Problems with 2001 Ford Escape ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

I've recently got a new battery, o2 sensor and alternator and my car keeps shutting off in drive.

Tl* the contact owned a 2001 ford escape. the contact stated that the vehicle was included in nhtsa campaign numbers: 12v005000 (service brakes, hydraulic), 12v353000 (engine and engine cooling), and 14v165000 (structure, vehicle speed control). the contact did not receive any recall notifications. the contact stated that the brake lights remained illuminated for an extended period of time. the vehicle was inspected by an independent mechanic. while the vehicle was parked in a residental parking space, a security guard noticed smoke coming from the vehicle. after making a second round, the guard informed the vehicle owner that the vehicle was consumed by flames. the fire department extinguished the flames. a fire report was filed and the contact took pictures. the vehicle was parked and had not been inspected by a dealer or manufacturer. the manufacturer was notified of the failure and stated that they would follow-up in writing, but did not provide a time frame for the recall repair. the vehicle was destroyed. the failure mileage was not available. parts distribution disconnect.

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 ford escape. while accelerating from a stop light, the vehicle shook, stalled, and all the lights on the instrument panel illuminated. the vehicle was restarted, but the failure recurred twice. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 04v175000 (power train). the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 115,000. updated 09/08/16*lj *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 ford escape. while driving at 45 mph, the vehicle unexpectedly decelerated and the battery light illuminated on the instrument panel. the vehicle stalled and was able to be restarted after several attempts. the contact was able to drive for approximately five more minutes before the vehicle stalled again. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 122,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 ford escape. the contact stated that while the key was out the ignition switch, the vehicle remained on. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the abs module needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 120,000.

While parked in employee's parking lot the ford escape engine started to smoke then caught fire . *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 ford escape. the contact stated that the key fob failed to function properly. as a result, the contact was unable to unlock and lock the hatch door. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 142,000.

On my 2001 ford escape my driver side rear door i put child safety on worked fine next day went to open door and would not open so we took door panel off tried doing everything possible even sprayed with wd40 did not work we think it the lock mechanism in between door and body.my name is [xxx] how do i go about fixing this i have 2 young children i need to be able to uses all the doors my contact number is [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6) *js

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 ford escape. the contact stated that the driver exited the vehicle and approximately 5 hours later the driver came outside to discover flames coming from the front end of the vehicle. the fire department was called to the scene to extinguish the flames. the fire marshal examined the vehicle and determined that the fire was due to an electronic failure. no further information was available. the manufacturer was notified of the failure but no solution was offered. the failure mileage was 156,000.

This model has chronic issues with electrical components not working. frequent complaints of dome light, door locks, and radio not working, alternator/battery replacements. it seems to drain frequently and either not have enough power, and/or blow fuses. this is a very frequent occurrence and would seem fit for a recall. *tr

Shortly after being parked and shut off the vehicle caught fire within the engine compartment and destroyed everything in the front end of the vehicle. *tr

On october 10th, 2013, my wife and i had met for her birthday dinner at a restaurant in our town. my wife drove the 2001 ford escape to the restaurant, about 5 miles, from our home and parked the car. we had been at dinner for approximately 25 minutes when the waitress asked us if we drove a red suv. we were led to the vehicle that was on fire and in the process of being extinguished by the fire department. the fire investigator said that it looked as if the fire had started on the driver's side of the engine compartment and that nothing else looked suspicious. he pointed out that the wire insulation on that side of the engine compartment was all melted away to bare copper and that the passenger side wiring was still more intact. the fire destroyed the entire front end of the car, the engine compartment, the driver's side fender, the driver's side tire and rim and melted the driver's side dashboard. the entire inside of the vehicle is smoke damaged since the car was locked up. the vehicle is a total loss. just grateful that my daughter or wife weren't driving it at the time of the fire. *tr

Fifth time vehicle has been to the dealership for the same problem. vehicle is stopped at a red light or in traffic, the vehicle lunges forward with the brakes applied. daughter took it back to the same dealership and they thought they fixed the problem. she was on her way back to college...4 miles from the house at a red light. she called and said the vehicle was still doing what it was doing before. this needs to be investigated and a recall issued. *tr

Window and door lock on rear driver side quit operating causing me to have to use duct tape to keep window in place and door closed. this has now been fixed at substantial cost. now am unable to use either door on passenger side. no problem with windows at this point, however, am unable to open either of the two doors. quite inconvenient with other passengers, particularly where the front seat is involved...a little difficult climbing over the console area from the driver side to get to the passenger side and vice versa...back seating area not quite so bad...still inconvenient. has there been a recall regarding this and/or anyone else experiencing the same problem? right now, the expense to repair is honestly more than it's worth to resolve the issue...another $400-500+. does make it particularly difficult to load and unload---especially the children! *tr

