Problems with 2002 Ford Escape ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

My 2002 ford escape has had too many problems since i have owned it. i purchased the vehcile used in march of 2005 with 23k miles. it now has 30k. please note it is still under warranty, however i feel the vehcile is riddled with problems to date: the cd4e automatic transmission was replaced at 4500 miules by the previous owner(performed by ford) along with the front wheel bearings and retainer rings. since i have owned the vehicle: 1. the vehcile stalled while driving along. the pcm was re-flashed by ford, however it still feels like it will stall at certain times. 2. the thermostat housing leaked antifreeze and took three trips to the dealer to fix it. 3. the accerlerator cable was replaced under recall. 4. the rear glass rattles as the latch looks worns out already. 5. the engine had valve train noise and the camshaft retainers were replaced 6. the engine leaked oil due to the dealers faulty repair 7. the fan assembly/blower motor bearings have failed and a new part is on order. i am very upset and disapointed in the quality of this vehicle and i question it as i have no confidence it it.

Have 2002 ford escape and 3 years and 7 months later the odometer lcd lights goes out. *jb

On several occasions, my 2002 ford escape has stalled out in the middle of intersections, on the freeway, and at many inopportune times!!!!! i have been quite scared to drive my suv any more. it starts to chug like it is not getting any fuel, the check engine light will come on, and the suv will immediately die. i lose my power steering, my brakes, my everything! and almost get hit. i have taken my escape in for service several times, but they claim that it is just a glitch in the computer, and reset it. then they told me that they could never get it do what i was saying, so i had to come in right when it was doing it, or they wouldn't be able to help. in the mean time, i have stalled out several more times, gone in, and no one can figure out what is wrong. i have heard from several people that this is happening with many ford escapes, and i am scared that the situation will escalate to me being in an accident, or my suv starting on fire when it gets so warm.

After a short errand, vehicle was parked. minutes later, fire erupted under the hood, apparently from a wiring harness. motor area appears to be a complete loss. it was determined that he fire originated in the abs control modulator. the insurance company determined that ford was responsible for the incident and has been attempting to recoup their money. *nm

In watching the news about ford suv's catching on fire, one of the warning signs was a brake light going out or the cruise control light on the dash. i have a 2002 escape, and recently have replaced two brake lights going out. i only have 40000 miles, yet i did not see a recall on this car concerning this. has this happened to any escapes model year 2002 ??

The vehicle was traveling about 70 mph in the far right lane when all of a sudden driver heard a loud explosion from the front of the vehicle. driver pulled over immediately due to smoke coming inside the vehicle. the driver got out and watched the vehicle burn within 7 minutes. *ak the white smoke seemed to indicate a fuel line. *sc

Dt: the contact stated 2002 ford escape caught on fire on 4-4-05 in front of the dealership where she bought it. the vehicle was parked. the fire originated from under the hood. the day before on sunday she was having problems starting the car. her brother had to jump it to get it started; he then drove it around the block. when he took the key out of the ignition, the vehicle was still running. she put the key back in, put it in gear, and put it back in park and turned the ignition and took the key out. she drove it to the dealership where she bought it. the vehicle was turned off when she left. the next day the fire department called her and told her the car had caught on fire at the dealership and was totaled. the fire department did tell the contact they thought the fire was electrical.*ak

Airbag lights continuosly flash. was told by ford service dept at dealer that this could possibly mean that the seatbelts and airbags will not work. cost to fix is $609

2002 ford escape xlt - 38,000 miles. radio turned off by itself, dashboard gages illuminated and then car died. car was able to be re-started but then died shortly after. ford has determined that the alternator has blown. as 38,000 is out of the warranty period, the dealership and ford corporate has declined paying for the repairs. for a vehicle that has been well maintained, it seems that this type of problem should not have occurred so early in the vehicles life. of course considering the many, many issues i have had with this vehicle that were covered i guess i should not be surprised. as a side note, i supply components to the automotive oem's including ford. that is why i bought a ford. after this experience and seeing how ford works internally i don't think i will ever be able to buy one again. alan goldenstein. *ak

