2004 FORD ESCAPE Complaints

IN NOVEMBER OF '03 I BOUGHT THE ESCAPE. NO PROBLEMS ALL WINTER. LAST WINTER OF '04-'05 I WAS HAVING PROBLEMS WHERE THE TRUCK WOULD NOT START UP RIGHT AWAY. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME IT WAS THE WINTER GAS AND THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. AFTER BRINGING IT BACK TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES, THEY FINALLY GOT IT TO DUPLICATE. THEY REPLACED THE OXYGEN CELLINODE. UNFORTUNETLY THE PROBLEM JUST CAME BACK

I WAS DRIVING IN MY 2004 FORD ESCAPE AND CHANGING LANES. AS I HAD MY FOOT ON THE ACCELERATOR, THE PEDAL STUCK. I TRIED TO HIT THE BRAKES, BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP I WAS ON A CROWDED EXPRESSWAY AND THE VEHICLE WAS GOING AT A SPEED THAT EXCEEDED THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC. I FRANTICALLY HAD TO USE THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS RECALLED AND I TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK, WAS SERVICED AND STILL THE VEHICLE FAILED!

THE CONSUMER CONTACTED FORD REGARDING RECALL NUMBER 04V602000/LATCH/LOCKS/DOORS. HOWEVER, THE CONSUMER STATED THAT HE HAD THE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER RAN BY THE DEALER, AND THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED; BUT DID NOT RECEIVE A LETTER. THE DEALER CONTACTED FORD, AND WAS TOLD NOT TO PERFORM THE RECALL ON THE VEHICLE. *AK *SC *JB

WINDSHIELD WIPERS WORK INTERMITTENTLY. CONSUMER WAS DRIVING IN THE RAIN AND THEY SHUT DOWN.*AK

WENT TO PASS ANOTHER VEHICLE WHILE CRUISE CONTROL WAS ON OUR ACCELORATOR STUCK AND WE CONTINUED TO PICK UP SPEED. UNABLE TO STOP CAR. BRAKES WOULD NOT WORK. ABLE TO STOP VEHICLE BY EVENTUALLY SLOWING ENOUGH TO THROW INTO PARK. IT TOOK APPROXIMATELY 1 MILE TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP. CAR WAS TOWED TO DEALER. DEALER INDICATED CRUISE CONTROL CABLE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. COULD NOT PROVIDE REASON FOR CABLE FAILURE. VEHICLE HAS 33000 MILES.*AK

COMPLAINT RECEIVED VIA E-MAIL."MY WIFE AND I PURCHASED A 2004 ESCAPE LAST YEAR, AND WE HAVE JUST LOST THE VEHICLE TO A FIRE. UNFORTUNATELY, MY ENTIRE 5,000 SQ. FT. BARN IS TOTALLY DESTROYED AS WELL, AND I NEARLY LOST MY HOME. SHE PARKS HER ESCAPE IN AN OPENING IN OUR DETACHED BARN TO KEEP IT OUT OF THE WEATHER. ON THE MORNING OF 3/5/05 (4:45 AM), I WOKE TO A GLOW IN THE WINDOW, FINDING THAT MY BARN WAS TOTALLY ENGULFED IN FLAMES. WHEN I FIRST DISCOVERED THE FIRE, THE FLAMES WERE CONTAINED TO THE AREA OF THE BARN WHERE HER ESCAPE WAS PARKED. THE FIRE SPREAD QUICKLY, AND WE LOST THE STRUCTURE AND THE ESCAPE. LOCAL FIRE INVESTIGATORS ARE LOOKING AT THE ESCAPE AS THE CAUSE OF FIRE. THEY BELIEVE THE WIRING MAY HAVE IGNITED WHILE SITTING IDLE (NOT RUNNING). I FOUND MANY INSTANCES ON THE INTERNET WHERE SOME FORD MODELS HAVE CAUGHT FIRE WHILE SITTING IDLE, BUT I HAVEN'T FOUND ANY REFERENCE TO THE ESCAPE. CAN YOU ADVISE IF YOU HAVE HISTORY OF SUCH FIRES WITH THE ESCAPE? I APPRECIATE ANY INFORMATION YOU CAN PROVIDE. MY INSURANCE COMPANY WILL BEGIN AN INVESTIGATION TOMORROW, AND I AM TRYING TO COLLECT AS MUCH INFORMATION ON SPONTANEOUS FIRES ON FORD PRODUCTS, ESPECIALLY THE ESCAPE.*JB *NM

