2004 FORD ESCAPE Complaints

1. I AM COMPLAINING ABOUT MY BACK UP ALARM SENSORS. I HAVE HAD ABOUT 5 INCIDENTS IN WHICH I HAVE RECEIVED FALSE POSITIVES WHEN NOTHING IS BEHIND ME. AT WORK WHILE BACKING OUT, THE SYSTEM WILL SOUND AND GO CRAZY. 2. I HAVE NOT HAD ANY ACCIDENTS WITH THIS MALFUNCTION TO DATE. I JUST DO NOT TRUST THE PRODUCT THAT WAS PURCHASED WITH MY CAR 3. I TOOK MY CAR TO MOSSY FORD IN SAN DIEGO ON OCTOBER 18, 2005. MADE THE COMPLAINT AND THEY SAID THAT EVERYTHING CHECKED OUT GOOD. I HAVE NOTICED ONE THING IN COMMON WITH ALL FIVE OF MY INCIDENTS, I HAVE BEEN AROUND NEXTEL CELLULAR PHONE TOWERS. IN MY WORK PARKING LOT WE HAVE A NEXTEL CELL TOWER AND THIS IS WHERE THE SYSTEM SEEM TO BE UNRELIABLE. ALSO AT A PLACE OF BUSINESS THAT I FREQUENT THERE IS A CELL SITE DOWN THE STREET. I DID SEE A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS ON YOUR WEB SITE WITH THIS TYPE OF COMPLAINT. IT IS SERVICE BULLETIN NUM : 04262 DATE OF BULLETIN: MAR 07, 2005 NHTSA ITEM NUMBER: 10014671.*JB

THE HOOD ON OUR 2004 FORD ESCAPE WITH 36,758 MILES ON IT UNLATCHED AND FLEW UP AGAINST THE WINDSHIELD ON OCT 25, 2005 WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM A SOCCER GAME. THE HOOD HAD NOT BEEN OPENED IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS, AND THERE WAS NO RATTLING OR OTHER SIGNS THAT THE HOOD LATCH HAD BEEN POPPED FROM THE INSIDE. THE CAR IS DRIVEN DAILY TO WORK. THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT OR INJURIES, JUST DAMAGE TO THE HOOD, WHICH WAS REPLACED BY A BODY SHOP FOR $695.02 (THE LATCH WAS ALSO REPLACED). IT TOOK TWO WEEKS TO REPAIR DUE TO THE HOOD BEING ON BACKORDER FROM FORD. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DRIVEN FOR THIS TWO WEEK PERIOD. PICTURES WERE TAKEN OF THE DAMAGED HOOD, AND THE OLD LATCH IS IN OUR POSSESSION. A LETTER IS BEING SENT TO FORD, WITH A CC. GOING TO NHTSA AS WELL. *JB

BRAKES SCREECH, SQUEAL, AND FEEL JERKY. ALSO WHEN I PUT THE VEHICLE IN PARK, THE VEHICLE ROLLS FORWARD A DISTANCE OF FOUR (4) TO SIX (6) INCHES. MY BOYFRIEND, JODY, IS AN ATTORNEY. HE SAYS THAT ON OCCASION WHEN HE HAS DRIVEN THE VEHICLE, IT ROLLED FORWARD AFTER HE PUT IT IN PARK, AND TOUCHED THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF MY VEHICLE IN THE PARKING LOT. HE ALSO REPORTED THAT MY VEHICLE ROLLED FORWARD FOUR (4) TO SIX (6) INCHES IN THE WAL-MART PARKING LOT, WHICH RESULTED IN THE FRONT END BEING BURIED UP AGAINST A HEDGE OF TALL THICKLY WOVEN (WEAVED[?] BUSHY LIMBS WHICH SCRAPED AND SCRATCHED MY FRONT END. ANYWAY, THE PAINT IS NOW SCRATCHED AND PEELING ON THE LOWER PART OF THE FRONT END, WHERE THE "CLADDING" IS PAINTED, AND THE LEADING EDGE OF THE METAL HOOD.*JB

