Problems with 2011 Ford Escape POWER TRAIN

Transfer case overheating and dumping lubricant on transmission/drivers side axle spraying all over.

Escape would not start on 10/14/19. made clicking noise but would not turn over. checked battery which indicated low voltage. replaced battery on 10/15/19. on 10/17/19, attempted to start car. all lights came on but no sound was heard and engine would not turn over. checked new battery which was within limits. checked symptoms online and found issue to be faulty neutral safety switch. upon further search, found numerous owners of 2008-2012 ford escape and mercury mariners have the same issue. would like to know why this is not a factory recall if it is happening this often.

I was driving my 2011 ford escape limited edition and on the highway when i was going at a great amount of speed the vehicle shuts down completely the dash went black and the steering wheel locked up and everything i was able to stop i restarted car it started back up

Ford part bl8z-7251-a in 2001-2012 escape/mercury mariner/mazda tribute,& similarly designed ford explorer,edge, taurus, and several mazda--all wheel drive and 4x4 models are made with known defective transfercases/automoblie design. the engine exhaust is placed too close to the gear case which dries the lubricant within (12 oz.). massive bearing failure can occur at any moment destroying the transfer case, causing a lockup condition, the case or drive shaft can break free and result in a crash.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 ford escape. the contact stated that the power train indicator illuminated while driving various speeds. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact to call the dealer. the failure mileage was approximately 98,000. *bf vehicle was taken to valley ford (waverly, oh) where the throttle body was replaced under the manufacturer's warranty. consumer noticed that the air filter hose kept coming off because it was too short. consumer stretched the hose to keep it from coming off. consumer states that this might be the cause of the throttle body failure. *dl

My 2011 ford escape xlt 2.5l is stalling while driving, stopped, turning. the rpm's are jumpy. car stalls with foot on the gas in mid drive! replaced the canister purge valve as diagnosed. not the fix.

Transmission broke while flat towing.

Flat towing, all four wheels on ground, smoke coming out from under hood, towed in to dealership, told transmission was burned up. it could have caught on fire if let go. 86986 miles on 2011 escape. have been flat towing behind motorhome for more than four years. ford motor company should stand behind this.

I bought an rv last year and decided to pull it behind my rv. i checked the owners manual for instructions on what procedure in needed to do to pull my 2011 ford escape on all four wheels behind my rv and so i followed the manual instructions and did so. well i got about 300 miles from my house and the transmission burns up! i have contacted fmco and they are given me the run around and not wanting to take full responsibility for my transmission which i totally disagree because i followed the manual instructions.

This will be the second time i am replacing wheel bearing in the front driver side wheel. this causes the wheel to shake. i cant afford to continue to put money into a vehicle with such low miles and every 6 months. also rear wiper motor burnt out due to a leaky seal or poor seal from ford.

Transmission had to be replaced at 128000.miles and cost us 3500.00 and we only owned it for less than a year

Shift solanoid problems where the vehicle does not shift. ford does not have these parts on hand and are on back order until mid october 2018. why? because too many escape vehicles are having this issue. a recall needs to conducted on this issue and ford needs to step up and replace these solanoids.

Car jerks,lags,bucks on acceleration. does not shift smoothly. does not happen all the time.

This vehicle is bucking and jolting going uphill on a level surface. it feels like someone has hit me from behind. it is not not shifting at all the way it is suppose to. there are many other complaints on this same year and model vehicle with the same exact symptoms. this is not vin.related in any sense. this is a ongoing problem with this particular vehicle.

Lost steering while vehicle was in motion on a city street. power has cut out on many occasions

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 ford escape. while starting the vehicle, the engine independently revved. the vehicle was taken to the local dealer (norris ford, 901 merritt blvd, baltimore, md 21222) where it was diagnosed that the throttle body failed and the power train control module needed to be updated. the vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. the manufacturer was not notified. the failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

