2003 FORD ESCAPE Complaints

WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH A LOUD NOISE WAS HEARD COMING FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE. THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE TIRE BLEW OUT. THE CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER AND CHANGE THE TIRE WITH A SPARE TIRE. CONTINENTAL, SIZE P235/70R16. *AK *SC THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THE TIRE INCIDENT WAS DUE TO A ROAD HAZARD, HOWEVER THE CONSUMER DISAGREED. *JB

ON MY WAY TO WORK YESTERDAY, I WAS EXITING THE HIGHWAY ONTO AN OFF-RAMP. I DID NOT HAVE THE GAS PEDAL PRESSED, YET THE TRUCK WAS ACCELERATING TO SPEEDS OVER 70 MPH. I TRIED PRESSING ON THE BRAKES, BUT THAT DID NOT STOP THE TRUCK. I FINALLY PUT THE TRUCK IN NEUTRAL IN ORDER TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT. WHILE SITTING AT THE INTERSECTION WAITING FOR THE LIGHT TO CHANGE, STILL IN NEUTRAL, THE TRUCK'S ENGINE WAS REVVING HIGHER & HIGHER. THE TRUCK WAS LITERALLY ROCKING BACK & FORTH. WHEN THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN, I PUT THE TRUCK IN DRIVE & IT RACED ON. I WAS VERY CAREFUL TO ALLOW AMPLE SPACE IN-BETWEEN MY TRUCK & OTHER DRIVERS. I HAD 2 OTHER INTERSECTIONS TO GO THROUGH BEFORE ARRIVING AT MY WORK LOCATION. I WOULD CONTINUE TO PUT THE TRUCK IN NEUTRAL WHILE SITTING AT AN INTERSECTION. THIS WAS A VERY SCARY EXPERIENCE. IF I HADN'T OF REACTED SO QUICKLY, I WOULD HAVE CRASHED INTO OTHER VEHICLES AND WOULD HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. I WAS LUCKY THAT THIS DID NOT OCCUR WHILE I WAS IN THE STOP & GO TRAFFIC CLOSER TO MY HOME. THIS EXPERIENCE SHOOK ME UP FOR QUITE SOME TIME. I CONTACTED THE NEAREST FORD DEALER & WAS TOLD TO CONTACT FORD'S ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE TO HAVE THE TRUCK TOWED TO THE DEARLERSHIP. WITHIN MINUTES THE TOW TRUCK ARRIVED & TOOK MY TRUCK TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE THROTTLE CABLE UNDER WARRANTY & WITHIN A FEW HOURS, I WAS DRIVING MY TRUCK AGAIN. AFTER THE REPLACEMENT, THERE SEEMED TO BE NO RESISTANCE WHILE PUSHING THE GAS PEDAL. THEREFORE, I DID NOT NOTICE THIS PROBLEM THAT WAS ABOUT TO EXPLODE. AFTER MY EXPERIENCE, I NOW SEE THERE HAVE BEEN OTHER CASES SUCH AS MINE. I WAS LUCKY. HOW MANY OTHERS WON'T BE?

WHILE DRIVING DOWN RT 10 W AT 50 MPH MY 2003 FORD ESCAPE STALLED. I HAD TO SIT WITH MY HAZARDS ON, IN THE LEFT LANE OF THIS BUSY HIGHWAY, UNTIL THE POLICE COULD COME AND MOVE ME TO A SAFE PLACE. I COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED AND THE DEALERSHIP HAS HAD IT IN REPAIR FOR15 DAYS PRIOR TO THIS.*AK

ACCELERATOR PEDAL STICKS. WHEN PLACING VEHICLE INTO GEAR CONSUMER MUST APPLY PRESSURE TO ACCELERATOR TO RELEASE IT. SUBSEQUENTLY, IT RELEASES SUDDENLY IN A WAY WHICH CAUSES SUDDEN ACCELERATION. WHEN CONDITIONS ARE ICY THIS COMMON PROBLEM WILL EVENTUALLY GET SOMEONE KILLED. *AK