AS MY 2004 FORD ESCAPE TURNED 25,000 MILES, THE BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON. I TOOK IT TO MY LOCAL BRAKE SHOP, AND THEY ADVISED ME THAT THE FRONT BRAKE ROTORS WERE WARPED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED AS WELL AS THE BRAKE PADS. THE BRAKE FLUID WAS ALSO VERY LOW. THE BRAKE SHOP MANAGER STATED THAT IT IS EXTREMELY UNUSUAL FOR ROTORS TO BE REPLACED AT 25,000 MILES. UPON INVESTIGATING OTHER SIMILAR CLAIMS ON VARIOUS WEBSITES, IT APPEARS THAT FORD MOTOR CO. HAD MANY COMPLAINTS ON VARIOUS MODELS FOR THE IDENTICAL PROBLEM. ACCORDING TO ONE COMPLAINT WEBSITE, FORD MOTOR CO. WAS SUBJECT TO A CLASS ACTION BY FORD CONSUMERS IN 2003 REGARDING THE REPLACEMENT OF WARPED ROTORS ON THEIR VEHICLES AND OTHER BRAKE ISSUES. I'D CONTACTED MY DEALERSHIP, AND THE ASSISTANT SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME THAT IF THE BRAKE PROBLEM OCCURED WITHIN THE 12 MONTH/12,000 MILE PERIOD, IT WOULD BE COVERED; OTHERWISE, IT WAS MY FINANCIAL PROBLEM. SINCE FORD MOTOR CO.HAS BEEN AWARE OF THE INFERIOR BRAKE PROBLEM AND CONTINUES TO INSTALL THE INFERIOR ROTORS ON THEIR NEW VEHICLES, WHY SHOULD THE CONSUMER CONTINUE TO HAVE TO PAY FOR REPLACEMENTS EVERY YEAR OR 25,000 MILES? ACCORDING TO THE BRAKE SPECIALISTS, ROTORS GENERALLY ARE REPLACED BETWEEN 60,000 - 85,000 MILES, AND NOT 25,000, UNLESS THERE IS A DEFECT IN PRODUCT.*AK

MY WIFE AND I WERE COMMUTING HOME WHEN THE REAR WINDSHIELD IN OUR 2004 ESCAPE SHATTERED ON ITS OWN; WE WERE TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 70MPH. WE TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY INFORMED US IT'S NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY SAYING, "WELL...YOU GUYS MUST HAVE HIT SOMETHING OR SOMETHING MUST HAVE HIT IT BECAUSE GLASS JUST DOESN'T SHATTER LIKE THAT." UPON FURTHER INSISTANCE THAT IT DOES, THE DEALER STILL REFUSED TO REPAIR IT UNDER WARRANTY AND WE CAN'T BELIEVE THIS REPAIR ISN'T COVERED (WE JUST PASSED THE 12,000 MILE MARK).*AK

THE HEADLIGHTS ARE NOT WORKING PROPERLY. WHEN GOING OVER BUMPS AT TIMES, THE HEADLIGHTS CUT ON AND OFF. WHEN TAKEN TO GET SERVICED, THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE DETERMINED. *NM

2004 ESCAPE WILL NOT START. VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED IN SEPTEMBER OF 2003. IT HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER 6 TIMES FOR IT NOT STARTING AND THEY SAY THAT THEY CANNOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT AND TO LET THE PROBLEM GET A "LITTLE WORSE" AND MAYBE THEY CAN FIND OUT WHAT IS WRONG. THIS HAS HAPPENED IN WARM WEATHER AND COLD WEATHER. I CONTACTED FORD'S CONSUMER TELEPHONE NUMBER AND WAS TOLD THAT THE DEALER CANNOT FIND ANY CODES SO THEY CAN'T FIX IT. JUST BECAUSE A COMPUTER CAN'T TELL THE MECHANIC HOW TO DO THEIR JOB DOES NOT MEAN THAT THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH MY CAR. FORD OFFERED TO REIMBURSE ME A CAR RENTAL SO II COULD LEAVE MY CAR AT THE DEALER AGAIN FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME SO THEY CAN TRY AND FIGURE OUT WHAT IS WRONG. I DO NOT HAVE EXTRA MONEY LAYING AROUND FOR A RENTAL SO THEY CAN HAVE MY CAR AGAIN FOR SERVICE AND THEN HAVE TO WAIT FOR A REIMBURSEMENT. THIS VEHICLE STARTS WHEN IT WANTS TO AND HESITATES. THIS IS A CONSTANT ISSUE AND I BELIEVE I HAVE A DEFECTIVE VEHICLE. *NM