Problems with 2002 Ford Escape POWER TRAIN

Wife parked vehicle on steep uphill driveway. placed in park and turned ignition off. exited drivers side and walked behind vehicle to passenger side continuing to mailbox. while at mailbox observed vehicle abruptly roll backward crossing the path where she had just walked behind the vehicle, across street and over curb hitting tree. neighbor in their front yard also observed this. vehicle sustained significant damage. called ford corp offices to ask for review of this by their safety engineers. a cursory review by the dealer indicated no obvious transmission linkage or other adjustment problem. ford refuses any further review and shows little interest in finding any potential safety issue. i see similar reports of this in numbers 10031648, 568244, 10073682 and 10026175. there are also many reports of loss of control in other scenarios such as 10073741, 10087902, 10091048, 10092635 and 10108659. did not review complaints on similar models such as mazda tribute nor other year escapes which may have similar issues. i find it hard to believe that ford engineered the car to back down a hill, while unoccupied, in park, with the ignition off. but apparently they consider this normal and of no consequence. unfortunately, someone will have to be hurt and the economics turn against ford before they will get involved. reminds me of their safety issues with ford crown victoria's that continue to explode in flames when hit from the rear. *jb

My 2002 ford escape with 52000 miles on it was great until last week when it stalled in the middle of a busy road with no shoulder late at night. i had to have it towed to the dealer where they told me that i needed a new battery because it was leaking acid (huh?) and that they would kindly put in the two recall parts one of which might be causing the problem (pcm i believe). the strange thing was about two hours after i had stalled i could start the car again fine but i figured they would still want to see it since it could be a dangerous situation. however, they did not find anything wrong with the car and sent me on my way. then last night my car wouldn't start...sounds were very similar to the time before only this time i wasn't driving i was in a parking garage. so i gave up and called a friend and decided to have it towed in th emorning when the dealer was open. only in the morning my car started fine again. i drove to the dealer anyway though because this was not very safe and figured they would want to look it over. problem. they said they can't do anything unless the problem is actually occuring so i would have to wait until it happens again. this didn't sit well with me so i called ford and they said the same thing. then i went online and did a search and it seems i am not the only one with this problem but no one seems to have an answer. i am nervous because i sometime drive on busy highways and if it stalls i might end up in a crash but ford didn't seem to care about this scenario. i am at a loss and want a better answer then wait until it happens again but i thought i should file a complaint in case others are having the same problem and to warn other drivers about following too close to a ford escape.

My 2002 ford escape has had too many problems since i have owned it. i purchased the vehcile used in march of 2005 with 23k miles. it now has 30k. please note it is still under warranty, however i feel the vehcile is riddled with problems to date: the cd4e automatic transmission was replaced at 4500 miules by the previous owner(performed by ford) along with the front wheel bearings and retainer rings. since i have owned the vehicle: 1. the vehcile stalled while driving along. the pcm was re-flashed by ford, however it still feels like it will stall at certain times. 2. the thermostat housing leaked antifreeze and took three trips to the dealer to fix it. 3. the accerlerator cable was replaced under recall. 4. the rear glass rattles as the latch looks worns out already. 5. the engine had valve train noise and the camshaft retainers were replaced 6. the engine leaked oil due to the dealers faulty repair 7. the fan assembly/blower motor bearings have failed and a new part is on order. i am very upset and disapointed in the quality of this vehicle and i question it as i have no confidence it it.

Trans has had to be repaired replaced rebuilt over 14 times in less than 100,000 miles and less than 2 years. the overdrive light starts blinking and the car jerks when the car shifts up or down, except the time i could only go in reverse and had to let the car roll into a parking lot off of a busy street. *jb

Dt: the contact owns a 2002 ford escape. he states that the dealership was refusing to do the recall repair. he has contact the ford manufacturer and they told him he would have to take this matter up with the dealership. the nhtsa campaign id number is 04v165000. the recall was because the car would decelerate rapidly. the dealership that he is having the problems with dublin ford dublin, ca. *nm

The vehicle was being driven at roughly 35 miles per hour when the tachometer suddenly surged and the vehicle began to loose speed. the transmission had obviously failed to engage. putting the transmission into 2nd gear allowed the transmission to re-engage and the vehcile began to surge forward. an attempt was made to drive the vehicle to a dealership about 7 or 8 miles away. the transmission continued to to engage and disengage for the next several miles. finally, it disengaged one last time and did not engage again. since it was on a main street, the vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road of a side street. the vehicle was towed to kreiger ford in columbus ohio. this took place a friday. the dealership was informed that a complaint was made about the transmission slipping and then thudding into gear on 1st to 2nd gear shifts on a service call prior to the experation of the warranty. at that time the dealership assured the owner that there was nothing wrong with the transmission. on this incident, not only did the car have to be towed in, but the dealership was also informed that the motor on the rear window wiper had failed and the cd player would no longer eject the cds. on monday the dealership called to inform the owner that the transmission had totally failed and would have to be replaced at a cost of $3500. within an hour the dealership called back and said the ford was willing to put a rebuilt transmission into the vehicle, repair the wiper motor, do the 60,000 mile maintnenace, extend the drivetrain warranty to 100,000 miles, and repair the cd player for $1500. this is preposterous. no transmission should fail at 61,000 miles. and after reading the incidents reported here, it is becoming apparent that there is a problem with the transmission on the escape.