After driving my car without incident for 6 years, it began to intermittently lose power so much that the dash lights fade and the car almost stalls. this is worse at lower speeds, coasting, and idling. the engine misses out so badly that the car jerks forward if the brake is not pressed firmly to the floor and when it's worst at idle, it shakes horribly. i had the plugs replaced (not cheap) because that was the error showing when the check engine light finally came on several weeks after i started having this issue, and a mechanic had already looked at it and thought it was fixed. after having the plugs replaced, i had a lot fewer problems but could still tell there was a problem when it was colder outside and/or when i first started my car for a couple of months. it then began to get worse again and is just as bad now as it was before i had the plugs replaced. i don't want to keep replacing them if it's just going to keep happening again. while waiting at a red light on an uphill intersection just last week, i pressed the gas to pull through the intersection and barely any power resulted. i let off the gas and depressed it again, at least 3 different times, just to get through the intersection without it dying or launching myself into another car. it seems this model year may have a lot of electrical issues, but i've had all of the recall issues addressed and i'm still having major issues that aren't cheap to fix. i've also had the emergency brake indicator light come on without the brake being engaged twice during the time i've owned this vehicle and the indicator goes away just as quickly as it appeared within a couple of weeks. *tr

Submission from re ford escape 2001 safety recall notice 11s24 *tgw the consumer received a recall notice in jan 2012. the notice indicated she would be informed when the parts required to complete the safety recall would become available, which wouldn't be until the second quarter. the vehicle caught on fire while parked, which was prior to the recall, but was quickly extinguished. shortly after the fire, the vehicle was repaired. several months later, the consumer was partly compensated by ford in the form of a check for $1900 accompanied by a document which stated by accepting the compensation, she would also be signing off on any other claims. the consumer also stated the catalytic converter, exhaust manifold, master cylinder, wiring harness, abs, brake line booster, power steering rack and pinion, tie rods, intake manifold as well as the air bag were all replaced. the steering column would freeze, the rear passenger door handle fell off, rendering the door unstable, the coolant light illuminated, the oil pan needed to be replaced, the air condition stopped working and the rear shock were leaking. *jb

I went to start the car and noticed smoke coming out from under the hood and a bad smell. i opened the hood and noticed the area under the master cylinder was on fire. luckily i had a small co2 fire extinguisher and put it out. the entire wiring harness is burned right off where it plugs into the ans module. after searching the internet it seems there is a problem with this make and model. i always wondered why i had to put brake fluid in twice per year. i hope the dealer doesn't try to rip me off and say it's not covered for some reason. they do not like to fix factory recalls. *tr

After stopping to possibly take a left turn, i realized i needed to go one more block so i pressed the gas to continue forward. however right as i did that the light turned yellow so i took my foot off the accelerator and pressed on the brake instead. the car shot forward at full throttle and the car went through the intersection and the red light. the street was clear in front of us and i had a full long block to try to regain control of the vehicle's acceleration. i calmly shifted the car into neutral and was very surprised that the car continued to accelerate. i started worrying as the car continued to speed up. i was able to shift the car in reverse and park (which normally isn't possible). all the while the vehicle sped up. my foot was on the brake for almost the whole block and wasn't slowing the vehicle at all. i decided that since the transmission and brakes were not responding, that i might be able to use my foot to get under the gas pedal and lift it up (because it felt from the full acceleration like it was stuck on the floor). however, the pedal easily came off the floor but would flop back down as soon as i moved my foot out from under it. it was definitely not stuck by a foreign object or floor mat though. had to avoid a pedestrian that was crossing the street and the road ahead was obscured because it went down a steep hill so i chose to turn right. the car ended up hitting the curb, hitting 2 small trees. and flipping upside down before also hitting a parked car. the engine continued to "rev" at high speeds, even upside down, for a few seconds before it finally cut off. my wife and i were very lucky to survive this incident and to not have injured any others in the area. possibly part of : nhtsa campaign id number: 00v210001 for stuck throttle problems. *tr

The brake master cylinder cap leaks brake fluid and the fluid runs down the wiring and down the firewall of the engine compartment. the brake fluid has corroded the paint off of the firewall, and then the fluid gets hot and smokes. because the fluid runs down the wiring, the vehicle is also having electrical problems. ford has a recall 11s24 for vehicles of the same year with the same problem, but they say that our vehicle is not included even though the master cylinder cap clearly leaks. they won't look at the vehicle unless we pay $85 to have it diagnosed. we would like to have this vehicle added to the recall.

