2015 FORD ESCAPE Complaints

MY 2015 FORD ESCAPE: WARNING LIGHT 'ENGINE FAULT - SERVICE NOW' THAT WOULD GO AWAY WHEN I STOPPED/RESTARTED THE ENGINE. THIS HAPPENED 2-3 TIMES. DEALER SERVICE REP SAID IT WASN'T A PROBLEM UNLESS THE LIGHT REMAINED ON. THE CAR RAN WELL AT ALL TIMES. TWO WEEKS LATER THE LIGHT WOULD COME ON EVERY DAY, BUT DISAPPEAR WHEN RESTARTING. I BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALER AGAIN (CAPITAL FORD 4222 OLEANDER DR. WILMINGTON, NC) AND DIAGNOSIS SHOWED A COOLANT LEAK INTO ENGINE CYLINDER #3. DEALER STATES THAT I NEED A NEW ENGINE, BUT PARTS ARE ON BACK ORDER WITH NO ESTIMATED DELIVERY DATE. PRELIMINARY ESTIMATE OF REPAIR IS $9,242.81. (THIS IS APP $2,000 LESS THAN THE TRADE IN VALUE OF THE VEHICLE)

THE SHIFTER OF MY 2015 FORD ESCAPE WAS STUCK IN 'S' POSITION TWO DAYS AGO WHEN I JUST STARTED MY CAR. THE SHIFTER HANDLE WAS ACTUALLY IN P POSITION. I HAD TO CALL TOWING COMPANY AND THE DEALER TOLD ME IT IS MY SHIFTER CABLE BUSHING DETERIORATED AND UNABLE TO ALLOW SHIFT CABLE TO COME LOOSE TO CHANGE SHIFT. FORD PREVIOUSLY HAD A RECALL FOR 2013-2014 ESCAPE MODEL FOR THE SAME BUSHING PROBLEMS NOT INCLUDING 2015 MODELS. BUT A LOT PEOPLE POSTED THREADS ONLINE SAYING THEIR 2015 MODEL ALSO HAVE THAT PROBLEMS. SOME CUSTOMER GOT IT FIXED FREE OF CHARGE AND MOST CUSTOMERS DID NOT. I CONTACTED WITH FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY TOLD ME IT IS UP TO THE DEALER WHETHER TO ALLOW REIMBURSEMENT BUT THIS SHOULD BE DEFINITELY BE RECALLED BECAUSE THIS CAN BE A BIG SAFETY CONCERN.

MY DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT PULLS OUT, HOWEVER, IF IT COMES OUT TOO FAR, IT DOESN'T GO BACK TO BEING TIGHT, LIKE IT SHOULD. THE CAR IS STATIONARY WHEN THIS HAPPENS.

ON 09/05/2020, I ENCOUNTERED THE "STEERING ASSIST FAULT - SERVICE REQUIRED" ERROR MESSAGE, RESULTING IN LOSS OF POWER ASSIST TO THE STEERING MECHANISM. THIS IS THE SAME ISSUE ATTRIBUTED TO SAFETY RECALL# 19S26 PERTAINING TO SIMILAR VEHICLES (FORD EDGE, ETC) OF THIS MODEL YEAR. THE ISSUE GENERATES FROM INADEQUATE WAX COATING ON THE BOLTS ATTACHING THE STEERING GEAR MOTOR, CAUSING IT TO DETACH FROM THE HOUSING. THIS RESULTS IN LOSS OF POWER STEERING CAPABILITIES, CREATING A POTENTIAL CRASH HAZARD IF OCCURRING WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE ON THE ROAD. MY VEHICLE HAS 37142 MILES (VERY LOW FOR THE MODEL YEAR) AND HAS ALWAYS BEEN WELL MAINTAINED AS WELL AS DRIVEN WITH GREAT CARE AND ATTENTION TO PROLONGING ITS OVERALL LIFESPAN AND GENERAL CONDITION. THE ISSUE CAME TO PASS WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY, THE ERROR MESSAGE AND LOSS OF POWER STEERING OCCURRING WHILE PARKED AND STARTING UP SAID VEHICLE. THERE ARE MANY OTHER ONLINE COMPLAINTS OF THIS EXACT INCIDENT RELATING TO THIS MODEL YEAR AND SPECIFIC VEHICLE, YET NO RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED BY THE MANUFACTURER. IN MOST INSTANCES IT APPEARS THE CONSUMER IS EXPECTED TO ABSORB THE REPAIR COSTS, WHICH CAN RUN UPWARDS OF $2000 - 3000 OR MORE - UP TO AND INCLUDING REBUILDING THE ENTIRE STEERING SYSTEM. THIS IS SUSPECT BEHAVIOR GIVEN THE LACK OF OWNERSHIP OF THE ROOT CAUSE FROM THE MANUFACTURER AND LEADS ONE TO BELIEVE DEALERSHIPS MAY BE UNFAIRLY PROFITING FROM NEEDLESS REPAIRS GIVEN THE SERIOUS NATURE OF THE FAULT IN QUESTION.