I PURCHED MY NEW VEHICLE ON 7/12/03 AND ON 3/3/04 UPON OPENING MY DRIVER DOOR, I HEARD A CLANKING NOISE AND THE DRIVER DOOR FELL OFF. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION I LOCATED THE TOP PIN INSIDE THE CAR BUT THE CLIP WAS NO WHERE TO BE FOUND. I CLOSED THE DOOR & CLIMED OUT THE PASSENGER SIDE. I CONTACTED A LOCAL FORD DEALER (NOT WHERE I PURCHASED IT FROM) TO GET IT FIXED. THEY SAID THEY HAD NEVER HEARD OF THIS AND THEY WERE VERY SUPRISED. BUT, FROM WHAT I JUST READ.... ITS HAPPENED BEFORE. I TOOK THE VEHICLE INTO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP AND THEY DID NOT HAVE THE CLIP SO THEY JERRY-RIGGED SOMETHING TO HOLD THE PIN IN PLACE. *AK

TRANSMISSION SLIPPED INTO NEUTRAL AND 2ND GEAR ON ITS OWN. *PH THE GEAR INDICATOR STATED THE VEHICLE WAS STILL IN DRIVE, WHEN THE INCIDENT OCCURRED. ON A SEPARATE OCCASION, THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN HE PARKED THE VEHICLE AND THEN RETURNED, HE NOTICED THE VEHICLE WAS NOT IN THE SAME PLACE WHERE HE HAD LEFT IT. *JB

WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 35 TO 40 MPH VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A FRONTAL COLLISION. UPON IMPACT, AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. DRIVER WORE A SEAT BELT. *AK

MY 2003 FORD ESCAPE WHICH I PURCHASED IN APRIL OF 2003 CAUGHT FIRE IN THE ENGINE DUE TO A DEFECT IN THE FUEL INJECTORS. WITHIN 20 MINUTES THE ENTIRE FRONT END OF THE CAR WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES AND DESTROYED. THE FLAMES ALSO PENETRATED THROUGH THE FIRE WALL WITHIN LITTLE TIME. I AM CURRENTLY WORKING WITH MY INSURANCE COMPANY AS THE CAR IS A TOTAL LOSS. AT THIS TIME I HAVE HAD NO RESPONSE TO MY CALLS TO FORD REGARDING THIS EXTREME MALFUNCTION.

WHEN THE TEMPERATURE IS WARMER, THE ESCAPE INTERMITTEDLY WILL NOT START. TAKES ANYWHERE FROM 4 TO 7 TIMES OF CRANKING BEFORE SUV STARTS. OCCURED FIRST IN AUG., THE FORD SHOP REPROGRAMMED THE COMPUTER. ONE MONTH LATER DOESN'T START AGAIN. FORD SHOP LEFT TICKET OPEN BECAUSE THEY CAN'T FIND PROBLEM. IN OCTOBER, HAPPENS AGAIN. NOW THEY HAVE INSTALLED A PIECE OF EQUIPMENT THAT I HAVE TO PUSH A BUTTON AS I'M CRANKING IF THE CAR DOESN'T START. THE PIECE OF EQUIPMENT IS ONLY GOOD FOR 1 WEEK, HAVE TO KEEP GOING IN TO HAVE IT RESET.

TO START, MY VEHICLE IS A 2003 FORD ESCAPE WITH 36,000 MILES. IT IS A COMPANY VEHICLE THAT I'M ABLE TO USE PROFESSIONALLY AND PERSONALLY. I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM A QUICK TRIP TO TOWN AND THE ACCELERATOR BEGAN TO HAVE A MIND OF ITS OWN. I WAS TRAVELING ON THE INTERSTATE AND THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE WITHOUT PUSHING ON THE GAS. LUCKILY I ACTED QUICKLY AND WAS ABLE TO PUT THE TRUCK IN NEUTRAL AND PULL OVER TO THE SIDE SAFELY. I TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF AND LOOKED TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANYTHING ON THE FLOORBOARD THAT WAS CAUSING CONSTANT ACCELERATION, THERE WASN'T. I TURNED THE VEHICLE BACK ON TO SEE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN AND THE RPM'S SORED TO 4 WITH BEING IN PARK. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THIS VEHICLE HAD PERFORMED IN THIS MANNER. I MUST SAY THAT THIS WAS VERY FRIGHTNING. I WASN'T SURE I WAS GOING TO BE ABLE TO STOP.*AK