While driving at about 30 mph, my car just lost power and began coasting. the only lights or indicators on the dash was the wrench symbol. the car would start up again and run but it repeated the loss of power several times...at any speed, at any time! (25-65mph) twice on the highway in fast traffic! went to the ford dealer by me and they repaired the throttle control/power train module at no cost to me. apparently a recall was in place. this was a particular problem with many ford vehicles i found out while doing research! this was in sept/oct of 2015 and today it has happened to me again...twice in one hour. (may 22, 2017) my 2011 ford escape v6 is now back at the same dealer. i am being told that i will have to pay for all diagnostic checks and the labor and parts. i should not have to be dealing with this same exact issue only 19 months later. i was told that the dealership was booked solid for two days and they could get me in on the third day. i am single and on partial disability and cannot afford a huge bill for the car or to miss work. certainly not with something that i did not cause. this is the second time with the exact same issue! i have all of the necessary maintenance done on my vehicle and take excellent care of it. if need be, the dealer has all of my original information on the work and repairs and they have my vehicle now and i am hoping that they will get to look at it today. they said that i could rent a car too! only $30 a day! not! please help! [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).'*jb

I was driving 50 mph and the car stalled with not warning. the "wrench light" or throttle body/powertrain light came on. i coasted to a person's driveway as there was no shoulder to pull off to. i turned off the car and turned it back on. all lights turned off and car ran fine. mechanics can't find problem or error code and i'm scared to drive my new vehicle.

This 2011 ford escape is my son's car. we bought the car used in 2015. the car currently has 69,000 miles. in april 2017 my son complained of the car surging while stopped at a light. we drove the car that night and could not get it to duplicate this issue. a month later he called me and stated the car surged again while stopped in a turn lane. he made it to a side street but within 50 yards the car came to a screeching stop. the car would not move. ended up with a seized transmission. we replaced the transmission in may 2017. within a week the car is now becoming unresponsive and still surging while stopped. he has to turn the car off and back on to gain control of the car again. when stopped the car engine is shutting down. today the vehicle surged forward while at a stop. today i researched this problem online and came across the electronic throttle body issue in ford escapes including the 2011 model. i feel that this etb issue was the direct cause of the seizure of the transmission on this car. i spent $2500 on a new transmission and still have an issue with the car acting the same was as before. this is a very dangerous malfunction on a car driven by an 18 year old. he could have easily surged into another car or pedestrian. a recall was the only solution the nhtsa should have accepted from ford on this issue. i would like to be reimbursed the $2500 for the new transmission that this faulty part has caused.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 ford escape. while accelerating from a traffic light, the accelerator pedal was depressed and the contact heard an abnormal noise underneath the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that there were metal fragments in the fluid in the transfer case. the contact was informed that the transfer case needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified and provided case number: cas12279241. the approximate failure mileage was 118,000. the vin was not available.

Bought 2011 ford escape xlt used 5-27-2016 (private sale, chicago il). upon purchase, serviced at milwaukee area ford dealership, found front control arms & bushings torn/loose. next, front sway bars, outer tie rod ends, brakes and rotors needed replacement. in oct. 2016 engine/transmission major issues: leaking oil and trans fluid -no oil lamp or check engine light- car would run out of oil, pulled over added more. trans slipping during accel/weak accel. hard shifting w/high rpms. rough idle. ticking noise under hood when brakes applied. 12-6-2016 ford dealership replaced gaskets & seals in engine & transmission- $2,000 repair. upon driving car, issues continue, new issues present: trans slipping worse/bucking, car not accelerating when gas pedal depressed, car stalling in traffic, car lurching forward, car losing gasoline/smelling of gasoline. broke down 12-8-2016 in parking lot due to fuel leak. contacted aaa roadside assistance, returned to dealership, turned away. fire dept cleared car for towing, fire hazard. researched vin, found recall for fuel delivery modulator flange, and field service action for electronic throttle body. contacted ford customer support, verified recall for my vin. advised to not operate vehicle. area ford dealerships refused to diagnose w/o charging. a service manager at a mazda dealership diagnosed additional undisclosed repairs: a/c line ruptured, front driver's side sway bar snapped and control arm bushing separated; ford mechanic had also left bolts & hoses loose/unclamped in engine. steering and rear suspension deteriorating. returned to dealership once more- turned away. missed 1 month of work (driving is job). no rental provided, unwilling to reimburse. filed dealer complaint. filing consumer protection & disclosure lawsuit. seeking class action lawsuit against ford motor company. car is dangerous, i refuse to operate it. *tr

Driving and truck just cuts off. took it to the shop and first they thought it was a mass air flow sensor.. but the problem still happened. then it was said it might be throttle body. i just bought this car less than a month ago and already having major problems.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 ford escape. while driving at any speed, the rpms increased and the contact heard a clicking noise. afterwards, the vehicle accelerated on its own. the issue recurred numerous times. the manufacturer was notified. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 80,000.