2002 ford escape was parked in driveway at my residence following returning rentla movies at approximately 11:30 pm on 6/30/2004. at approximately 6:00 am on 7/1/2004, i was awakened by the car alarm. looking at the car from the balcony outside the bedroom window, i could see thick dark smoke coming from under the hood. i took the car keys and manually unlocked the vehicle to get the hood release. as soon as the door was unlocked, the alarm silenced. i then opened the hood and as soon as i did the wiring harness on the driver's side firewall burst into flame. i ran into the garage and got a fire extinguisher and put out the fire. after the fire was out, i could hear a strong electrical hum. at that point i went back the garage and got tools to remove the positive battery terminal. as soon as terminal was removed the sound ceased. the car was later towed to stepp brothers lincoln mercury where it remains as of today. stepp brother has ordered a new wiring harness in order to diagnose the problem and it is still on back order. *jb phone interview update (nov. 7, 05) ford did the repair under warranty and kept the old parts; they said the fire was due to an abs sensor shorted out. mr. evermon also said that he had to fill the master cylinder three times since he purchsed the vehicle.

While driving srs light appeared on the dashboard and remained on. consumer pressed down the horn and it failed. consumer took vehicle to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic informed consumer that this vehicle was not on recall. *ak

While driving 45 mph vehicle stalled. consumer was able to start vehicle and drove it home. the next day, vehicle would not start. consumer had the vehicle towed to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic replaced the battery. driver informed the mechanic that the air bag light appeared on the dashboard and remained on after the battery was replaced. *ak

Model: 2002 ford excape xlt.engine stall without warning around 40 miles per hour. power steering and brake failed to fundtion.the latest one happened on 3/31/2004. the last one was in late 2002.*ak i purchased this vehicle from michigan (village ford at dearborn), and use it in texas currently.

While driving the (crs) light appeared on the dashboard and remained on. the driver drove the vehicle to the dealer for an inspection. the mechanic replaced a sensor in the modular. the problem still continued. *jb

My vehicle has suddenly and without warning stalled while driving. loss ofpower steering, brakes, etc. i nearly hit another vehicle as i could not control the car. this happend at speeds arount 30 mph as early as 6000 miles on the car. it has happened a few times at slow speeds or while backing out of the driveway but was not as scary as the ones that happened while travelling on a busy road at 30 mph. first time i brought the car to the dealer they updated the pcm and reset the relay switch. this was supposed to fix the problem. the stalling happened a few more times but then again at high speeds at 37000 miles. brought car to dealer again and they updated the pcm(again) and now say i need a new iac valve. they are not even sure this will correct the sudden engine stalling. i read through the hundreds of complaints on the nhtsa website and discovered this is a very common problem. there is something very wrong with the computer and needs to be replaced/recalled immediately. *ak

I bought a new 2002 ford escape xlt 4x4. 4 months after receiving it from the factory, it lost power and died suddenly while driving. i put the car in park and restarted it. i took the car to a ford dealership and they "reprogrammed and reset the relay switch" saying that would correct the problem. then last week, i was travelling 30 mph on a busy road when the exact same thing occurred. the engine stopped and i lost all power, including power steering. this was very dangerous as i was going around a curve and nearly went into the oncoming lanes and i was in the middle of the road just around a curve, where a car could come around the corner and not be able to stop in time before hitting me. luckily i was able to coast for a few feet and then restart the car again. i returned to the same ford dealership again and they "reprogrammed the computer again" i have had new cars before and have never had this happen or heard of this happening. i do not feel it is safe to have a car's engine just stop while driving at 30 mph on a road. i feel there is something defective with the computer that came with the vehicle and the computer needs to be recalled.*ak

Battery light is coming on and staying for up to 60 to 120 seconds and then turns off. had mechanic test for error codes but no codes are being written. this has happened over and over and more so in cooler weather but is now occurring in warm temperatures. engine has stalled previously as well. 2002 ford escape xlt 2wd. *la

2002 ford escape xlt stalling (2 times) and hesitating and engine skipping. complained about engine problems for 2 years. engine stalled at 40 mph and told the dealership my suv was now a safety hazard when the motor cuts off without warning at 40 mph. they replaced what they said was ford's latest part for this problem and i have since had another cut off at 10 mph. there seems to be little effort and no concern from ford about my vehicles safety problem. you would think ford has learned a lesson for ignoring safety problems!!! when i bout my suv i was led to believe i was fords most important customer and they would stand behind what they sale. for sure i am not a valuable customer and they are not standing behind what i thought was an outstanding product.*ak

