2004 FORD ESCAPE Complaints

I WAS IN A GROCERY STORE PARKING LOT, LOOKING FOR A PARKING PLACE,WENT DOWN ONE AISLE, TURNED LEFT TO AND STARTED UP THE NEXT AISLE. RIGHT AFTER I MADE THE TURN I PULLED INTO THE AISLES SECOND PARKING SPOT ON MY LEFT SIDE. I NEVER PICKED UP SPEED AFTER TURNING INTO THE AISLE. JUST AFTER I STARTED INTO THE PARKING SPOT MY CAR LITERALLY LUNGED FORWARD AND "TOOK OFF" ALL ON ITS OWN. (I DID NOT HAVE MY FOOT ON THE GAS PEDAL)....I RUSHED TO PUSH DOWN ON THE BRAKE BUT BY THAT TIME MY CAR HAD ALREADY RUN UP ON THE HOOD OF THE CAR FACING ME FROM THE OTHER AISLE. I HAD NO CONTROL OVER THE CAR. I WAS TO STUNNED AT THE TIME TO KNOW NOW IF MY BRAKE STOPPED THE CAR OR IF THE CAR'S ACCELERATION STOPPED ON IT'S OWN ONCE IT WAS ON THE HOOD OF THE OTHER CAR. I AM SO THANKFUL NO ONE WAS INJURED AND HOW BAD THIS COULD HAVE BEEN IF I WAS STOPPING TO LET A PEDESTRIAN CROSS AND THIS HAPPENED AT THAT TIME. *JB

WITHIN 2 HOURS OF BUYING A NEW 2004 FORD ESCAPE AND AT 180 MILES THE THROTTLE STUCK ON THE HIGHWAY ACCELERATING ME TO NEARLY 90 MPH BEFORE I COULD SHIFT IT INTO NEUTRAL, GET IT OFF THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, AND TURN OFF THE ENGINE. HAD THERE BEEN ANY CARS NEXT TO ME ON THE HIGHWAY I WOULD HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN A HORRIBLE ACCIDENT. THE CAR IS AT THE DEALER TO BE FIXED, BUT I READ ON THE FORD MOTOR CO. WEB PAGE THERE IS A RECALL FOR ACCELERATOR PROBLEMS. HOW/WHY CAN A DEALER SELL A CAR WITH A KNOWN DEFECT? I VERY EASILY COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED.

THE ENGINE STALLED AT 55 MPH, CAUSING CONSUMER TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR CHECKUP FOUR TIMES, BUT THE CAUSE WAS UNDETERMINED. *AK THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED 3 ADDITIONAL FAILURES. THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD TO PRESS A BUTTON WHENEVER THE FAILURE OCCURRED. THE DEALER INSTALLED A SPECIAL COMPUTER. *SC *JB

NHTSA CAMPAIGN 04V574000/ACCELERATOR CABLE. THE OWNER RECEIVED NOTIFICATION FROM THE MANUFACTURER ON 13 JAN 2005 REGARDING THIS RECALL. THE OWNER IMMEDIATELY MADE AN APPOINTMENT. UPON ARRIVAL AND AFTER WAITING MOST OF THE DAY, THE SERVICE MANAGER INFORMED THE OWNER THAT PARTS NEEDED FOR THE REPAIR WERE UNAVAILABLE. PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *JB

ON FIVE (5) OCCASIONS OF FILLING UP MY 2004 FORD ESCAPE GAS TANK THERE HAS BEEN GAS SPILLAGE. GAS WILL COME FLYING BACK OUT OF THE TANK AFTER THE PUMP CUTS OFF. I TOOK THE ESCAPE BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD NOTHING WAS CLOGGING OR IMPEDING THE FLOW OF GAS. I WAS TOLD NOT TO USE THE AUTOMATIC PUMP BECAUSE THE FLOW OF GAS MIGHT BE TOO FAST. I DO NOT USE THE AUTOMATIC PUMP ANYMORE AND THE PROBLEM STILL OCCURS. WHEN THE PUMP SITS IN THE OPENING FOR THE TANK THE PUMP IS AT AN UNEVEN LEVEL AND EVEN WHEN I PUMP SLOWLY SPILLAGE STILL OCCURS. (IT TAKES 5 MINUTES FOR ME TO GET 8 GALLONS OF GAS. I'VE TIMED IT.) THE PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED AT SEVERAL DIFFERENT GAS STATIONS. I HAVE ALSO TALKED WITH ANOTHER OWNER OF A FORD ESCAPE AND HE/SHE DOES NOT HAVE THIS PROBLEM. I HAVE TO KEEP A FULL BOTTLE OF WATER IN MY CAR TO RINSE OFF THE SPILLED GAS BEFORE IT DRIES ON THE SIDE OF MY CAR. THIS IS AN ANNOYING PROBLEM AND I'M TIRED OF DEALING WITH IT. *NM