Takata recall a light popped on while i was driving on a local city street a light that looks like a wrench and it is causing me hesitation while driving won't pick up speed or give any gas.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 ford escape. while driving approximately 25 mph, the vehicle shook and decelerated. the service engine now warning indicator illuminated. the contact had to coast the vehicle to the side of the road. the vehicle was turned off and restarted, but the failure recurred. the vehicle was repaired in november of 2015 per a manufacturer recall for the same failure. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer would not repair the vehicle a second time for the same failure. the nhtsa campaign number was unknown. the vin was invalid. the approximate failure mileage was 32,000.

I continue to have issues with the electronic throttle body (etb), up to and including the complete shutdown of the system. i am the original owner of this vehicle and have abided by all service recommendations for this make/model. the extended warranty on the etb runs out at 100k (vehicle currently at 75k). there are times the vehicle shifts so violently that one would believe they've been rear-ended. when i take my vehicle in to the dealership (5 times, 2 different dealerships), i'm told they re-program the system and to give it another 500 to 1000 miles for the system to relearn my driving habits. the "reboot" lasts between 800 to 1500 miles on average. i don't understand why the etb can't be replaced in its entirety at this point.

Power train , i was driving on i-4 and driving with the traffic and all of a sudden my car just starts to jerk and cuts off, needless to say i got off on side of the highway and turned car off. i was scared because i looked in my rear view mirror and i thought i was dead. i had to sit for a few minutes because i was scared to think i could have died today. researching it really angers me because this could and can be prevented. something needs to be done to get a recall. as for the car it started back up and got me home. i cannot say i am safe in my own car. this car is a death trap please call a recall before myself or anyone of the others gets killed.

Traveling at highway speed 70 mph vehicle loses all power. brought vehicle to autonation ford katy texas was told there was a electronic throttle body recall. asked dealership to fix and was told they could not unless vehicle replicated issue at the dealership. i feel the issue needs to be corrected as soon as possible do to future safety issues

While vehicle was traveling at 70 mph than all of a sudden loses power. brought vehicle to autonation ford katy and was told their is a recall for electronic throttle body. asked property to repair told they could not do so unless vehicle showed issue at the dealership. i think this is an unsafe practice and should be repaired asap.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 ford escape. while parked, the contact was walking to the rear of the vehicle to put luggage in the trunk and noticed the vehicle was rolling towards her. the contact dove to the ground on the side of the vehicle to avoid being hit. the vehicle rolled back and struck the pole to the building. there were no occupants in the vehicle. the air bags failed to deploy. a police report was not filed. the owner received injuries to her knee and back which did not require medical attention. the vehicle was not towed or taken to a dealer. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 36,000.

I was driving along the highway and my ride shuddered some and lost acceleration, my engine light came on then the wrench symbol came on and it has stayed on. it's giving a throttle/ powertrain error. i've done some research and i've seen a lot of complaints concerning this issue and was told to file a complaint. ford needs to issue a recall on this problem before someone gets seriously hurt or killed.

Driving car home after work - slowed down and stopped after traffic light change. pressed on accelerator and car shuddered would not accelerate. the wrench light came on and the car went into limp home mode. turned into parking lot and shut down and restarted engine. the engine rpm suddenly went to about 7000 rpm with the no push of the accelerator. engine eventually normalized and i was able to drive it the rest of the way home. my husband test drove the vehicle and the same thing happened to him with the car going non responsive into limp home mode. he troubleshot the issue to the throttle body. after removing the throttle body, cleaning it, and recalibrating , the issue disappeared. he is going to replace the part for safety since this issue happening at highway speed could become dangerous.