CAME OUT OF PARK WHILE I WAS PUMPING GAS AND ROLLED INTO THE STORE . ( ABOUT 35 FEET ). *NM

CONSUMER 2004 FORD ESCAPE STALLED AT SLOW SPEEDS, ESPECIALLY WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL. *TS THE CONSUMER WAS AWARDED A REPURCHASE OF HER 2004 FORD ESCAPE AFTER ARBITRATION DUE TO THE STALLING PROBLEM. *NM

ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS WHILE DRIVING NO MORE THAN 30 MPH ON CITY STREETS, I HAVE LOST POWER STEERING ON MY 2004 FORD ESCAPE XLT. THE FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED WAS 8/11/05 WHILE I WAS 207 MILES AWAY FROM HOME ON VACATION. I MADE A RIGHT HAND TURN AFTER STOPPING AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT AND ALL OF A SUDDEN I LOST POWER STEERING. IT WAS VERY HARD TO STEER, BUT I MANAGED TO EASE TO THE RIGHT HAND LANE. FORTUNATELY, NO ONE WAS BEHIND ME. ONCE TO THE SIDE OF THE STREET, I PLACED CAR IN PARK AND STARTED TRYING TO TURN THE STEERING LEFT & RIGHT UNTIL I FELT THE POWER STEERING RETURN. I STOPPED AT A FORD DEALERSHIP TO CHECK THE VEHICLE BEFORE THE TRIP HOME. DEALER ONLY LOOKED UNDER HOOD TO CHECK FLUID AND LOOK FOR ANY OBVIOUS PROBLEM. NO PROBLEM WAS FOUND, AND WE MADE IT HOME SAFELY. THE SECOND OCCURRENCE WAS 9/6/05, SAME SITUATION. I LOST POWER STEERING AFTER MAKING A RIGHT HAND TURN AFTER STOPPING AT A STOP SIGN. I MANAGED TO MOVE TO THE SIDE OF STREET AGAIN, PLACED CAR IN PARK, TRIED TURNING STEERING WHEEL UNTIL I FELT POWER STEERING RETURN. DROVE TO LOCAL DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY ONCE AGAIN FOUND NO PROBLEM AFTER CHECKING WIRING, PRESSURE PUMP, POWER STEERING RACK, & MODULE. NOTHING WAS REPLACED. I VOICED MY CONCERN TO SERVICE ADVISOR THAT THIS WAS 2ND OCCASION AND FORTUNATELY I WASN'T ON FREEWAY OR NO ONE WAS BEHIND ME THESE TWO TIMES. ON BOTH OCCASIONS I HAD MY CHILDREN IN THE CAR. WE MAY NOT BE SO LUCKY THE NEXT TIME. I ALSO ASKED SERVICE ADVISOR ABOUT JUST REPLACING PARTS SINCE CAN'T FIND A PROBLEM, AND HE ADVISED FORD DOESN'T ALLOW THEM TO DO THAT SINCE THEY DIDN'T FIND A PROBLEM. THIS IS THE 2ND FORD/MERCURY VEHICLE THAT HAS CAUSED ME NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS, AND I DO NOT FEEL THAT WE ARE SAFE IN THIS VEHICLE. *NM

2004 FORD ESCAPE DEVELOPED A PROBLEM WITH THE ACCELERATOR STICKING.*MR PRIOR TO THE RECALL NOTIFICATION, THE CONSUMER HAD ALREADY EXPERIENCED THE PROBLEM AND IT WAS DETERMINED TO BE A STICKING GAS LINKAGE CABLE. RECALL#04V5774000 *JB

DT: CONSUMER HAS 26,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE AND THE ORIGINAL TIRES ARE ON THE VEHICLE. THE TIRES ARE HYDRO PLANNING. HE CALLED THE TIRE COMPANY AND WAS TOLD TO TAKE IT TO A DEALER. THEY TOLD HIM THAT ONE TIRE WAS SLIGHTLY CUPPING ,AND ANOTHER WAS WEARING OUT. CONSUMER WAS NOT TOLD WHICH TIRES THESE WERE. CONSUMER ROTATED TIRES EVERY 2,500 MILES. THIS PROBLEM STARTED DURING A RAIN STORM GOING APPROXIMATELY 50-55 MPH LAST WEEK.*AK *JB