POWER STEERING ISSUES BEGAN RANDOMINGLY AROUND 70,000 MILES. IT LOCKS UP WHILE DRIVING LEAVING YOU WITH NO POWER STEERING. THIS OCCURS RANDOMLY AND WHILE THE CAR IS IN MOTION. IT GENERALLY OCCURS FOR A FEW MILES AND THEN GOES BACK TO "NORMAL" POWER STEERING. IT'S HAPPENED 3 TIMES NOW WITH NO WARNING OR DASH LIGHTS LIGHTING UP. THE LAST TIME IT HAPPENED TO ME, I WAS IN HEAVY TRAFFIC WHILE GOING AROUND A SHARP CURVE, WHICH IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS . WE WERE TOLD THAT OLDER MODELS OF FORD ESCAPES WERE RECALLED FOR THIS SAME ISSUE, BUT NOT THE 2015. COST TO REPLACE THE POWER STEERING SENSOR WAS ABOUT $4,000.

AT 127,000 MILES THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND WE WERE TOLD THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. FORD WAS NOT WILLING TO WORK WITH US EVEN THOUGH WE HAD AN EXTENDED WARRANTY. NOW WE ARE TOLD THAT THE ENGINE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT 50 MPH, THE ENGINE STARTED TO OVERHEAT. THE CONTACT STATED NO WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE DECELERATED AND CRUISED INTO HIS DRIVEWAY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DRIVABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE LOCAL DEALER VACHON FORD LOCATED AT 455 PROVIDENCE RD, BROOKLYN, CT 06234, (860) 774-3673, WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED WITH NEEDING THE ENGINE TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 65,000.

INITIALLY THE CAR WOULD SHIFT HARD WHICH THEN WOULD LOOSE POWER, HESITATE, THEN STALL. AFTER STALLING WOULD NOT START. THE PROBLEM HAPPENS SEEMINGLY INTERMITTENTLY. THE FORD DEALER REPLACED THE FUEL SENSOR, BUT WITH IN A YEAR THE SAME THING HAPPENED. THE FUEL SENSOR WAS AGAIN REPLACED A SECOND TIME AND IN LESS THAN 6 MONTHS IT HAPPENED AGAIN. INITIALLY IT SEEMED LIKE IT WAS THE TRANSMISSION, BUT THEN IT FEELS LIKE THE FUEL IS NOT BEING INJECTED PROPERLY WHILE IN MOTION AND AFTER STOPPING.

STOPPED AT SECURITY GATE, PASSENGER GOT OUT AND OPENED THE GATE. I DROVE THROUGH THE GATE, PLACED THE VEHICLE IN REVERSE AND BACKED UP 10 FEET TO LET THE PASSENGER GET IN AFTER CLOSING AND LOCKING GATE. PLACED THE SHIFTER IN DRIVE AND EXPECTED TO MOVE FORWARD AND IT STILL BACKED UP. PLACED THE SHIFTER IN REVERSE AGAIN AND BACK TO DRIVE AND IT STILL BACKED UP. PLACED THE SHIFTER IN PARK AND TURNED OFF THE MOTOR AND IT STILLED ROLLED FORWARD ON THE SLIGHT DOWN HILL. HAD TO USE THE HAND BRAKE TO HOLD THE VEHICLE FROM ROLLING. TURNED OFF KEY. TRIED TO RESTART THE ENGINE AND EVERY TIME THE ALARM SAID CAR WAS IN REVERSE. WHEN KEY WAS TURNED ON THE BACK UP LIGHTS AND BACK UP ASSIST SCREEN CAME ON. LOADED VEHICLE UP ON FLAT BED TRAILER AND TOWED IT HOME. CALLED FORD DEALER ON MONDAY MORNING AND HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALER AND WAS FIXED BY USING THE PARTS FROM FORD RECALL 18S20 TO REPAIR THE CAR. FORD SAID THERE IS NO RECALL FOR 2015 FORD ESCAPE. ASSEMBLY DATE OF VEHICLE IS 10/14 . FORD SHOULD EXTEND THE RECALL TO 2015 YEAR BECAUSE I WAS SITING IN IT WHEN THE PROBLEM HAPPENED, NOT PARKING AND WALKING AWAY IN MY OWN DRIVEWAY AT HOME TO ROLL OUT IN THE STREET. OR ANY WHERE. I CALLED FORD COMPANY AND THEY SAID NO RECALL ON THIS YEAR FOR SIMILAR PROBLEM. WILL NOTIFY ME IF THERE IS A RECALL.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT FAILED TO LATCH OR BUCKLE SECURELY. THE CONTACT CALLED LOCAL DEALER THOROUGHBRED FORD LOCATED AT 8501 N. BOARDWALK AVE, KANSAS CITY, MO 64154, (816) 505-1818 AND THE DEALER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED AS OF YET. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN INFORMED OF FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000.