Driving to work my escape lost power and sputtered to a stop. the wrench light came on. i shut off the radio, fan and vehicle. the turned the vehicle back on and it resumed running. i see there are several complaints regarding this issue. hopefully, this will be my last or that a recall will come forward as this seems to be an ongoing issue with fords. *tr

While slowing to come to a complete stop in a turning lane behind two other vehicles, the subject vehicle's transmission slipped from gear and disengaged the engine. when the vehicles transmission reengaged the engines remaining torque not yet displaced, the vehicle lunged forward causing a lose of control and the brakes to lock up from attempting the braking action already taking place. the subject vehicle had previously been in the dealerships service dept. to have its transmission that previously and completely burnt its clutches out at only 14,775 miles driven. the symptoms of the transmission burning the clutches out was presenting itself in an increasing manner from around 5,000 miles. the newly rebuilt transmission failed at only 21,150 miles at the time of the total loss incident. *tr

Slowing down in my ford escape the transmission intermediately down shifts so hard that it shakes my car and makes a loud noise. have brought to the dealership 4 times and are not able to duplicate the intermediate problem. first time they reset some sort of chip in the transmission and it helped for only a short while. it does not happen all the time and is intermediate, the dealership does not drive it long enough to duplicate the problem. *tr

My 2011 escape transmission seemed to shift hard when slowing down at times. this would happen intermittently and did not cause a lot of problems when i first got it. it seemed to occur more frequently around the first of this year. i took it to a ford dealership (bill collins ford) to check the transmission. they kept it for several days before they even looked at it. the transmission needed software updates which i had to pay about $160 for. i had to take it back again a few months later and it was the same thing - needed a software update after they kept it several days again. there appears to be some type of problem with the transmission needing a software update so frequently.

While driving along my ford escape suddenly refused to accelerate, i was holding the gas to the floor and it wouldn't budge. it was idling strangely and surging. a wrench symbol appeared in the screen on the dash. i was on a hill and was unable to pull of the road. luckily, no one was behind me. i waited a few moments and restarted the escape, it went and then continued to decelerate once again. i will be taking this back to the dealership to be fixed. but i am very concerned, upon researching the issue i found many more complaints online. why hasn't this issue been recalled? it is highly dangerous and it is only a matter of time before the escape cuts off at the wrong time and gets someone killed. this needs to be addressed before it become an epidemic like the chevy cobalt. *tr

I was crossing a highway and when i stepped on the gas i had no power! just a few weeks before it was at ford for a torque and steering recall. when i called ford to inform them what happened they said i will have to pay $130 for them to diagnose it! i'm not happy with fords response. this is a real danger and they need to take it serious! *tr

While driving on the highway, i heard a sound similar to the car's automatic transmission downshifting. i looked down and saw that i had no acceleration as i pushed on the gas pedal. i stopped at a safe location and sat with the car idling for about a minute. during this time i noticed the rpms hunting at idle speed. i turned the car off. i restarted the car and the engine turned over a few more times than usual before it finally caught. after that, i had no other problems for the two more hours i drove it. this problem appears to be with the electronic throttle body giving either a false signal or temporarily losing signal. *tr

While entering a main artery of traffic from a side road, during the acceleration between 35-45mph, the transmission disengaged from the engine. the engine, not being subject to transferring energy to the transmission began to gain rpm exceedingly faster on its own with the operators foot still only applying the equal force applicable to normally execute the entrance on to the main road. the transmission regained traction with the engine and the vehicle suffered a violent lunge forward than disengaged once more and repeated the same again with the disengage and lunge forward. the operator was able to drive the vehicle around the block at no more than 10mph around the block to garage the vehicle and call ford to report the incident. *tr

As i was driving my car lost it throttle. the engine continued to run but i had no ability to accelerate. i pulled the car over. turned it off, then back on and the car appeared to show no issues. about two weeks later the issue appeared again. same solution. from my research this appears to be a common issue and could very much endanger anyone in the vehicle. *tr

