Problems with 2001 Ford Escape ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Car spontaneously caught fire 3 hours after being driven. i believe ford is trying to cover-up what really happened by feeding me lines of bs. incidentally, ford covered 90% of the costs for repair even though my car was not covered by warranty.

Ford escape 2001, windshield wipers haven't kept windows clear enough to see during rain or snow. *bf the consumer was only getting 10-12 miles per gallon on the highway. the vehicle was hard to drive when it was windy outside. when the consumer attempted to stop the vehicle, the brake went down to the floor and did not come back up for several seconds. the anti-lock brakes did not engage. the consumer spoke to the dealer and he said the brakes must have frozen up. the battery low light was on. *jb

My 2001 ford escape had to be towed because the key would not turn in the ignition.the dealer explained it as a" anti- theft system" gone bad.so my ignition had to be re-keyed.(had to buy new keys). of course that took 3 days. i called fords and they said even though there is a code in there computer for this.no recall has been ordered on this problem. *ak

While making a right turn into the parking garage vehicle stalled. consumer was unable to restart vehicle, and had it towed to the dealer for inspection. mechanic determined that computer sensor crank, and idler arm needed to be replaced. consumer informed the mechanic that this problem still occurred more than once, and had not been resolved. *ak

Ignition lock cylinder would not turn. ithad to be replaced by a mechanic. it was replaced under warranty, however, it is said to be a reoccuring problem per brady, tx ford dealership. this problem causes the occupant to become stranded; making them a hazard on the road. please recall others to avoid this problem in the future. *ak

Vehicle had a recall to reprogram power train control module which was corrected (?) on 6/9/04. on 7/2/04 vehicle would not idle and subsequently would quit running. taken to dealer and dealer replaced ignition control valve. dealer states it was not related to the power train control module reprogram. car was out of manufacturer warranty, with 36,568 miles at time of failure. other items of concern on this vehicle include the left headlight as defective assembly and allows moisture buildup. dealer again refuses to acknowledge a defect and refuses to repair at their cost (estimate cost appx. $200 to repair their defect). other issues include the replacement of a coolant sensor, and replaced a dpfe (environment problem that was covered by warranty). *nm

The suv sat parked for a 3 day period. heavy rain storms moved through area for 1 and 1/2 days of that time however the vehicle was not driven. after the 3rd day, the suv was started at which time the check engine light started to blink and when accelerator was depressed for power, the engine sputtered. problem was diagnosed as a 'bad coil pack". it was replaced and given back. after 3 days of driving, the same failure happened again, this time they replaced the "coil pack" and the wiring harness. just over 6 months later, the same situation occured with the vehicle. it sat for 4 days in which time a severe rain storm came through however vehicle was not driven nor standing in water. started the vehicle on the 4th day with the exact same result. vehicle is in ford garage and was notified that the coil pack was damaged due to moisture. these failures are not covered under any warranty and should be happening.

I have a 2001 ford escape and it was recently recalled for faulty ignition switch. the day before i took it in for the recall, the check engine light came on and it was rough idling. the ford dealer replaced ignition coil and said that was problem for check engine light and rough idle and said they did the recall. less than a month later my car would not restart after stopping for a few brief minutes. a tow truck was called by ford's roadside assistance and when the tow truck driver arrived an hour and a half later the car started. the tow truck driver said it may have just been a fluke. i drove the car home without it being towed. 2 weeks went by with nothing happening and then one day after another brief stop the car would not start again. this time the tow truck arrived and it was taken to a ford dealer and was kept by them for 2 days to no avail. they still could not find a problem. they returned the car to me and 2 days later the car would not restart again. my husband pushed on the car backwards a few feet while the car was in neutral and to much surprise, the car started again when put tried again. this was very good news as it was late evening on a sat and the ford dealer was not open. today, 3 days later, my husband stopped for gas and after paying for the gas the car will not restart. the truck is once again being towed to the ford dealer this time for good until it is fixed properly. luckily these all happened close to home, what if we would have been on a trip or something ? if they cannot fix this problem i would like to be given a new/comparable vehicle. i am almost scared to drive it from fear of it failing me again.*ak

When inserted key into ignition it would not turn nor start the vehicle. therefore, having to have suv towed for service and having the part replaced. the tow truck driver mentioned that he has seen this happen alot in ford cars/trucks. *ak