WHEN FILLING THE GAS TANK, THE AUTOMATIC SHUT OFF WHEN THE TANK IS FULL DOES NOT FUNCTION. THIS LEADS TO EXCESS GAS SPILLING OUT. THIS HAS OCCURED AT NUMEROUS SELF-SERVE AND FULL SERVE GAS STATIONS INDICATING THAT IT IS NOT A PROBLEM WITH THE PUMP BUT A PROBLEM WITH THE DESIGN OF THE GAS TANK/INTAKE MECHANISM.*AK

CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT INTERMITTENT STALLING AT LOW SPEED THAT WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS APPLIED FROM A STOP POSITION OR COMING TO A STOP. VEHICLE HAD BEEN TO THE DEALER ON EIGHT OCCASIONS, AND DEALER UNABLE TO RESOLVED / DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK

I PURCHASED USED 2004 FORD ESCAPE WITH 5650 MILES IN 8/04. IN SEPT04, FRONT PASSENGER DOOR UNLATCHED WHILE I WAS DRIVING IN PARKING LOT. MY 13-YR-OLD SON WAS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. AFTER I STOPPED THE VEHICLE, HE ATTEMPTED TO OPEN THE DOOR USING THE DOOR HANDLE, AND THE DOOR WOULD NOT OPEN. HE THEN TRIED UNLOCKING THE DOOR USING THE PWR DOOR CONTROL TO NO AVAIL. I THEN USED THE DRIVER SIDE PWR DOOR CONTROL TO LOCK/UNLOCK THE DOOR, AND DOOR STILL WOULD NOT OPEN. SUDDENLY THE DOOR LOOK CONTROL ON PASSENGER SIDE BEGAN LOCKING/UNLOCKING BY ITSELF. IN ORDER TO OPEN THE DOOR, I HAD TO GET OUT OF THE CAR AND OPEN THE PASSENGER DOOR FROM THE OUTSIDE. I TOOK CAR INTO DEALERSHIP, AND THEY DID NOT FIND A PROBLEM. FIVE DAYS LATER ON 10/5/04, THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON. RETURNED VEHICLE TO THE SAME DEALERSHIP. DEALERSHIP ADVISED BLINKING CODE 37. THEY RAN SELF TEST ON RCM MODULE. FAULT CODE IS B1998 (PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG HIGH RESISTANCE). CODE WAS CLEARED & SELF TEST RE-RAN. THEY ALSO FLEXED WIRES AT CONNECTORS & FAULT DID NOT RETURN. ON 11/24/04, I RETURNED VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP AGAIN BECAUSE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. THE FOUND SAME FAULT CODE. DEALER FOUND OASIS MESSAGE 18280. FORD IS WORKING ON A FIX THAT IS SUPPOSED TO BE AVAILABLE 4TH QUARTER 2004. DEALER CLEANED TERMINALS PER FORD INSTRUCTIONS & RE-TESTED. I ASKED SERVICE ADVISOR IF MY AIRBAGS WILL WORK, AND HE ADVISED HE DIDN'T KNOW. I FEEL THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD.*AK

PURCHASED 2/04. HESITATION PROBLEMS SINCE FIRST MONTH- FOUND NOTHING WRONG. CHNAGED OIL AT 5000K MILES, CHECKED AGAIN, FOUND NOTHING WRONG. NOW HAS 7000K MILES, STILL HESITATING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS AND HAS BEGUN NOT STARTING. TOWED TO DEALER, FUEL PUMP REPLACED DUE TO WEAK PRESSURE. TWO DAYS LATER, WOULD NOT START AND HESITATING STILL. TOWED BACK AGAIN DID START, SMELLED BAD, BUT NO CODES OR PROBLEMS FOUND.*AK

1. USED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE NORMALY THROUGHOUT THE DAY. 2. ON 10/21/2004 THE EMERGENCY BRAKE RELEASE BUTTON FELL DOWN INSIDE THE E-BRAKE HAND GRIP, HAD TO USE THE END OF A PEN TO GET THE E-BRAKE TO RELEASE.*AK 3. TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP, THEY TOOK IT APART, AND PUT THE BUTTON BACK UP WHERE IT SHOULD BE, AND ORDERED A REPLACEMENT E-BRAKE ASSEMBLY, STILL HAVE OLD ASSEMBLY, THEY WEREN'T SURE WHY IT FELL DOWN AND BECAME STUCK.