Cannot remove ignition key from ignition without disconnecting battery. *tr

We bought our 2001 ford escape new. on the 8th of december, 2011 it was parked in our double car attached garage. my son came home around 11:30 p.m. going through the garage and did not see or smell anything. my husband and i, his youngest son were asleep already from the fumes. we had to be pulled out of our beds by my older step-son. he saw smoke coming through the door going to the garage. we he opened the door he saw smoke and flames shooting out of the front of the escape. he tried to open the garage door but by then it was too late. i had to get my dog out from under the bed and escape through my bedroom window. as a result the whole home was burned and the insurance company considers it a total loss. what i want to know is what recourse i have. i would like to find similar incidents from other ford escape owners. i forgot to say that we received our recall on january 31st of 2012. about a month too late to tell us not to park it in or near a dwelling. this has been the most horrific thing i have ever gone through and believe me, i have gone through a whole lot in my life. i want to file a class action lawsuit as that seems to me that is the only recourse i have. i would like to know how i would go about doing this. *tr

Started vehicle approx 7am drove 40miles with no evident problems to vehicle. stopped vehicle for approx 15mins, upon starting vehicle up again hazard warning on control panal began to flash. abs,air bags,brake,were flashing on/off.turned car off,then on again,warning lights did come back on. drove approx 3miles,car then started to emit white smoke from under the hood. immaditatly pulled over ,turned off engine. smoke cont to billow from under the hood for aleast 15-20 mins. *tt

About four months my 2001 ford escape has been putting off this strong odor, so bad i am afraid to drive it. my safety brake light will not turn off, even when it is not in use. over the last 3 months, i have paid to have my car engine looked at -spark plugs, brakes and rotors replaced, hoping for positive results. smell still remains. i have put money into getting this car fixed, i do realize its an older car, butt it's all i have and need it for transportation to work, due to the abs recall i just received, i am afraid it's going to just burst into flames at any time. *kb

2001 ford escape. consumer states vehicle caught fire for no apparent reason *tgw the consumer stated her daughter owned the vehicle and was driving it the night, it caught on fire. her daughter burned her hand, as she was exiting the vehicle. the vehicle was destroyed by the fire. *jb

Vehicle will stall while driving at high speeds, causing power steering and breaks to stop working.

Rear left passenger door will not open. 5th door will not open. windshield wiper in rear stopped working. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford escape. the contact attempted to start the ignition; however, the key would turn in the ignition switch and the anti-theft warning indicator flashed intermittently. in addition, the steering wheel failed to turn in any direction and the tires locked. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where they informed that the failure was contributed to the anti-theft device. the vehicle was repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 91,000. the vin was unavailable.

The trunk-door (5th door) cannot be opened when exposed to the sun or temperature is warmer. it can only be opened after it is cooler in the evening or at night. the rear-left- passenger-door locked and cannot be opened at all. now passengers have to enter and exit the vehicle using only one right-passenger-door. this is a safety issue and a very inconvenient one. please help!!!!! *tr

I bought my ford escape on august 16th of 2009, all the doors worked fine. i have not been in any kind of accident. about a year after buying my car the back driver door stopped opening, for no reason. then the window in the same door stopped working. i didn't make a big deal about this, even though i had two small children in the back. then shortly after, the other back door seized to open. this happened in the summer when the temperatures are warm. when i push unlock i hear clicking from the doors. then not to long ago my fiance and i went out to dinner and locked the car doors, after leaving the restaurant he tried to unlock the doors and they wouldn't open. he had to crawl through the window that is broken to get the passenger door open for me. the driver door now don't open. the only door that works now is the passenger door and the back hatch. i also have other recalls i need to get repaired and have not brought it in cause of the driver door not opening. i know i didn't do anything to cause this problem and when i researched it online i found that a lot of people with my car are having the same problem. therefore i feel this needs to be addressed. i'm afraid to drive my car and if there was an accident i wouldn't be able to escape my ford escape. in addition i just want to say that even though my vehicle has a lot of miles on it, still runs good. thank you for your consideration, sincere consumer. *tr

