Problems with 2003 Ford Escape STRUCTURE

2003 ford escape. consumer writes in regards to corrosion of the subframe lower control arm recall notice repairs and seeks reimbursement. *smd the consumer stated six months after the recall was performed, his wife heard a terrible noise and the vehicle became impossible to steer. the consumer arrived to where his wife was and did an inspection, and discovered the frame on the passenger side was completely rusted through and broken in half. the next day, a mechanic inspected the vehicle and found the front cross member was rusted out and broken on the passenger side and the vehicle was unsafe to drive. the consumer was informed he was not entitled to reimbursement, because the lower control arm separated from the subframe after the recall was performed. *jb

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford escape. the contact heard a constant noise coming from the front of the vehicle near the wheels. the dealer stated that the vehicle was included in nhtsa campaign number: 14v165000 (structure). the dealer provided the recall remedy of a newly designed cross brace as an interim repair, but the noise failure recurred. within three months, the power steering failed. the front passenger side wheel was leaning due to the fact that the lower control arm fractured. the subframe was rusted to the point of corrosion. the dealer was notified of the failures. the vehicle was towed to an independent repair shop for diagnostic testing. the vin was not available. the approximate failure mileage was 120,000.

Seems we own a ford escape 2003 which needs a cross brace for the sub frame. the reason for the recall is that the sub frame corrodes and the brace will keep the two sides from breaking apart and splitting them into two halves. that is because it can rust and break. the top of the sub frame of the ford escape is rusted and looks very unsafe. ford would not replace the whole sub frame because it does not effect where they can attach the brace. problem solved ford will not cover the top of the sub frame only the bottom where the brace is installed. question 1: would you or the owner of the ford corp have his daughter and/or his grand daughter drive down rte. 495 doing 65 mph with a rusted-out top sub frame? question 2: i have a brand new ford escape 2014. how long are the iron frame parts of the car good? should i sell it at 5 years or 6? i know that 10 years is too long. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford escape. while driving approximately 15 mph, the subframe fractured. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the subframe needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 122,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford escape. the contact received a recall notice for nhtsa campaign number: 14v165000 (structure: frame and members). the contact took the vehicle to the dealer to have it repaired according to the recall. the mechanic installed a newly designed reinforcement cross-brace; however, the mechanic could not complete a front end alignment due to an excessive amount of corrosion present. the front end alignment was an enforced procedure per the manufacturer, which was included in the remedy for the recall. the manufacturer was notified and informed the contact that nothing could be done. the contact had not experienced the failure listed in the recall; however, the steering became affected due to the recall. the failure mileage was unknown.

this vehicle is part of the ford recall 14s02 (nhtsb #14v165000 ). i had the recall directed cross-brace installed in june 2014 (3 months ago). i was turning a corner at about 5-10 mph, heard a pop in the right front of the car and then heard a scraping sound and had difficulty steering. i had the vehicle towed to the dealership who found that the cross-brace had failed because the subframe gave way. i was told that the brace was only to provide an envelope of safety if the subframe failed but it was not meant to prevent frame failure or correct frame weakness. i was also told that the subframe repair was not covered as part of the recall and that the repair would cost about $2000. i don't think that a quality vehicle would have a frame failure after only 10 years. i think this is a design flaw and that similar to toyota, ford is trying to say they put in a fix but not really fix the real problem. i believe that my frame was severely weakened before the cross-brace was installed and that the subframe should have been replaced instead of the patch fix designed in the recall which ford admitted to me was only to help prevent injuries, not to fix a known design problem. you would think the mechanics would want to protect customers from potentially lethal structural failures. maybe they do but management is only concerned with profits. failing to stand behind the quality of their product will cost ford; they certainly have lost me. *tr