Check battery light comes on intermittently when starting the vehicle and while driving the vehicle; took vehicle into dealer; dealer replaced the alternator. emergency brake light on dashboard comes on and stays on regardless of whether the emergency brake is engaged; took vehicle into dealer; dealer repaired the short to ground in the brake lamp circuit. *ak

The 2002 for ecape that i have owned for 16 months has a defect in the engine that has made it unoporable and the computer system that is supposed to warn you of engine trouble never worked. *ak

When driving at any speed the vehicle stalls. there are times when trying to start the vehicle takes at least seven minutes. this vehicle has been to the dealer three times, and is at the dealers at this time.*ak

The vehicle stalled. once while the vehicle was in the drive, the horn began to blow, and the lights started to blink. no one was in the vehicle or had touched the vehicle. the consumer took the vehicle to the dealership to be repaired, however they were unable to repair it because they could not duplicate the problems. *ak the vehicle also rolled away with the ignition locked, keys removed and vehicle in park. also the accelerator became stuck on four occasions. a representative from told the consumer the reason why the vehicle rolled away, was because the emergency brake had not been applied. *ph *jb

While driving down a hill, i was braking to make a left hand turn when my 2002 ford escape xlt 4x4 stalled for no reason.*ak

My husband and i purchased a 2002 ford escape on 07/04/02. there was a little over 500 mile on the vehicle at date of purchase. since then, we have had the suv at the dealership for repairs 6 times for problem relating to what seems to be electrical. #1 there was a short in the headlamp assembly, #2 short in the heater wiring causing an arch sound and foul odor. #3 vehicle got stuck in park, #3 & #4, vehicle was stranded with the vehicle not starting and #6 became stuck in park for the second time. *jb

Took vehicle to dealer for repair of the sun roof. complaint was already on file. also, dealer replaced the battery. *ak

While driving the vehicle shut down. the dashboard lights flashed erratically and consumer lost functionality of the steering and braking. *nlm

Problems with 2002 ford escape xls would not start. *mr the consumer stated it would take three tries before the vehicle would start. the consumer was told by the dealer they could not find any technical signals. *jb

I own a 2002 ford escape xlt that stalled today for the first time at 8900 miles. i have read a lot of emails on escape-central.com on the exact same problem. why isn't ford aggressively doing something to fix it? i was traveling on a very busy street under construction with no turn off when it happened. i almost was rear ended and it could have been a very bad accident. *nlm

My 2002 ford escape purchased at john elway ford in boulder, co stalled on me. i've previously have had electrical problems that have not been fixed after being brought in numerous times. after the vehicle stalled, it would make an extremely loud noise and it would not shut back down. the service people have done nothing to help this situation. i've also spoke with the manger dave and nothing is being done. i bought the truck brand new and it has less than 30,000 miles on it. i spend alot of money on it every month and it should not be breaking down already! *nlm

The check engine/oil light illuminated, and the vehicle lost power steering. the dealership indicated the main computer was the cause of the problem. *jb

Ford escape xlt midnight edition 2002 stalled while driving on a clear day. luckily there was roadwork so i could pull over easily although braking and steering was almost impossible. one week later car didn't start and garage told me that the battery had burst, they replaced battery.*jb

When driving my 2002 ford escape, 35mph, slightly downhill, the car loses power. it becomes difficult to brake and steer. this is the 4th time this has happened since buying the car in july 2002. the dealer has been notified.

Ford escape xlt 2002 stalled while driving downhill, i was going 35 mph on a clear day. this was a frightening experience, my brakes and steering was difficult.

The airbag light keeps coming on. i took it in for service for regular maintenance and then the light was off. i've had the car now for 10 years this december. i can't recall a time my airbag light has not been on. just recently i started researching and found their is a short wire under the drivers seat and it has a little gray prong on it. the gray prong needs to be grounded and it should be attached the bars the seat slides back and forth on. i stuck the gray plug in and the airbag light went out. the only problem is every time you move the seat it pushes the gray plug down and eventually it will come back on and i will have to fix it again. ford needs to correct this problem. the problem is an easy fix and i don't understand why they don't change the plug or make a longer cord. ford needs to fix the problem. i love my car but hate the frustration. *jb