Entered left turn lane to approach off ramp, truck stalled. appx 40mph. turned off and restarted, drove home. had noticed jumping response from idle to reverse to drive, particularly upon first ignition of day, for about a week. have contacted dealership for repair of noted throttle body issue, which is scheduled for 1 week from today. *tr

While driving at 71 mph with the cruise control on, i noticed a slowing down feeling, the cruise control light went off, the wrench light illuminated. i pulled to the berm. i turned off the engine. according to the manual it was the throttle. it took 2 tries to restart car, the wrench light went off. a ford dealership was 5 min. from incident. according to invoice, they performed throttle body update. i was told if the light came on again, it might need a throttle body. i asked if they could perform the work, they stated without the light being on, they couldn't do the work under the warranty. meanwhile i was over 200 miles from home, and needed to get home. it felt so unsafe for 5hours of driving. the car has surges of power, downshifts with jolts, and clunking sounds when it does shift. this is how it drove from the beginning, i began to think it was normal so never reported it. also, since the work was done i noticed the rpms at idling are high, i can pull into the garage without putting my foot on the gas the rpms are at 2 at 30 miles an hour, same as at 70 miles an hour. i'm contacting ford about the rules of the warranty and how unsafe it feels to drive the vehicle. how many accidents, deaths will it take to get the real work done, not a patch up job. *tr

I was driving along the highway at 70 mph, when i felt a 'clunk'. the engine lost power and the 'wrench' light lit up. i was able to get the car to the shoulder of the road. i then turned the engine off, waited a couple minutes and then re-started the engine. the 'wrench' light did not return. i do not feel it is safe to drive until this issues is resolved. *tr

At 11 pm i was driving down the road at 55 mph and i thought my car had shut off because i noticed i didn't have any power. i turned down the radio to hear for the engine but heard nothing. i had enough speed to coast to a safe lighted area to investigate what was happening, come to find out that my car was running but no throttle to make it move. a warning symbol showed up and it was a lighted wrench but i had no idea what that was until i dug out my owners manual the next day. i turned the key off, restarted the escape and moved on my way. i traveled approx. 2 more miles at a slower speed and i lost speed with the wrench light appearing as well as the service engine soon light turning on. i was approaching a stop sign when this occurred. i turned the car off and back on again and was able to make it the additional 1/2 miles to my home. doing research i see that i am not the only person that is having this same issue. i bought this vehicle used in june with 32,365 miles, this is the last thing i expected to happen with a newer vehicle. please advise if this is considered a recall. thank you! *tr

Had no problems until now! parked car at my office and 2 hours later wanting to leave and did not make it out of the parking lot. the gas pedal would not get power; but all other components appeared working fine. turned the car off and re-started; within seconds same thing happen. i was ready to go on a 3 hour trip in morning on a busy interstate and now i am afraid to go since i do not want to get run over (have to go through much interstate construction. this powertrain failure is not safe and creates hazardous conditions on the road for everyone. even with 50 miles per hour in a construction zone; it is very dangerous loosing the powertrain in a one land-bumper to bumper traffic with heavy trucks behind you. picture yourself in this situation. i am certainly afraid to go on my business trip in the morning. like guess people have to die first before ford is taking some recall action! my car is regular maintained; this was not expected at all! i will not buy a ford again! *tr

The transmission locked up in the center lane of hwy 50 leading into sacramento ca. the ford came to a stop in high speed traffic and we were nearly hit from behind. we were stranded there for about a half an hour waiting for a tow truck to arrive. the ford had to be dragged up onto the car hauler. the wheels would not roll. *tr

I was driving on the freeway going approx. 70 mph and without warning lost all acceleration. i had to maneuver across 4 lanes of traffic to get on the shoulder. i turned the car off and was preparing to call a tow truck when i started the car again and had limited acceleration. i was able to "limp" the car home and to a repair shop. the repair shop said the throttle body needed to be replaced. *tr

Driving down road and just quit running. *tr

I was driving on the interstate with my 3 year old son in the back seat. as i was in traffic all of a sudden i felt a loss of power and the wrench light went on. i was almost hit multiple times, but luckily was able to force it to the side of the road. i sat there for a couple minutes and then started the car normally and drove home. it was a scary experience and one that i hope ford takes care of. *tr