On june 9 2014, i took my escape to the ford dealer to have recall 14s02 performed. we had recently purchased the car and had gotten the recall notice. the service writer called me to say that "the car wasn't safe to drive" because of the rust spots that had eaten through the engine cradle. he warned me that if this went unrepaired, the frame could collapse under the weight of the engine. he reassured me that he was working with ford to replace the engine cradle as part of the recall. he took pictures (twice) of the car and submitted them and a request to ford for the repair. on july 13 2014, more than a month later, the service writer let me know that ford had rejected the repair claim, saying that "they didn't think the rust was significant, it was surface rust, and the car was actually safe to drive." the dealer installed a bracket across the bottom of the rusty cradle. i understand that the bracket is part of the recall. i picked the car up on july 14 2014 and was told that it was safe and not to worry about the rust. we subsequently spent over $1,500 making other repairs to the car, believing it was a good investment. less than 2 months later, on september 5 2014, my daughter experienced a catastrophic failure of the engine cradle, bending the drive axle on the passenger side and rendering the car unable to drive. the service writer had been correct, it was unsafe to drive and it did fail. we had the car towed to the nearest dealer. on september 9 2014, i was told that ford had again rejected the claim to repair the (broken) engine cradle. this time, the reason given was "they had already done the recall" that was meant to address the cradle damage from rust. i have appealed the rejection through ford customer care and through the special services group and they continue to reject the repair. i would like ford to repair the vehicle at their expense. *tr

At a slow speed, steering all of the sudden became erratic. it could not be driven, so my local dealer took a look at it. he is a certified ford mechanic. he said the subframe was damaged and it was directly related to the recall #14s02 which is for a crossbar to the subframe due to a potential loss of steering. we had to have it towed to the only ford dealership in our area, oneonta ford. the put the crossbar in and performed only the specific recall work. they are telling me now that it still cannot be driven as the subframe is damaged. this is directly related to the issue and the recall. i don't feel i should have to pay for this. oneonta ford is not doing the right thing. *tr

2003 ford escape. consumer writes in regards to waiting for vehicle parts to come in. *smd

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford escape. the contact stated that while driving 40 mph, the subframe became separated from the passenger side wheel area and also became bent. the power steering assist also failed, which caused the vehicle to veer to the right and slide. the vehicle was towed to a dealer, but there was no diagnostic testing performed. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 123,000.

I am writing about a recall for my ford escape. this recall included the front control arms and the subframe. they were being recalled for corrosion on the control arms and if separated from the subframe it could cause significant steering loss and loss of control of the car and increasing chance of an accident. i took my car in for the recall fix, they installed a reinforcement part and sent me on my way. after this, slowly, my steering wheel started becoming cock-eyed. after driving it like that for a few days,i noticed that after i take a left turn the car would jerk as the steering wheel straightened. i immediately called the ford dealer that fixed the recall, since the recall clearly stated that it could lose steering control and asked them to look at it again, thinking that he recall was not fixed properly or something else to do with the recall is failing. they looked at it and said that the subframe is corroded and it has nothing to do with the recall. and that it would cost 1800 dollars to fix. i asked why it wasn't included in the recall since the steering is effected, they said that the subframe wasn't included. i have read several documents about this recall and several of them state that the subframe is included. so i called ford customer care, they stated that the recall only included the subframe if the control arm separated from it before the recall was fixed not after. i think this is so unfair, since clearly the subframe was corroded when they did the recall fix. they had to have seen that, just because it wasn't separated at the time doesn't mean it shouldn't be included. anyway, i ended up taking it to my own mechanic who can fix it for alot less, but it is still costing me 1400 dollars!! i can't afford it, can something be done about this, i think it should be fixed for free, and that the sub frame should be included. please help, thanks. recall 14s02. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford escape. the contact stated that the frame was rusted. the contact mentioned that she felt her vehicle was unsafe to be driven. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the failure mileage was 56,000. updated 9/19/14*cn updated 2/20/2015 *js

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford escape. the contact stated that the steering wheel became difficult to maneuver. additionally, the contact stated that the lower control arm fractured. the vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the sub frame failed. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure and current mileage was 102,000.

2003 ford escape. consumer writes in regards to lower control arm corrosion recall notice problems. *smd the dealer informed the consumer, the parts were not available and that was in may. the dealer stated to call back in july. to date, the recall has not been fixed. the consumer referenced recall # 14v165000. *jb

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford escape. after the vehicle was repaired according to nhtsa campaign number: 14v165000 (structure), it was discovered that the front passenger side subframe was corroded and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired and the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 164,429. updated 10/01/14 *bf updated 1/7/2015 *js

