2002 FORD ESCAPE Complaints

I OWN A 2002 FORD ESCAPE XLT. SINCE I PURCHASED IT IN THE FALL OF 2003, AT DIFFERENT TIMES BOTH THE FRONT PASSENGER DOOR AND REAR PASSENGER DOOR HAVE GOTTEN STUCK WHERE I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO OPEN THEM FROM EITHER THE INSIDE OR OUTSIDE OF THE CAR. THE FIRST INCIDENT WAS THE FRONT PASSENGER DOOR, WHICH WAS FIXED WHEN I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE SECOND INCIDENT OCCURRED 4 DAYS AGO AND THE DEALER IS GOING TO CHARGE ME A $300 DIAGNOSTIC FEE TO FIGURE OUT THE PROBLEM. IN ADDITION, PERIODICALLY, MY TRUNK WILL NOT OPEN NO MATTER WHAT I TRY. THEN THE NEXT DAY, IT WILL. THIS HAS OCCURRED AT LEAST 15 TIMES SINCE THE FALL OF 2005. IN ALL OF THE INCIDENCES LISTED THE DOORS WERE UNLOCKED, ALTHOUGH WE TRIED TO LOCK AND UNLOCK THEM SEVERAL TIMES TO SEE IF IT WAS JUST STUCK. *NM

2002 ESCAPE ENGINE ACCELERATES WHILE DRIVING. *TS CONSUMER WAS INFORMED OF A RECALL NOTICE (04V574000) AND REPAIRS WERE MADE. THE PROBLEM RESURFACED AGAIN IN MARCH 2006. THE ACCELERATOR CABLE WHICH WAS REPLACED IN FEB 2005 WAS ONLY UNDER WARRANTY FOR 1 YEAR/12000 MILES. THE CUSTOMER SERVICE REP ADVISED THE CONSUMER THAT SHE WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COST OF REPAIR. THE SEAT BELTS LOCKED UP WHEN IN USE. *JB

O/D OFF LIGHT BEGAN FLASHING. APPARENTLY, THE TORQUE CONVERTER FAILED AND THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE REPLACED. CAR WAS ONLY 4 YEARS OLD WITH 53000 MILES. IF I DIDN'T HAVE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY, THE REPAIRS WOULD HAVE COST OVER $3000. APPARENTLY, THIS SAME PROBLEM EXISTS ON THE 2002 FORD EXPLORER AS WELL. *NM

IN 2004, MY 2002 FORD ESCAPE, AFTER BEING PARKED OVERNIGHT, CAUGHT FIRE. THE FIRE WAS TRACED BY THE DEALER TO THE ABS COMPUTER. THE VEHICLE WAS PAST WARRANTY AND FORD MOTOR COMPANY DENIED REPEATEDLY THAT THERE WAS ANY POSSIBILITY OF ANY DEFECT, OR THAT THERE WAS ANY MANUFACTURER RESPONSIBILITY. CALLS TO FORD'S CUSTOMER HOT LINE WERE HANDLED IN AN UNSATISFACTORY MANNER. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED USING NEW PARTS. *JB

I BOUGHT MY 2002 FORD ESCAPE IN MAY OF 2005, THE DEALERSHIP HAD TO REBUILD THE TRANSMISSION 3 DAYS LATER AT 80K BECAUSE IT WAS SLIPPING BETWEEN GEARS. NOW A YEAR AND HALF LATER, I'VE BEEN TOLD BY A SPECIALIST THAT I NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION, WHICH WILL COST ME $2500 - $4000! THE DEALER WILL NOT WARRANTY THEIR WORK BECAUSE IT HAS BEEN OVER A YEAR SINCE THE SERVICE, BUT I'VE ONLY PUT 20K MILES ON IT! THE TRANSMISSION SPECIALIST EXPLAINED THAT THE 2002 ESCAPE HAS THE SAME TRANSMISSION AS A MAZDA 626, WHICH IS NOTORIOUS FOR FAILING. HE SAID EVEN IF I PAY TO HAVE IT REPLACED, IT WILL FAIL AGAIN. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE PARKING A BYSTANDER NOTICED SMOKE BILLOWING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE IGNITION WOULD NOT TURN OFF SO THE BATTERY WAS DISCONNECTED AND THE SMOKE STOPPED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTO COLLISION FACILITY, WHERE IT HAS NOT BEEN INSPECTED BY A MECHANIC. *AK

RECENTLY, I WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT WHERE THE FRONT END OF MY 2002 FORD ESCAPE WAS TOTALED. THE AIRBAGS NEVER RELEASED. LUCKILY, I HAD BEEN WEARING MY SEAT BELT, AND DID NOT SUFFER FROM AN INJURY. SUMMARY: 1. EVENT(S) LEADING TO FAILURE: COLLISION WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE 2. FAILURE: AIR BAGS DID NOT RELEASE; CONSEQUENCES: NONE 3. CORRECTION: N/A. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH ON AN INTERSTATE, SMOKE WAS OBSERVED TO BE COMING FROM BEHIND THE VEHICLE AND FLAMES WERE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THERE WAS NOTHING UNUSUAL ABOUT THE WAY THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATING BEFORE THE FIRE STARTED. THE TYPE OF FIRE WAS CLASSIFIED AS FUEL. THE SERVICE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED WHO DETERMINED THAT A ROD SHOT THREW THE ENGINE AND MADE A LARGE HOLE THAT CAUSED THE FIRE IN THE MOTOR. THE SERVICE DEALER WAS WILLING TO REPAIR THE MOTOR IF THE CONTACT WOULD MAKE A CO-PAYMENT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT ALERTED. A POLICE REPORT WAS TAKEN. THIS OCCURRED IN STATE OF ARKANSAS.

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED COMPLETELY, HOWEVER WAS ABLE TO BE RESTARTED IMMEDIATELY. THE VEHICLE HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN TAKEN TO A PRIVATE REPAIR SHOP FOR THE SAME ISSUE, WHERE THE MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE MAY HAVE BEEN FAULTY. THE WORK FOR NHTSA RECALL #04V165000, PERTAINING TO THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN PERFORMED, BUT SINCE THEN THE PROBLEM PERSISTED AND BECAME PROGRESSIVELY WORSE.

AIR BAG LIGHT CAME ON. IT STAYS ON. I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT WHEN THIS HAPPENS THE AIR BAGS ARE IMMEDIATELY SHUT OFF AS THERE IS A ERROR CODE. THIS HAS HAPPENED THREE TIMES BEFORE AND EACH TIME THE PASSENGER SIDE PRETENSIONER WAS REPLACED. TWICE THE DEALER COVERED IT AND THE THIRD TIME THE DEALER SAID IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND THEY WOULDN'T FIX IT. SEEMS LIKE IF THEY FIXED IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME IT WOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED AGAIN. NOW IT HAS HAPPENED AGAIN. AND ONCE AGAIN THE DEALER SAID I AM ON MY OWN. NOW I AM DRIVING A CAR WITH NO AIR BAGS AND I SPECIFICALLY BROUGHT IT BECAUSE OF THE AIRBAGS.