Intermitten engine idle/stalling during engine start and driving conditions even after pcm recall work. dealership test drove and broke down on side of road, verdict is said to be transmission related. vehicle has 48,000 miles.

Just after the warranty period on my 2002 ford escape expired, i started having trouble with the transmission, specifically, the transmission would not engage in reverse without revving the engine and having the gears jump into place, causing the vehicle to lurch backwards. when i contacted my local ford dealership where i had purchased the suv, i expressed to them my displeasure in having transmission trouble at only 35,000+ miles and was informed that it was not unusual to need a new transmission at that odometer reading, and, indeed, they had replaced transmissions as early as 12,000 miles. i contacted my regional ford corporate headquarters about the problem without any success. on thursday, may 12, while traveling 55 miles per hour on the highway, the transmission failed, with the car sounding like i was revving the engine in neutral, and i was losing power quickly. i had to get off the road quickly and was unable to engage the transmission in any gear. after having the car towed to a transmission facility in indianapolis, i was told that the problem did not originate in the transmission, but was the result of a ground circuit problem. ford constructed the car with the ground running through the transmission, which means that every time the car is started the high voltage running through the transmission melts the gears together. additionally, the transmission was leaking onto the front suspension, which meant the ball joints needed to be replaced as well. the transmission company rebuilt the transmission, replaced the ball joints, and added an additional ground so that the problem would not happen again, which resulted in a total cost of $3655.

My 2002 ford escape caught on fire. the transmission failed to shift the vehicle. flames came out from under the vehicle then the vehicle did finally shut off and it was able to come to a stop. it continued to burn, tires exploded, etc. in the end most of the engine was on the ground. the transmission basically fell out of the vehicle. it left a trail of fluid before coming to a stop on the side of the highway. i feel brandon ford body shop is at fault and did not prpperly repair the vehicle after an august 2004 collision. i believe there are also bad parts on the vehicle and i have heard of others having this same fire problem with ford escape and focus. the vehicle was totaled.*ak

(oct. 2003)torque converter failed and had to be replaced around 21,850 mi. under warranty and replaced by dealer. (mar 2005) torque converter failed and had to be replaced again around 38,000 mi. replaced by dealer at a discount to me.*ak ford only guarantees torque converter for 12 mo. or 12,000 mi. should it fail again, estimated cost of repair will be around $1,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford escape. while driving approximately 20-30 mph on normal road conditions, the engine stalled without warning. immediately, the contact shifted into neutral and restarted the engine. the vehicle was able to resume normal operation. the check engine warning indicator illuminated on the instrument panel and remained lit until the engine was turned off. the failures occurred intermittently. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing, but the failures could not be duplicated. on two separate occasions, the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for identical failures, but there were no resolutions. the vin was excluded from nhtsa campaign id number 04v165000 (power train; automatic transmission; control module), although the failures were identical. the vehicle has not been repaired. the failure mileage was 30,000 and current mileage was 70,000.

Vehicle is experiencing a problem with the transmission. when putting the vehicle in reverse, the vehicle will shut down. owner has contacted the dealer who offered little to the solution. provide further details. *nm

3 years old, 60,000 miles - transmission has completely blown. its in the shop currently. the oil pan is leaking. the rack and pinion steering is leaking fluid. *jb

2002 ford escape. vehicle will not go into reverse when reverse is selected intermittently. reverse is selected and if left in the selection, it will take 3-5 minutes to engage. sometimes it doesn't engage at all, and if you can pull forward ,then it might go into reverse. this occurs several times a month. ford can not duplicate it. it is impossible to back away from a dangerous situation or to back out from a pull in parking spot.*ak

2002 ford escape xlt, 51,000 miles. during freeway driving, o/d lockout indicator light came on and started flashing. transmission briefly acted as if it was shifting between neutral and drive, then it failed completely. towed to ford dealer for diagnosis. ford dealer says transmission needs to be replaced, but has not diagnosed cause of failure. from researching user forums on the internet, i've learned that ford issued a service bulletin (oasis #16717) in march 2003 advising that the pcm be reprogramed to correct a transmission shudder problem which seems to be a precursor to total transmission failure. pcm reprograming is also required by safety recall 04s13, issued april 2004. i was scheduled to have this recall work done by the dealer, but the transmission failed before recall work was done. from reading user reports on the internet, it seems that tansmission failure at 50-60,000 miles is not unusual for 2001-2003 escapes with a cd4e automatic transmission, at least for ones which have not had the pcm reprogramed as called for in the 2003 service bulletin or the 2004 safety recall.*ak

2002 ford escape xlt, 51000 miles. automatic transmission cd4e. owner's manual and information from ford states that only mercon transmission fluid is to be used, and that use of mercon v transmission fluid will damage transmission. however, cover on transmission dip stick says "use mercon v." dealer flushed transmission at 32000 miles and replaced with mercon v fluid. transmission failed at 51000 miles, requiring complete replacement of transmission. failure happened during freeway driving, but fortunately traffic was light and we were able to coast out of traffic safely. he dealer should have know what kind of transmission fluid to use, regardless of incorrect statement on dip stick cap. however, the misleading dip stick could cause the owner or others to use incorrect type of fluid, with potential to cause complete tranmission failure while driving.*ak