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford escape. the contact stated while driving approximately 45 mph, the front end of the vehicle began to shake violently which caused a loss of steering. the contact was able to regain control and maneuvered to the side of the road. the vehicle was towed first to an independent mechanic and then authorized dealer. the technician informed that the passenger's side engine cradle was completely rusted. there was a voluntary recall issued by the manufacturer related to a newly designed engine cradle cross member bracket. the vehicle was repaired under the recall and the problem persisted. the remedy failed to correct the problem. the vehicle had not been repaired for the most recent failure. the manufacturer was notified of the defect. the approximate failure mileage was 150,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford escape. the contact stated that the vehicle was included in nhtsa campaign id number: 14v165000 (suspension-lower control arm regional) and was taken to the dealer for repairs. the dealer confirmed that there were rust holes on the surface of the frame and made an interim repair, which included attaching a cross member and support bar to the subframe. the contact stated that shortly after the recall repairs were performed, the vehicle would exhibit an abnormal popping noise from the front end. the contact was traveling approximately 25 mph and attempting to complete a turn when the loud, popping noise was heard. the lower control arm became detached from the subframe on the front passenger's side. the vehicle then began to shake violently and the contact was not able to control the steering wheel. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where it was diagnosed that the entire subframe needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was notified of the failure multiple times. the approximate failure mileage was 121,716.

I have entered the vin correctly but your system doesn't recognize it. first flat tire in the 10 years i have owned car purchased new. jack, jack tools and temporary spare never used before.. following owner's manual instructions, jack does not raise vehicle high enough to remove original equipment wheel and specified standard-size tire. attempted flat repair on flat paved surface. i have 50 years experience working on automobiles.this flaw could be life-threatening if someone is trying to replace a flat tire in dangerous conditions (darkness, weather, dangerous location,medical emergency). the jack works mechanically and lifted the right rear corner of the vehicle but lacked 4 to 6 inches of lifting vehicle high enough to remove wheel. this is a factory defect and not an incompetent user. jack was positioned as shown in manual. my first car was a 1931 model a ford and this is the first time i have encountered an oem jack that wouldn't work at least once. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford escape. the contact noticed that the subframe was fractured. the dealer diagnosed that the subframe needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired under nhtsa campaign number: 14v165000 (structure). the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 116,994. updated 3/12/15*cn updated 9/11/2017*cn

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford escape. the contact stated that the rear driver side interior door was corroded and as a result, exhaust fumes were emitting into the vehicle. the vehicle had not been repaired or diagnosed. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 82,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford escape. the contact stated that the front end exhibited a loud noise as the front passenger's side front wheel separated. the vehicle was taken to the mechanic for inspection. the failure was located at the front sub frame and lower control arm, which were both determined to be corroded. as a result, the front passenger's side wheel separated from the vehicle. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure and current mileage was 68,000.

While that vehicle was being operated; decelerating from about 35 mph, a very loud pop noise was heard and the front passenger side became unstable and steering became unreliable. vehicle was stopped immediately. upon initial inspection is appears that the wheel became partially detached from vehicle. after a thorough inspection is appears that the rear mounting bolt of the front passenger side control arm had detached from the sub-frame. this part of the sub-frame show excessive corrosion which led to the failure of the control arm mounting point. as a result of the failure the vehicle lost all ability to maintain effective stability. luckily the vehicle was already decelerating and being operated on a roadway that had sufficient room to make corrective measure otherwise the outcome of this failure easily could have been catastrophic and fatal. the vehicle has less than 100,000 miles. the body and other parts of the frame do not have significant amounts of rust. *tr

2003 ford escape . subframe rotted and control arm came off. left passenger. *tr

Left work and driving on a back road at 15 mph and was approaching a stop sign, applied the brakes and heard a loud snap/pop. the right side of the vehicle instantly slammed down/dropped to the road; steering locked; i had no control over the vehicle; slid a few feet and stopped. the passenger tire was pinned between the ground and the vehicle. the axle was hanging and the sub frame was visible. it was clear that the subframe had literally snapped at a weld joint without warning. weld joint snapped on subframe. this vehicle is only 9yrs w/70k miles and mostly garaged; a major safety concern. this would have worse at high rate of speed, if not fatal. vehicle then towed to a ford dealership. i requested to have a ford rep review the case. the dealership told me i had to call ford. after calling, they then told me i had to request this through the dealership, but gave me a case number. the dealership then informed me that ford were not interested in reviewing the vehicle and wouldn't do anything and that i had call ford. i called ford back who escalated my case and an acct mgr called me back who explained there was nothing they could do at this time. over 1100 in repairs are required due to a faulty frame. i asked repeatedly that this particular subframe failure be investigated as a quality/mfg problem and i requested an investigation and informed the company of several other cases that log the same ??exact?? description and failure of the subframe. the company told me "keep my receipt". i stressed my dissatisfaction with how this was handled, but nothing could be done at this time. ford should at a min. issue a service bulletin to have the sub frame inspected to all of the escape owners, so failures can be avoided before they happen. this is from a very dissatisfied customer and will choose no longer to purchase any ford products, based on this experience. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford escape. the contact stated that while having routine maintenance performed on the vehicle, the mechanic informed the contact that the sub frame was rusted. the vehicle was repaired and the manufacturer was not notified. the approximate failure mileage was 110,000.