On my new ford escape 2002 bought 8-2002. my gas pedal stuck, my brakes were leaking fluid my ignition has broke. my passanger side rear door will not open or close properly and has opened while the vehicle is in motion. there is a vibration in my left front end and my air bag warning light stays on at times my driver side saftey restraint has sheared and had to be replaced

Consumer states that while driving at 40mph,going down a hill.vehcile stalled out without any warning, lossing all steering power.had pull on the emergency brakes,to stop vehicle. this happen twice. nlm

While traveling on the highway without prior warning the vehicle will stall. and willnot restart the dealership is aware of the problem. nlm

While driving at 40/45mph , put turn signal on , radio came off. a few seconds later vehicle stalled out. contacted dealer, dealer replaced altinator, but vehicle stalled out again.*ak

Ive found many complaints on this problem and they all said they same thing that the reprogramming the computer in the car dont work and thats how they tried to fix mine i wish they would have warned me more before buying this vehicle ive found too many complaints on the same situation. *ak

Consumer states that while driving and no warning the vehicle lost power and it was hard for the consumer to control the vehicle. dealer notified. nlm

While driving on a rural road, speed 45 mph, car stalled, lost brakes and steering. pulled over, turned off key and restarted car. car ran fine all the way to the dealership. dealership tested "eec" system and tested "ok". ran messages and found tech service bulletin dated 2/11/02. reprogrammed pcm and did complete tsb. car now runs ok. i asked them if my company should notify employees who own this vehicle and/or if ford should be notifying the general public. they said no. problem intermittent and no way to find the problem unless it happens. not pleased with this answer. what if i had been on a highway?*ak

Vehicle stalled twice at 40 mph. dealer replaced pcm sensor and reprogrammed computer.*ak

First incident ocurred may 10,2002 driving from work to my home. in a stop light, when approaching an intersection, suddenly at the power system shot off and the vehicle did not re-start for about 20 minutes. problem was reported to the dealer and no major cause was found. once again on august 2, 2002 the same thing happened, driving from work to home, suddenly the vehicle shot off all, the systems down and vehicle did not restart for about 20 minutes. vehicle is taken to the dealer and apparently the is no major problem found. after that there is a complaint with the dealer claiming for a vehicle replacement. they do not find the condition or problem.*ak

The first incidence (may-2002), while driving approximately 40 mph the engine shut-off and the steering lock. luckily the vehicle came to a stop at the side of the road with no injuries. the vehicle eventually restarted and was returned to the dealership. they reprogrammed the pcm and said the problem was fixed. the same thing happened about 6-weeks later along the same stretch of road, and luckily again nobody was hurt. the vehicle was again returned to the dealer. this time they said that they can't find anything wrong and gave it back to us without a fix. i am afraid that next time it happens it will be in traffic and someone will be injured or killed. this vehicle should not be on the road.*ak

The vehicle has a tendency to stall while it is being driven, creating an unsafe situation. on three occasions i have taken my escape back to the dealership to have this problem addressed, as per the manufacturer_x0012_s warranty. each time i am told that there is no guarantee that the problem has been fixed and that it may happen again. to date, over the span of my ownership, the vehicle has demonstrated this problem six times. each time it has created an unsafe condition for my family and me. this a very serious issue which the service staff cannot seem to fix. the stalling does not occur with any particular frequency. it has occurred while driving home, while driving to work, while approaching a stop sign, and while driving down a hill approaching a bend in the road. since i am not able to use this vehicle safely as intended when i purchased it, due to a manufacturer_x0012_s defect, i am seeking a remedy other than service dept appointments. ford has left me with no choice but to request a remedy, as per section 59.1-207.13 of the virginia lemon law.*ak

Vehicle stalled at 25 mph, dealer replaced wiring harness, vehicle has been at dealership for 3 weeks.*ak consumer states that several weeks prior the vehicle would not start. *slc

At 30mph vehicle shuts off. this could cause an accident. cause unknown. dealer notified.*ak

Car stalled during heavy traffic. many irate drivers. no warning prior to stall. this has been the 4th time.*ak

After 1st incident, ford replaced air idle control valve eec relay; after 2nd incident, ford replaced fuel pump relay and eec relay again. there is no warning when vehicle stalls, it occurs when driving and immediately steering and brakes fail.

Vechicle stalls for unknown reason while driving.*ak