While driving vehicle stalled. consumer had the vehicle towed to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic determined that a sensor needed to be replaced. mechanic replaced the sensor, but problem recurred. *ak

While driving vehicle stalled. consumer tried to restart vehicle but was unable to do so. consumer had vehicle towed to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic was not able to resolve the problem. *ak

Auto stalled while going 30 mph on a slight incline. auto lost all power steering and electrical. it was lucky that no one was around (early morning). we had to coast to side, and because we didn't have power steering i hit the curb pretty hard. on the way home it did the same thing at about 40 mph. will take this to markel ford in omaha, ne for fix. we have 44,000 miles, and if ford cannot get this fixed it will be time to sell. this will be my first and last ford, if i have to pay for this fix. now i know why my father told me to buy a toyota. *la

Car completely shuts off while driving. there is no warning or symptom that an occurrence is going to happen. this shutdown occurs while vehicle is moving and at varying speeds. this problem seems to be electrical in nature and probrably associated with some ignition componet.*ak

Engine unexpectedly stalled and engine lost all powerwhile puling into a driveway. this was the second incident in the last 6 months involving the ford escape that is my company car. i barely missed being hit by another car. the first time was on the freeway at 60 m.p.h. i consider myself luck i was not killed or injured.*ak

Engine suddenly dies while driving that already happened twice, and both times at about 35mph in traffic. *la

I was driving my 2001 ford escape doing 40mph down an incline and the engine shut off. lost power steering and brakes and wound up on someone's lawn. someone could have been seriously hurt. what does it take to get a recall on this problem due tothe fact that most of the escapes issues are stalling.*ak

While traveling on the highway and without prior warning vehicle will stall and will not restart. *ak

On two different ocassions, ford escape stalled while driving. once while going about 25 mph down hill. the other time, while pulling into a parking lot under 10 mph. consumer refused to drive the car any more until a resolution is found. the ford dealer hooked up a computer but could not find any problem.*ak

Driving approx 40mph the 2001 ford escape stalled. lost all power steering, and brakes. finally got stopped, restarted vehicle and everything worked again.*ak

On two separate occasions, while driving along at approximately 40 mph, our ford escape suddenly lost all power and stalled. this resulted in loss of power steering and power brakes. the ford escape could not be restarted until it was stopped and placed in park. we have taken to hill & sanders ford located in wheaton, md. in addition to other service related problems with the staff of hill & sanders, we were told different stories by different people. one story was that our key ring was too heavy (4 keys 1 remote). the next was that there was a computer reprogramming that would resolve this problem (along with a developing/occasional transmission shiver/shudder between 35-45 mph). the computer reprogramming was completed 4 days ago. since that time, the car has not stalled in a similar manner, but continues to have an occasional transmission shiver / shudder. based on the failure of the reprogramming to fix the transmission shiver / shudder, we anticipate that the ford escape will continue to stall. *nlm

While driving at 40 mph down a hill, the vehicle shut down, there were no brakes/ power steering. the consumer was able to control the vehicle.*ak *ts the dealer replaced some parts. *jb

Engine stall - adding my incident to the list - driving to work this morning on interstate-35, travelling about 40+ mph. realized brakes were not engaging as i was quickly approaching the car in front of me, then realized oil light and engine light were on and no response to increased gas pedal pressure on rpm gauge to try to move car out of lane. luckily happened to be in far left lane and had just enough room to coast over to shoulder and apply parking brake to stop. removed keys, reinserted and car started right up. this is the first occurrence - however i peruse the nhtsa sight occasionally and remembered reading about this situation from a few years ago. i have not contacted the dealer yet - wanted to review this sight first to see if any action has been taken yet - apparently not. thank god a guardian angel was on my shoulder this morning.*ak

My escape will start and then stall or when letting off the gas it will stall while going around bends or just going down the road. it is very on safe because when going around bends and it stalls you can't do anything. it has happen over 20 times now, and it happens with no warning and when ever it wants to. *nlm

I filled out a complaint and the # was confirmation number (odi number) is: 10019115. i had stuck wrong mileage down the mileage is 38000 not 80000. *nlm