I have a 2001 ford escape. while staying at a hotel on vacation in marfa, tx, i was awakened by my car alarm going of at approximately 5:30 am on may 12, 2010. when i went outside to turn it off, i found smoke pouring out from under the hood. our neighbor called 911, and the car continued to smoke until the fire department arrived. as the fire dept. was inspecting the car, flames did appear from the abs wiring harness and module. the fire was extinguished quickly and damage was confined to the abs harness and module. i had received a recall notice for the abs harness a couple of years ago, and took my car to a dealership in austin to have the necessary work performed. that work was performed on august 6, 2008. when i contacted ford to let them know that my car had caught fire even though the recall was performed, they informed me that their records showed that the abs harness on my car was inspected and it was determined that it did not need to be replaced. as of may 16, 2010, my car is still at a ford dealership in fort stockton, tx and i am at home in austin waiting to hear from ford's office of general council. *tr

My daughter had a 2001 ford escape, approx.98,000 miles, purchased used. serviced & inspected in march of this year with no problems noted. she parked it in front of her home on april 30th after driving home from a trip to town with her 9 month old daughter. approx. 10 minutes after entering her home, she heard a popping noise coming from outside and saw her vehicle smoking , then fully engulfed in flames. total loss of vehicle. fire marshal attributed to "electrical problem" some damage also to her home. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford escape. the vehicle was parked for several days and when the contact attempted to start it, the vehicle failed to respond. a tow truck driver was able to assist the contact with starting the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic who repaired the computer system; however, the failure recurred. the vehicle was taken to a different mechanic who repaired the computer system again and the failure occurred a third time. the manufacturer stated that they were unable to offer him any assistance and to take the vehicle to the dealer for diagnostic testing. the vehicle had not been inspected by the dealer or repaired when the complaint was filed. the current and failure mileages were approximately 104,000.

While traveling uphill going approx 45 mph the engine on my 2001 ford escape shut down. complete power to my car was lost. the odometer even lost the miles driven and was replaced by dashes momentarily. when the engine shut down i steered the car to the side of the road, i lost power steering and brakes. the check engine light also came on when this happened. there was no previous indication that there was an issue with the engine. after i pulled to the side of the road. i put car in park and turned key off. i waited approx 5 minutes and restarted the car with no problems. the check engine light was off and car started smoothly as usual. after researching this online, i don't seem to be the only person having this issue. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 ford escape. while driving at 55 mph, the abs warning light illuminated and would not shut off. the failure recurred intermittently. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 07v156000 (service brakes, hydraulic). the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 120,000. updated 09/03/15*lj

Mar 27 had 2001 ford escape in dealership for oil leak and engine hesitation. leak not fixed on 1st time taken to dealer. #3 coil, intake gaskets replaced & tuneup done for hesitation. mar 31 vehicle taken back for same problems, #4 coil was replaced and was told no oil leak, also told engine not supposed to be washed and water blew out #4 coil. on the way home, still smelled burning oil & engine hesitation still felt. called dealership, was told to let the car sit for a day. car sat for 2 days. car still drove the same, oil leak & hesitation still there. took vehicle straight back to the dealership, on the way there vehicle had no power and would not go faster than 15mph. then the egr valve blew. and i live 2 miles from the dealership. dealership had the vehicle from apr 1 to apr 15. now i was told the catalytic converters on the manifolds are plugged up and this is causing the hesitation and the oil leak was from the timing chain cover. dealership had to remove the engine to replace the gasket. was told they don't know how they missed this leak the other 2 times i took the vehicle in for this leak. only thing the warranty covered is the oil leak. federal mandated emission law is 8yrs or 80,000 miles. vehicle is in the 8 years and @ 75,500 miles. ford refuses to do anything about the converters. took escape to local mechanic apr 17. exhaust inspection showed only the rear catalytic converter plugged (replaced now). #4 & #6 coils not firing. coils work connected in other sparkplug locations. wiring for coils not working. these coil locations worked prior to going back to dealership. mechanic said i should sue the dealership for misdiagnosis and breaking additional items when engine was removed. mechanic also ran diagnostic, no codes coming up, dealership reset pcm to old programming, so vehicle now hesitates & dies. wife still wants to keep vehicle. told her no. already shopping for anything other than ford. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford escape. the contact's vehicle caught fire while parked. the fire department arrived and extinguished the fire. there were no injuries and a police report was filed. the insurance company stated that the vehicle was destroyed. the current and failure mileages were 130,000.