DT: CONTACT STATES WHILE DRIVING AND PASSING ANOTHER VEHICLE THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL STUCK. IT WAS DIFFICULT TO FREE THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, THE PLASTIC SHIELD CAUSED THE PEDAL TO STICK. . THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN TO A SERVICE DEALER AS OF YET.*AK

WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM HAVING A FEW DRINKS WITH MY FRIENDS, A DEER RAN OUT IN FRONT OF ME AND ALTHOUGH I SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES, I COULDN'T STOP QUICK ENOUGH TO AVOID HITTING THE DEER AND SMASHING IN THE GRILL OF MY NEW CAR. WHEN THE STATE PATROL ARRIVED, THEY GAVE ME A TICKET FOR SPEEDING AND AFTER I TOLD THEM THAT I WAS NOT SPEEDING WHEN I HIT THE DEER, (I HAD GOTTEN THE SPEED DOWN TO ABOUT 60MPH AT IMPACT) THEY THEN WANTED ME TO TAKE A ALCOHOL IMPAIRED TEST WHICH I NATURALLY DECLINED BECAUSE I WASN'T IMPAIRED. I ONLY HAD JUST A FEW DRINKS AND MAYBE SOME BEER & WINE AT DINNER AND MAYBE 2 DRINKS BEFORE I LEFT TO GO HOME. THEY THEN PROCEEDED TO ARREST ME LIKE A COMMON CROOK AND TOOK ME TO JAIL, WHERE I HAD TO SPEND THE NIGHT. ANYWAYS, MY INSURANCE COMPANY REFUSES TO FIX MY NEW CAR AND NOW THE CAR COMPANY REFUSES TO FIX IT ALSO. THIS CAR IS A PIECE OF JUNK. IF IT HAD BEEN MADE GOOD, IT WOULDN'T HAVE SUSTAINED ALL THAT DAMAGE FROM HITTING A LOUSY DEER. WHILE TRYING TO FIX THE DAMAGE MYSELF, MY FRIEND [XXX] PUT SOME GAS ON THE GRILL AND LIT IT TO SOFTEN UP THE PLASTIC JUNK THEY MADE THE GRILL OUT OF, SO WE COULD BEND IT BACK TOGETHER AND J.B. WELD IT. WELL, [XXX] GOT SOME OF THE HOT MELTED PLASTIC ON HIM AND IT BURNED LIKE [XXX] AND HE JUMPED UP AND KNOCKED OVER THE JAR WITH GAS IN IT AND THE WHOLE PLACE WENT UP IN FLAMES. MY CAR NOT ONLY BURNED, BUT MY GARAGE WENT UP IN SMOKE TOO. NOW THE INSURANCE COMPANY IS TELLING ME THAT THEY WON'T PAY THE CLAIM FOR THE GARAGE OR THE CAR CAUSE IT LOOKS LIKE ARSON FOR PROFIT. HOW IN THE [XXX] CAN I PROFIT FROM LOSING MY CAR AND GARAGE. [XXX] PISSED, AND HAS THREATENED TO SUE ME CAUSE HE GOT BURNED AND THINKS HE SHOULD GET SOME OF THE INSURANCE MONEY I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO GET SINCE HE'S THE ONE THAT STARTED THE FIRE. SHOULDN'T I BE SUING HIM? ANYWAY, IF THE [XXX] CAR HAD BEEN MADE GOOD, I WOULDN'T BE IN THIS FIX. NOW I HAVEN'T GOT ANYTHING TO DRIVE AND NO PLACE TO PARK IT IF I DID. THIS REALLY SUCKS. IS THERE ANYONE I CAN SUE? INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF