Problems with 2002 Ford Escape POWER TRAIN

My vehicle will randomly lock up and when i start it and try to move it into drive or reverse from park. and when i try to turn off my vehicle so that i can restart it my vehicle won't evem attempt to turn over or start but my electrical will still work just fine

On 2002 ford escape xlt, while driving car in reverse gear backing out of garage down hill and turning on road also with steep down hill, transmission shifter cable detached from transmission. could not get car out of reverse gear. this caused a very dangerous situation as car rolled backwards down hill out of control when engine shut off. used emergency brake to stop car and blocked wheels with rocks to diagnose. bushing on shifter cable end closest to transmission disentegrated and shifter cable slipped off link to transmission such that the column shift was detached from transmission. had no prior warnings to inspect this. found through research that ford had issued recall number 18s20 for ford escape model years 2013-2014 for exact same issue on july 18, 2018. called ford customer service. ford refused to acknowledge this issue for model year 2002. temporarily fixed issue to continue driving car. very dangerous situation. i am no expert, but someone with less expertise than me could be in a lot of trouble as this can happen on a hill where the car can roll out of control. recommend ford add this model year to recall list or at least issue warning to owners to inspect shifter cable bushing. difficult to get photo since transmission cable buried down in engine compartment, but could attempt upon request.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford escape. while the vehicle was stopped and waiting for a train to cross the tracks, the contact attempted to place the vehicle back in gear but the vehicle would not shift out of the park position. an independent mechanic was contacted and arrived at the scene. the independent mechanic diagnosed that the shift lever had disengaged from the transmission and would need to be bolted back into place. the vehicle was not repaired. the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 15v606000 (power train). the contact also stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would experience unexpected acceleration and was difficult to slow down. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 12v353000 (engine and engine cooling, vehicle speed control). the manufacturer was not made aware of the failures. the failure mileage was 132,000.

My car jerks when driving very badly hed many repairs done to no avail 118,000 miles have a disabled husband car is unrieabledriving on highway and local streets to get home.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford escape. while shifting gears from drive to park, the vehicle rolled backwards without warning. the contact was able to stop the vehicle by engaging the hand brake. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the shift gear stick disengaged from the transmission and the shift lever assembly needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 15v606000 (power train). the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the vin was invalid. the approximate failure mileage was 230,000. updated 04/13/16*lj the repair shop replaced the shift cable. updated 04/20/16.*jb

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford escape. while driving at 30 mph, the vehicle jerked and the contact heard a noise coming from the steering wheel and front of the vehicle. the check engine warning light illuminated. the vehicle was taken to a dealer multiple times. the technician was unable to diagnose the failure and repair the vehicle. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 100,000. updated 7/16/15*cn

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford escape. the contact stated there was a fuel odor coming from the ignition. in addition, the contact stated that when driving there would be a sudden deceleration in speed. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacture was made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 200,000.

I put the vehicle in reverse to back up and when i put vehicle back in drive it died/stalled. this has repeatedly happened along with dying at stop signs, red lights and multiple times at slow speeds. also the vehicle has repeatedly "stumbled" at various speeds up to 65 mph. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford escape. the contact stated while driving from a complete stop the transmission failed to respond without any warning. the vehicle was towed to the residence. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified and stated there was no recall related to the defect. the approximate failure mileage was 110,000. *tr

This incident happened back in february of 2014, while i was leaving my house to take my car for an oil change, when i stepped on the gas, it suddenly just stalled at 10mph, so i released the gas and then pressed on it again, the second time was fine, but when i came to a full stop and pressed on the gas, it stalled again, after it passes 10 mph, the vehicle was just cruising continuously. so one time my car stalled again and i almost hit the car in front of me, luckily i did not. for me this is a safety issue as well as a engine/transmission issue. this was not the only time this incident had happened. and just recently i took it ford for a diagnose and they had told me that it needs a new transmission and they quoted me $4500 to get it fixed. *js

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford escape. the contact stated that while stopped at a stop light, the accelerator was depressed and the vehicle stalled suddenly. the contact was able to restart the vehicle but the failure recurred. the vehicle was towed to a local mechanic, where the contact was informed that the transmission failed. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified. the failure and current mileage was 200,000. the vin was not provided.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford escape. the contact stated that the link for the gear shifter failed and the vehicle could not be driven. the vehicle was towed to a mechanic, who stated that the link for the gear shifter was rusted and became fractured. the failure caused the transmission to become unresponsive. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and the current mileages were 100,000. *tr

Going between 34-37 mph today, my vehicle completely stalled upon slight deceleration as i was attempting to switch into another lane. *tr

The vehicle, after being turned off, would not turn back on, and the gear indicator square that surrounds the engaged gear was multiplying, flashing and "dancing" from gear to gear. this happened a second time exactly one week later, and this time the interior lights were flashing and could not be stopped. after quite some time once the key was removed and the door was closed, the flashing interior lights ceased and would only continue again once the key was in the ignition. though removing the key caused the lights to stop flashing, even once the key was removed, the indicator square continued the behavior. periodically during operation the lights strengthen in and out when idling. *tr

Upon pressing the brake, at any speed, the vehicle completely shuts off. this has caused me to be nearly rear-ended on several occasions. it happens without notice, and is becoming more consistent. i took it to the dealership, as there were recalls on my vehicle, but they said while that is a problem for my make and model, it was in fact not one of the recalls to be performed. i had two recalls performed, neither of which helped this problem at all. it leaves me halted in intersections, and makes for abrupt stops, as i have to completely brake to a full and complete stop, throw the truck into park, turn the key off, wait a moment, turn the key back on, and back into drive. *tr

A couple of friends and i where on our way to la when we stopped for gas. filled up the tank and then started the car, which started perfectly fine, i then put the car into drive and when i pushed the accelerator the car simply revved the engine and did not move. the drive gear was not engaging but second worked fine. first gear did engage also but it felt it was slammed into place not smoothly engaging. had a near by mechanic look at it and he said that the transmission was giving out and that it would need to be replaced. i had the car towed to a dealership where i was told the clutch had blown out and taken the rest of the transmission with it and it all had to be replaced. it was a $3500 repair that i now wish i had done more research on because this seems to be a common issue. the car only had 54000 miles but it was 10 years old and there were no signs that the transmission was going out. the new transmission does come with a 3 year, unlimited mile warranty which is why i went with that instead of a rebuild which would have been a bit cheaper. after learning about all the problems this transmission has, i will be looking for a new car in the coming years. i like fords but this really making think about getting a new car from some one else. *tr

1 - rear latch is not working properly. when it is cool outside, the latch will not open the back door. 2 - window latch has rusted causing the rear window to detach from the hinge. not that i am bidder, but at 37k miles, the transmission blew.... i discussed this issue with both ford and my dealership ([xxx]). both companies stated they could not help me and that it was on me to pay to correct. i explained that this was due to a lack of using proper supplies. they could not have cared less. i am hoping you can have them look into this because i would really hate to be involved in a car accident cannot use the rear as an exit.... information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Lower control arm ripped off under cradle & ripped passenger side drive shaft off the transmission - the wheel fell off the car. it appears under cradle rusted from inside. i shudder at the thought of that happening when my wife was on the freeway, instead of coming to a stop. this vehicle was always kept in the garage. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford escape. the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 04v165000 (power train). while driving in reverse, the vehicle lost power and stalled. when driving in hot weather or after a certain amount of time, the vehicle would stall in the middle of traffic. a mechanic stated that the pcm/tcm power train need to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 160,000.

On rt. 59, just south of northwest hwy (rt. 14) in barrington, my 2002 ford escape xlt was involved in a bizarre incident or accident. while sitting static on level road in a line of traffic with a train-crossing barrier arm keeping traffic safely waiting for the train to pass, my vehicle lurched forward in an unintended acceleration while my foot was firmly pressing on the brake pedal. the engine raced at >= 4000 rpm. with continued braking action on my part with no vehicle response, the passenger-side front end of my vehicle hit the 1988 ford f150 truck immediately in front of me. as a side note, i had the 2005 ford recall work performed on the defective accelerator cable, with the cable replacement at packey webb ford dealership service center in wheaton, illinois. there is a safety-hazard risk associated with the vehicle, and i refuse to drive this vehicle even if the approximately $4000.00 damages are repaired, which i have not authorized. i am an experience computer it software/hardware professional, as well as an engineering design controls expert in the health care industry, working for a major product manufacturer (software and hardware). there is a definite safety risk associated with this vehicle make/model, and i want to report this incident to the proper agency. the insurance company, ford dealership, and the authorized service center have done nothing to identify the root cause for the vehicle malfunction on design defect; they only treat this as a loss and did not perform initial computer diagnostics prior to compromising the vehicle in their actions to appraise damages to the vehicle. i need this incident properly investigated and reported to the public if a safety risk is confirmed. *kb

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford escape. the contact stated that while driving 40 mph the vehicle stalled. the vehicle was towed to the dealer who stated that the transmission was defective. the manufacturer was not contacted. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 150,000.

Purchased vehicle was used around town for 4 days on the forth day drove on hwy way at 65 mph the overdrive light came on flashing car failed to shift out of gear. pulled off road turned off. found car leaking automatic transmission fluid and would no longer go into gear once it had been shut off. is currently at transmission shop the are attempting to find what the issue is. vehicle is a 2002 ford escape. *tr

This complaint is to regarding ford motor company and the cd4e automatic transmission. this is by far the worst transmission ever built. i have a ford escape and a mazda 626 and both have needed the transmission rebuilt this year. the ford 4 times before it would work right. i wish that the government would not let auto manufacturers built defective vehicles and parts and make them own up to it if they do. i wonder how many thousands of dollars consumers have had to lay out to fix these horrible transmissions. *tr

My 2002 ford escape had to have a transmission replaced. at 74,000 miles it was blown. i had it towed to a repair shop and asked for his opinion. it was blown. he called about a replacement and was told the dealer kept many replacements for 2002 escapes because of failures. i bought ford because i always loved and bought fords. but 3,3300.00 later, ford has a problem. the car runs better now and even gets 5 miles per gallon better on gas. ford has a problem as countless people have expressed. *tr

2002 ford escape was recalled for several reasons. something with the power train, the cruise control, the abs system..... finally it caught on fire. the engine was melted. fire and police department got there. contacted ford and they just said we will record your call on your profile. don't understand how lives and property have been lost and ford doesn't do anything about it. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford escape. the contact stated that the vehicle stalled while driving 55 mph. the failure was experienced several times. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where a diagnostic was performed but the dealer was unable to locate a failure code. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and denied assistance with the repair because the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign id number: 04v165000 (power train: automatic transmission: control module -tcm, pcm). the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 90,000 and the current mileage was 139,161.

I am very unhappy. i got in my 2002 ford escape this morning and went to put it in reverse and the shifter broke or something it was rolling i had to put on brakes i have never even hear of something like this happening and i look on the internet and its all over the internet how defective it is. i am a 50 year old single women so i am sure it was nothing i have done. what is going to be done about this problem it could be a dangerous situation if they were in the parking lot of a public place!!!!!!! *tr

2002 ford escape 4x4 55,000 miles while driving 70 mph on rt 95 the car suddenly appeared to have gone into neutral, although it was still in drive. luckily we were able to make it to the side of the road 100 miles from home. the car would not move in any gear and now requires a new transmission. there were no previous transmission problems and no warnings that anything might be wrong. *tr

In march 2004 while driving at a low rate of speed, i clipped the corner of a parked vehicle which caused my ford escape to overturn. no airbags deployed. in september 2009 while entering a freeway during a heavy rainstorm, driving at a low rate of speed, the escape hydro planed, slammed into the cement barrier rendering the vehicle useless. despite the vehicle having spun multiple times and being slammed into the barrier at such an impact the transmission dropped several inches, no airbags deployed. this vehicle was purchased new from butterfield ford in salt lake, at a cost of $22, 200. in the 5+ years of owning this vehicle, i spent more than $10,000 in repairs - for a brand new vehicle. despite my pleas to the dealer ship, i was never provided any remedy. despite a dpf sensor going out 3 times and only being covered once by warranty, calipers going out and then brakes shortly after the vehicles warranty expires which ford will not cover despite the calipers having just been replaced. the exhaust manifold, the latch to the tail gate did not work. this vehicle was a lemon and ford never even tried to provide a remedy. my primary concern, the air bags did not deploy despite the vehicle turning over during the first accident nor when i hit a cement barrier with such force the transmission dropped several inches. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford escape. the contact sated that the transmission failed. the contact stated that the transmission did not show signs of slipping before it failed. the vehicle was inspected by a certified technician who stated that the core of the transmission had failed. the vin was not available. the failure and current mileages were 130,000.

While driving, usually first thing in morning, the rpm's will rev up to approx. 2000. the vehicle becomes harder to stop... *tr

Transmission failure at 104,000 miles. *tr

My family and i were driving along the insterstate with cruise controll set at 75 mph. we were going up a small hill and about to go into the passing lane. the car sounded like the transmission slipped in over drive and the rpms went through the roof. we were able to coast to the side of the road. we turned the vehicle off for serveral minutes and then turned it back on. the oil pressure light flickered on and off and the engine made a horrible screeching noise. we checked the oil and it was full. the car had to be towed to the mechanic were he then informed us that the car needed a new engine. he stated the the catalytic convereted had gone out causing the engine to fail. the car also will need a new transmission. the total cost to fix this is around $8000.00. i contacted ford today to tell them what had happened and they stated that there was nothing they could do since the car had not been serviced at a ford service station consistantly since the car was first purchased and that they have had no other similiar complaints with this vechile. after researching online i have found many similar complaints where ever one has seemed to contact ford and they say the same things to them. i also have had some smaller problems with this vehicle like the engine light going on and the emergency break light going on and brought them in to the shop and have had to replace the sensors. right now i am not able to replace the vehicle due to finicial reasons.

Vehicle will not shift into any gear except park. *tr

Transmission failure, apparently a recurring problem with the ford 2001-2004 escape suv. this one is a 2002 and did not leave me stranded, i managed to get it to the dealership. others (hundreds++) on the web were stranded on major highways. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford escape. while driving 60 mph, the accelerator pedal went down to the floor and would not release. the contact was able to place the vehicle into second gear. the vehicle was towed to the dealer and they stated that the cruise control cable failed and jammed the throttle cover. the transmission became damaged when the contact shifted into reverse gear. the manufacturer may not be able to assist. on november 25, 2007, the vehicle was taken to the dealer due to reverse. the dealer cleaned the throttle body, flushed the injectors, and cleaned the upper intake gasket and spark plugs. the fuel filters, coil boots, and ignitions wires were replaced. the current and failure mileages were 62,000. the consumer stated the battery light comes on while driving, replace fuel filter, and a/c is not blowing cold. updated 03/31/08 *tr

This will be the second time i have to replace the brake pads and rotors, not to mention that from day one my wheels have been covered in black dust from the brakes, and im told this is normal. the major problem has been the transmission. i can not tell you how many times i've taken it in to be looked at and called and complained to ford with no help at all. since day one (my car was brand new) the automatic transmission made noises as though it was stuck when it should be smoothly shifting gears. each time i took it in noone heard anything...until my warrantee was up then things were heard. lets see i've paid for engine flushes, spark plug changes, fluid checks, reset calibraitons, i've never missed an oil or filter change and it progressively is getting worse. i've read lots of other complaints from ford owners regarding the same problem. so if we all are having the same issue, why isn't ford held accountable to fix this??????? *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford escape. the contact stated that the vehicle would loose power when at a stop. in addition, she was unable to depress the brakes unless the idle was low. the dealer replaced the alternator and the battery on two occasions; however, the failure continued to occur. there is a recall for the power train: automatic transmission: control module (nhtsa campaign id # 04v165000) however, the manufacturer stated her vin was not included. the failure mileage was 100,000 and current mileage was 107,447.

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

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 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.

My low miles - 2002 ford escape almost killed my wife on saturday. the differential went on my 2002 ford escape premium edition (not worth the extra money) and almost through the vehicle off the road. it has been reported while it was under warranty and they kept changing the transmission fluid. ferrario ford of elmira heights ny claims that that was the right thing to do when it was under warranty. now it is going to cost $4000 to fix and no one is accepting responsibility for almost killing my wife with their negligence or paying for it because it has the lowest warranty in the biz. if you have a similar story i'd love to hear it: [email protected] or 315-491-9629. henry willcox. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated while driving 40 mph, the vehicle stalled. it was maneuvered off the road and restarted however, the vehicle would not accelerate past 20 mph and stalled again when the brake pedal was depressed. the vehicle was towed to the dealer who determined the pcm, six ignition coils and six spark plugs needed to be replaced.

Transmission failure after 4 years and 10 months at 64,000 miles. *tr

Ford 02 escape. value body transmission issues, metal shavings in transmission fluid, car only 4 years, 80k highway miles. car maintenance kept up. two ford dealerships telling me it could cost 1 to $2000 to fix. ford company would not help. can provide control number. dealership will not take responsibility. this has to be a manufacture issue. dtc codes tested po741 & p1744. control# 14998722626. please help. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated the transmission failed suddenly without warning while driving 72 mph. the vehicle was towed to a dealership who determined the transmission needed to be replaced. there were no problems with the vehicle prior to the incident. updated 9/15/2006 - *nm

Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle stalled numerous times while traveling at various speeds. on 08/24/06, the vehicle was taken to an independent repair shop who determined that the automatic transmission module was not operating correctly. there was a nhtsa recall, #04v165000, regarding the power train: automatic transmission: control module (tcm, pcm). the vehicle was not included in the recall due to the vin.

For the past 3 months, while decelerating to stop, my vehicle will cut off, also occurring when i decelerate in busy traffic. on one instance while pulling across a highway, my vehicle stalled and i was almost hit in the side by an oncoming car because i could not get the car started again. *jb

I own a 2002 ford escape and was driving on the freeway when the overdrive off light started flashing. i pulled over ,but was not able to reengage the overdrive. continued the commute home and the transmission started shifting roughly, and then the check engine light came on. i was able to drive it to the dealer, where they told me i would needed a new transmission. i took it, ,,(by this point the vehicle wasn't driveable and had to have it towed to a transmission shop near my home. they stated that i would need a new transmission, and that this seemed to be a common occurrence for ford escapes. they said that a vehicle at 90000 mileage should not have the extensive kind of transmission damage that this vehicle did.*ak

Dt: the contact stated while driving at 50 mph the vehicle felt as though it shifted into neutral. he turned on the hazard lights and pulled the vehicle over to the side of the road. the vehicle was then towed to the dealership. they replaced numerous parts in the transmission. the vehicle is operating correctly at this time. *ak updated 12/7/2005. *nm