While driving at speeds between 30 an 40 mph, the car suddenly stalled in traffic. all attempts to restart the vehicle ,by myself, were for naught. a nearby garage initially thought the problem was a timing belt issue, but further investigation showed that the problem was with an electrical harness with a possible short. a bit strange for a non-moving part. *tr

On march 2008 our 2001 ford escape self ignited in our driveway after being shut off for over 2 hours an independent investigation states" the fire in the vehicle originated at the abs module and was caused by a malfunction that resulted in an internal electrical overheating condition" the car had gone in for all recalls up to that date. so either the repair failed or there was no recall for this problem. ford refuses to investigate their cause of this fire. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford escape. while the vehicle was parked, the vehicle began smoking and then caught fire. the front end of the vehicle quickly became engulfed in flames. she attempted to utilize a home fire extinguisher; however, the fire would not go out. the entire front end of the vehicle was destroyed. the contact is awaiting to hear if the insurance company will classify the vehicle as destroyed. a police report was filed. she is also awaiting an investigator from the fire department to determine the origin of the fire. the fire department stated that the smell was similar to that of an electrical fire. the failure and current mileages were less than 150,000.

Tl*- the contact stated that the 2001 ford escape xlt wires under the hood burned while sitting in the garage of her home. she drove the vehicle one hour prior to the fire. the alarms in her house warned her of the fire. she called the local fire department, and they found no fire in the house. they then checked the garage and they smelled something burning. the fireman opened and noticed the wires that were burning under the hood of the vehicle. the vehicle was towed to town and country, and they informed her that old brake fluid leaked on the abs, which was the cause of the wires burning. the vehicle was serviced for the abs light coming on, and off at the local firestone, they replaced the master cylinder . the wires burned within 24 hours of the repair. the town and country dealership gave the contact a loaner vehicle, and she felt this was odd. the contact stated that the dealership informed her that it would cost $2,416.12 to repair the wires and the abs. the current and failure mileage were both 67,508. *ak the consumer states that she wants to be reimbursed for all repairs done to her vehicle and has provided all invoices for repair and the report from the fire dept. update 4/25/07*tr

Car had been parked for 30 minutes with engine off when a fire ignited in the engine, engulfing and destroying the entire car. ford escape xlt 2001. *jb

The car was parked for about an hour when my sister in law saw the fire coming out of the engine area. i turned the fire off with water. the master cylinder was completely burned. all of the wires coming out of the fuse box as well as the abs wires. the car will turn on but i cant shift it into drive. the brake fuse also burned out. *nm

My coolant light keeps coming on even though i have enough coolant. *jb

2001 escape has had three repairs in a 6 month time frame do to problems with the ignition coil assemblies. *ts the sparks plug shot out of the cylinder head suddenly three times. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated while driving various speeds, the vehicle stalled. the vehicle was towed to the dealership who determined the alternator was burnt and was replaced. nine months later, the vehicle stalled and a burning smell was observed. it was taken back to the dealer who built a casing around the alternator to stop the burning. two years later, the vehicle stalled again. when taken to the dealer, the battery was replaced. two years later, the vehicle stalled again. when it was towed to the dealer, it was determined the electrical harness was corroded and rusted and the harness was replaced.

I noticed a 2001 ford escape with a brake hissing problem at 74k i have the same problem at 40k. i've had so many problems with this car that i am considering not to ever by a ford vehicle again. they should have recalls on these so the consumer does not have to pay for their mistakes. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated while driving in stop and go traffic, the vehicle had a rough idle and stalled intermittently. the vehicle was taken to dealer for inspection; however the problem could not be duplicated. after a short period of time the vehicle had the same problems again. the vehicle stalled and was towed to the dealer. the dealer replaced the pcm but this did not correct the problem. the dealer stated the wiring under the dash needed replaced. there is a nhtsa recall 04v165000, regarding the power train: automatic transmission: control module pcm and a nhtsa tsb item #617976, regarding the electrical system: wiring under dash. the vehicle has the same problems as indicated in the recall and technical service bulletin; however it is not included in the recall due to the vin. the consumer was informed the vehicle had an electrical short. updated 04/11/06. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle was parked for 9 hours and it caught on fire. the fire department responded and extinguished the fire. the fire marshal stated the damage was too extensive to determine where the fire started. most of the fire damage was under the hood on the driver side. the insurance company deemed the vehicle totaled. *nm

I was unable to turn the key in the ignition of my 2001 ford escape. the steering wheel was also locked. i had to have a locksmith come to start it. the locksmith said there have been many similar problems with all ford ignitions. i had the ignition cylinder replaced at the ford dealership. the dealer said he was unaware of any problems related to ignitions in the escape. i learned from a focus owner that the focus cars had been recalled in late 2000/early 2001 for this same problem. i later learned by calling another ford dealership that the same part is used for both the focus and the escape. why haven't the escapes been recalled? *nm

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 ford escape. the contact stated that whenever it rained or snowed, the vehicle would stutter and fail to accelerate over 20 mph. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the technician diagnosed that the coil pack needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired numerous times. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 105,000.