2001 ford escape has repeatedly stalled during normal driving. car currently has 33,000 miles; however, i began having problems early on. car has stranded me several times. car has been towed in several times and dealership can find nothing wrong it. dealership has replaced alternator, transmission, fuel hoses, sensor, computer, etc. and car still stalls. this week it had to be towed from my garage to the dealership because it would not start. dealership again could find nothing wrong with car. i love the car, but am terrified to drive it as when it stalls everything locks up and i have had a couple near miss accidents trying to get off the road. i have an infant and this is unacceptable. *nlm

2001 ford escape stalled while coasting down hill at 35 mph. luckily no one was hurt, i was able to steer a "dead" car to the side of the road and restart. i took the car to the dealership to be fixed. while the car was in the shop i researched the problem and found that many ford escape owners are experiencing the same problem. ford has known about the problem since 2000, but took 18 months to figure out the problem was with the on board computer. ford has not recalled nor do they cover this repair under the extended warranty. *jb

Stalls when slightly hitting brake to handle a curve, has also happened in parking lots when slowing down to turn and park. incident has happened 7-8 times. *nlm

I purchased this ford escape in march 2001 and have had nothing but problems with it since. on march 26 2001, two days after i received my new vehicle, it wouldn't start. the same problem occurred three more times in a period of two weeks before i brought the vehicle back to the dealer on april 9 2001. the dealership replaced the battery which was obviously defective. since then i have had numerous other problems with my ford escape. i reported that the throttle was sticking (5/17/02) and it was replaced, but it continues to happen. i also reported that there was a vibration and hesitation when shifting gears around 45 mph (5/17/02). nothing was done at that time to remedy the problem. i later (8/29/02) reported the same problem to the dealer, brought the vehicle back for service on 9/27/02 at which time the torque converter was replaced. there is still a hesitation and loss of power as i drive the vehicle. also on 5/11/02, the "service engine soon" light came on. the fuel emissions valve was replaced on 5/17/02. on 10/28/02, i reported to the dealer that my vehicle almost stalled at an intersection on 10/26/02 and later that day it would not start. i also told the service representative that there continued to be a "loss of power" as i drive the vehicle at highway speeds. i brought the escape back to the dealer on 10/30/02 and the technician found "nothing wrong" with the vehicle from the tests he performed. i am not satisfied with these results there is something obviously wrong with this vehicle! dt

Consumer states that while driving had put the highlights on and vehicle turned off. dealer was contacted. mr

My 2001 ford escape stalls when i start the car and i am still in first gear. i have taken my car 4 times to the dealership and they say that they cannot find the problem and have never heard of this complaint before. they even put on a "moniter" for me to use when the car stalled. i pressed the button twice, but the dealership told me that i did it wrong because they got the wrong readings. after the last time i brought it to ford, they replaced a part and said that it was fixed. seven months later it is stalling again.. as much as three times a day!! it is getting worse.*ak

After being parked for 2.5 hours, our less-than-2-years-old ford escape spontaneously smoked and burned; small fire was stopped by fire dept.; have no word from dealer or ford as to why this happened (fire dept. suspected electrical short) -- do you have any other such reports?. *ak

While drving steering wheel locked up and then vehicle stalled, almost causing an accident. vehicle was checked by dealer, who advised consumet that they could not find any problem.*ak

Has stalled while driving at about 35mph. this has happened four times in the last four months . when i questioned the dealer about the problem i was told that this was because the gas in the car was still winter grade and it would clear up. however this happened for the fourth time about three weeks ago. this is my wifes car, and this is very scary for her. she never knows when it will happen again, it just stalls out while she is in motion. i. *ak

Vehicle has on 2 occasions shut off while driving. without warning, the engine, battery, and oil lights come on at the same time and vehicle immediatelty shuts itself off. vehicle has been to the dealership after both occurrences. the iac, dpfe, and fuel pump relay were all replaced and my vehicle's pcm was reprogrammed. none of these "fixes" have solved the problem. although the technician working on the vehicle and the shop foreman have made every effort to assist me with the problem, the cause of the problem has yet to be determined. the manufacturer is aware of this problem with this particular vehicle, but cannot explain what is wrong or how to repair it. i do not feel safe driving my escape knowing that it could shut itself off at any time without warning in the middle of a busy road.*ak

Vehicle has stalled twice. dealer replaced main computer and various sensors. please provide additional information.*ak

I was driving on the interstate at approximately 50 mph downhill during rush hour when i lost power. i was on a stretch of interstate that had no shoulder so i coasted 1/4 mile to the shoulder. i was towed to the dealer who replaced my alternator. six weeks later, i go to start my car and it wouldn't start.*ak