The ash gold paint is bubbling all over the outside roof rear door sides (all over) the car to include the interior. the roof has rusted and ford won't do anything. i went to two ford dealers in san diego and called ford direct. the passed me over to the highway safety admin hotline that told me to call ford, they will handle the complaint. everyday more paint peels off.

My wife's has a 2003 ford escape. we were driving luckily at a low speed when we heard a pop in the passenger front end and lost control of steering. the subframe on passenger side control arm popped and subframe is rotted. this should not happen to a vehicle that is only 10 years old. i saw that nhtsa did an investigation that deemed 2003 windstars unsafe do to the same exact problem safety recall notice 11s16. my wife is pregnant and if she was driving any faster and this had happened ford company could have put my wife and our baby in danger. i do not feel that i should have to pay for repairs on this vehicle when the same year vehicles have issues with them. my next contact is my lawyers office because if this would have happened to my wife the day before when we were on the freeway ford would be responsible for knowing other vehicles in the same year had the exact same issue. i do not want to see other people in danger and ford needs to step up and take responsibility for there vehicle defects. *tr

The vehicle was being operated on city streets. as the vehicle approached a stop sign the brakes were applied, a loud crash and screech was heard as the vehicle fell to the ground and tire was dragged along. the front passenger side control arm has come detached from the vehicle because the front sub-frame had failed. the vehicle had to be towed to the shop. the failure was reported to be caused by corrosion. the vehicle only has 94,160 miles on it. *tr

When i recently had my routine maintenance check on my vehicle i was horrified when my mechanic informed me that the front sub frame was rusted from the inside out! can you imagine my utter shock when my mechanic advised me that this vehicle is prohibited to be driven since catastrophic outcomes would be likely? how very fortunate nothing fatal took place while being in this vehicle; because based on the condition of the sub frame it could have been my reality to suffer detrimental consequences. my young children are in this suv every single day and to think their lives were at risk just by being a passenger has sickened me beyond words. i had no other choice but to get it repaired asap, so i informed the customer relationship center of ford motor company as instructed by their website and all they could do was apologize for any inconvenience. this frightening situation goes far beyond from being an inconvenience it could have been a major life threatening issue. i was not asking ford for a new vehicle, i simply was asking for assistance towards a major expense that was not caused by my lack of protecting my major investment with routine maintenance checks but by ford having defective sub-frames installed in their vehicles. my mechanic has never seen such a structural defect as this ever before! ford has already manufactured vehicles that involved major recalls for the exact same problem, so quite naturally other ford models could suffer the same dangerous consequences with regards to the front sub frame . i believe an investigation on this horrific issue is deemed a necessity due to the history of ford's sub frames. this has been very devastating to me and i can't imagine allowing another consumer to endure this major fear. your attention to this is appreciated. *tr

On both sides of my car just above the tires the paint has peeled off and has started to rust. *tr

The exterior paint is peeling off in large pieces. starting to rust. *tr

Paint of ford escape 2003 peeling on the front. there are two large spots about 1 square foot each. i have called ford in greenville, sc few times but to no avail. this problem started about 4 years ago with two 3/8 of an inch size flakes. the suv has been garaged and has been taken good care of however now the paint is flaking with sections at a time. i have researched and have seen the exact same model with the same problem. at one point i have attempted to enter another ford escape assuming it was my car because of the similarity with the paint. there are several discussions about this problem: http://www.edmunds.com/ford/escape/2003/consumer-discussions.html my concern is that ford has failed to remediate this issue with its active customer base and i believe it should be noted as gross negligence. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford escape. while driving 25 mph, the low sub frame on the passenger side separated from the vehicle and the contact lost control of the vehicle. a local mechanic diagnosed that the sub frame failed due to rust. the dealer and manufacturer denied any assistance with repairs to the vehicle. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 70,000. the vin was unavailable.

