I WOULD ESTIMATE MY MILEAGE AT ABOUT 42,000 MILES. I CONTACTED MY LOCAL FORD DEALER WHO STATED THAT SINCE MY MILEAGE WAS OVER 36,000 MY CAR WAS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY AND THAT THEY COULD NOT ASSIST ME, UNLESS I CHOSE TO PURCHASE A NEW CD PLAYER. IT NO LONGER WORKS. I HAVE FILED COMPLAINTS WITH THE BBB AND MICHIGAN ATTORNEY GENERAL OFFICE TO RESOLVE THE MATTER. SIMILAR PROBLEMS EXIST IN 2005 MODELS AND THE TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS INDICATES TO REPLACE IT ONLY IF THE CAR IS UNDER WARRANTY, TELLING ME FORD HAS A DEFECTIVE PART AND IS HEDGING ITS BET THAT SOME PEOPLE WON'T FIGURE IT OUT BEFORE THE END OF THE WARRANTY PERIOD. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE ACCELERATOR FAILED TO DEACTIVATE WHEN PRESSURE WAS RELEASED FROM THE PEDAL, WHILE PASSING ANOTHER VEHICLE AT 40 MPH. THE CONTACT SHIFTED THE VEHICLE INTO NEUTRAL, BROKE TO A STOP AND TURNED THE ENGINE OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO A SERVICE DEALER AND INSPECTED FOR THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, CABLE ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. UPDATED 08/25/06. 8JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AT 50 MPH ON SMOOTH DRY PAVEMENT, THE VEHICLE HAD SUDDEN ACCELERATION. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER AND SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THE ACCELERATOR CABLE FRACTURED AND WRAPPED ITSELF AROUND THE HOUSING, WHICH CAUSED THE SUDDEN ACCELERATION. THERE WAS AN NHTSA RECALL, # 04V574000, REGARDING THE VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL: CABLES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN. UPDATED 9/15/2006 - THE CONSUMER HAS THE OLD PARTS IN HIS POSSESSION. *NM