Vehicle would not start, wouldn't even turn over cted like the battery was dead, except the radio worked and seat belt chime would run. played with steering wheel and it started. this has happened 4 times in 1 year. it is at the dealers right now, they say they never heard of this before. last week when it did it and i was moving the steering wheel , it didn;t even lock, i don't know if that has anything to do with it. i always park where i can make sure a wrecker can get in to haul it to the dealers.*ak

Instrument panel lights will continuously come on, for example engine check light will come on, but there was never anything wrong with vehicle. contacted dealer.*ak

Car electrical, steering and brakes cut off driving at 35-40 mph on curvy road. just bought the car used 2 days ago. first time this has happened. now that ive looked at this site, seems many people have this problem. going to dealer tommorow. we like the car, but we're afraid we have ourselves a lemon. i hope the dealer/ford will fix this problem and stand behind their product.

Vehicle is stalling at low speed. has been taken to dealer 4 times. powertrain control module/ wiring assembly and pcm relay were replaced. did not remedy the problem.*ak

This car will start by itself. with the key in ignition in the on position, and no one in the driver's seat, starts itself.*ak

While driving 35mph accelerator started decelerating without warning. lost all power due to memory in computer going out.dealer reprogrammed computer.*ak

At highway speed vehicles suddenly died. driver lost brakes and steering control. driver coasted to side of road. took vehicle to dealer, and they replaced relay system. one month later, problem reoccurred. dealer stated it was the processer. please provide any further information.*ak

The overhead map lights in the front of the vehicle do not come on when the driver door is opened. the center and back dome lights come on and then fade, however, there isn't enough light in the front of the vehicle to see to put the key in without manually turning on the map light. i have 2 friends who have the same year model, and their map lights come up. when i contacted the dealer, he said a change in wiring was made to their vehicles and would gladly charge me $300 to fix mine. i live in alaska where 6 months out of the year it's dark and i believe this is a safety harzard in getting into the vehicle without having adequate lighting to see to put the key in. we've talked to the sevice manager and they are unwilling to do anything for us. they have apologized for wasting my time, and leaving me sit in their waiting area for 8 hours and then announcing they "forgot" about me. when told it would take an addtional 3 1/2 hours to fix, and cost me $300, there wasn't enough time left in the day to complete the job if i chose to spend the money and would have had to come back at another time. i feel this is a true safety hazard when i can't see to put the key in and start the vehicle up.*ak

Vehicle has stalled 3 times at 35-40 mph down an incline. dealer has recalibrated computer.*ak dealer put on new eec and new idle air control. a/c failed and was replaced. *yh

When trying to go up a hill vehicle will automatically shutoff. problem is intermittent. contacted dealer, and the dealer replaced eec power relay.*ak

Nar 02/13/2003. the automatic transmission would shift to drive from over drive, the vents automatically switched to frost. the vehicle completely stalled on a separate occasion, the relay assembly was replaced. the cruise control was inoperative from the time of purchase. the windshield wipers stopped working, the consumer continued to experience problems with the transmission and the gas mileage was poor. *jb

Horn switch usually does not actuate horn, when pressed. dealer reports that they are all that way. if so, they should all be redesigned and replaced.*ak

Ford escape 2001 stalled on my wife as she drove home. the power went out in the car and she barely had the power to stop the vehicle since the brakes were out. this has historically been a problem with ford (recently settled case with other ford vehicles) where stalling cause many (66%) fatalities. this problem has happened to 3 others that we know of. ford is aware of the problem (per cust. serv. mgr-patrick dorrington) but are not buying us out of our deal since the problem only happened once. my wife is 4 months pregnant and with 2/3rds of ford stalling events ending in death she is never driving this car again. any help with this problem would be appreciated.*ak

The engine stalled while travelling 35mph. i was braking lightly going around a left handed curve and hit a bump. the radio and ac were on. the engine light came on and i lost power assist to the steering and brakes which made it hard to complete the curve safely. i got the vehicle to the side of the road, but not out of the road, before it came to a stop. i turned off the radio and ac, then the ignition switch. i waited about 90 sec. and it restarted on the second try. it has not happened again, but now the engine light is on all the time and the vehicle hesitates. i am taking it in tomorrow to the dealer.*ak