My car is a part of a recall for rust and the lower control arm, but i think that scope is too narrow. my escape has rusted wheel wells and a rusted gas tank cover that i can see. i have also ready had to replace anti-lock brakes for rust, along with the exhaust system and all of its parts, the front lower control arms, sway bar links and all parts of the oil pan. all of this is due to rust. this was at the mileage of 58,465. i still have less than 80,000 miles but i am afraid to drive my car the 90 miles from my home to the jersey shore. *tr

We have a 2003 ford escape limited. the paint has started peeling off around the hatch at the back. it's just bubbling up for no apparent reason. we have never abused the car and it still has less than 70,000 miles on it. *tr

Paint defective on 2003 ford escape with gold ash paint. peeling around back window and 3 large patches, over 6" in diameter, on roof. *tr

The paint is peeling around the wheel wells and has started to rust; causing possible instability to the body of the car. i did some research online and this seems to be a common problem in 2003 ford escapes. can something be done? there were some claims that ford improperly prepared the escape for painting. please advise. *tr

My ford escape is rusting above the back wheels i also noticed the same rust on similar models and years of the escape is there a recall there should be. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford escape. the contact stated that she noticed a leakage on her driveway. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and they informed her that the brake hose fractured and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer had not been notified. in addition, the contact mentioned that the lift gate would not open. the vehicle had not been inspected by a dealer nor had it been repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 109,000.

Paint peeling prematurely on 2003 ford escape. *tr

Paint is peeling from the roof and two spots on the tailgate. the service manager at sloan ford in exton, pa wouldn't even look at it. a rep from ford advised that a dealer should look at it. the service manager at kennedy ford collision in conshohocken pa was kind enough to look at the vehicle and confirm that it is defective. ford declined assistance. the ford rep would not admit that there is a defect despite advising me that ford service managers have superior expertise in evaluating failures. *tr

2003 ford limited gold escape paint peeling and bubbling on hatch and above front window. ford will do nothing when i called since there is no recall on this paint issue. *tr

2003 ford escape ... paint peeling on roof around sun roof opening. *tr

The paint on my ash gold 2003 ford escape has started to bubble and peel away from the metal body parts. doors, hood, rear hatch and a large spot on the roof just behind the moon roof window. this is not something you can touch up. the paint is literally peeling off of the primer which then quickly erodes to expose the metal which starts to rust. there are hundreds of complaints on this spanning several years and several ford models. in this age where we have to keep cars longer, this is a terrible thing to discover - the company simply can't figure out how to paint a car!!! i am the second owner and bought from the original owner. he pointed out the peeling but we both thought it could be touched up as he had been doing for a couple years. the roof was not looked at until i was working on the roof rack. this is the worst case and is not going to get fixed by any touch up paint. *tr

We own a 2003 ford escape suv. the paint is peeling of the back tailgate. this car has been garage and only has 80,000 miles. this paint should not peel off like this. the dealer said i could pay $300 to have it repainted. *tr

Paint peeling down to bare metal on roof of vehicle with paint blistering elsewhere. exposed bare metal rusting due to exposure to elements. attempting resolution via dealer but no help at this time. *tr

Paint peeling off the roof and rear tailgate of vehicle. brought the vehicle into the dealer. body shop inspected and reported that it needed to be repainted. internet search shows that this is not an uncommon event and that it has to do with improper prep or parts used. *tr

Paint peeling -- delaminating -- from roof of 2003 ford escape xlt, color code c2. area is above junction of roof and windshield. body shop verified condition a result of bad primer. ford notified as well as two oklahoma city-area dealers -- overall ford and bob moore ford. no resolution from ford as of yet. *tr

I purchased a ford escape 2003 on july 2008. last month i noticed the leather interior loosened from all four doors. i would like to know is this a factory defect. *tr

Paint is peeling off on the drivers side back under the hatch window and on top of the vehicle just behind the sun roof. this vehicle has 74k miles and is garaged. from nov. 2002 - feb. 2005 it was even in parking garage while i worked. i take great care of my vehicle and it has never been in an accident. i have read a lot of other people are having the exact same problem in the exact same place on the same make, model and year. i called ford and they don't care!!! it is out of warranty and there is no recall.. what can i do? *tr