Intermittent problem. vehicle will start but will not idle. will stall unless gas is applied at all times. will stall if decelerating. first time problem occurred, power relay search was addressed. then pcm recall was applied, and problem happened again. now dealer says air bypass valve needs to be replaced. car has 42,000 miles on it. *la

Power train slipping. this will be the second transmittion for this 3 year old car. the first went out at 30,000 and now the other one is going. the vehicle is high mileage, but it is one owner and 90% of the miles are highway miles.*ak

2002 ford escape v6. multiple problems the the automatic transmission, shuddering, and now a total failure. for the shuddering the fluid was flushed and replaced with a different type, and new codes programed. *ak haven't taken it in for the total failure yet. (tomorrow)

Driver put the vehicle into park and without warning vehicle surged forward. this caused consumer to lose control of the vehicle, and hit some objects head on inside of the garage before stopping. the driver and passenger sustained minor injuries. consumer will have the vehicle towed to the dealership.*ak the driver was in the process of placing gear from drive to park when vehicle lurched forward. upon impact, the shifter is between park and drive. *la

Drivers seat moves foward approx 1/2" on acceleration and stopping. vehicle has noise possible bearing, transmission, or driveshaft like a lope as if something was out of round or has a high spot. it is not the tires.*ak

Two transmission failures. the transmission was replaced @ 18,118 miles and then again @ 39,933 miles.*ak

2002 ford escape xlt has stalled without warning twice. once at approximately 40 mph and the other at 10 mph. i have complained to the dealership (cowles ford, woodbridge, va) since my first maintenance check about my escape hesitating/skipping. does not seems to be getting the proper gas. first couple of maintenance check mechanic said he could not find anything wrong. now, 2 1/2 years later, they keep replacing small parts that do absolutely nothing to remedy the problem. i have now been told by the service manager that this problem does not show up on dianostics test nor on the vehicle computer. i have complained since the first engine stall (40 mph) that my escape is a safety hazard. again i have told the dealership my suv is a safety hazard because i have no advanced warning when the motor will cut off. i have emailed numerous complaints to high management at ford in michegan but have yet to even get an acknowledgement of my complaint. ford seems to be so willing to let customers be injured or killed in their products. on felt like a "valuable ford customer" before i signed on the dotted line and after that i feel like a "victim". shame on ford.*ak

The vehicle stalled. once while the vehicle was in the drive, the horn began to blow, and the lights started to blink. no one was in the vehicle or had touched the vehicle. the consumer took the vehicle to the dealership to be repaired, however they were unable to repair it because they could not duplicate the problems. *ak the vehicle also rolled away with the ignition locked, keys removed and vehicle in park. also the accelerator became stuck on four occasions. a representative from told the consumer the reason why the vehicle rolled away, was because the emergency brake had not been applied. *ph *jb

Consumer states that while vehicle was in park and no with warning the left axle snapped, causing the vehicle to roll backwards, resulting in a accident. dealer notified.*ak

The vehicle stalled without warning which made the vehicle difficult to control. the engine would rev when the accelerator was pressed but the vehicle would not move. the dealer reprogrammed the computer but the problem re-occurred. *jb *nlm

Consumer stated the gear shifter design was defective. shifter is attached to steering column and is too long. whenever consumer turns on radio gear is knocked into neutral.*jb

I have now had my escape for 9 months. i took it to the dealership on 01/10/03 because the transmission would not shift past 2nd gear (no matter how fast i was going). the dealer replaced the transmission and when they test drove it even the new transmission did not want to shift. needless to say i have not had my vehicle forever and the dealership refuses to contact me about my vehicle or return my calls.

Nar 02/28/2003 mr the consumer experienced problems with the clutch and flywheel. *cb

Power steering leaked in oct 2001, problem caused by failed rack and pinion steering system. dealer replaced after having vehicle in shop for a month. in nov 2002, the vehicle suffered a transmission failure while crossing a major intersection. barely managed to get through the intersection without an accident. the nearest ford dealer happened to be across the street. took into service dept and they found that the transmission had failed and was welded together. the only service performed was rack/pinion replacement by original dealer in oct 2001. experts tell us that transmissions are not welded. they are bolted. either vehicle came from factory with welded transmission (poss. other vehicles with same problem) or original dealer damaged transmission when installing new rack/pinion system and welded the damage without reporting it to the consumer. not happy about 2 major problems in just over a year. dt

Consumer states while shifting into reverese on level ground, the vehicle jumped into forward, took off and hit a light pole before stopping. dealer and the manufacturer has not been notified at this time. feel free to provide any further information. mr

While driving at 35mph on flat surface and with no warning engine will stall, causing consumer to pull over. dealer will be notified.*ak

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford escape. immediately after purchasing the vehicle in august of 2002, it began stalling and lost all power. the contact received a recall notice in april of 2004 for nhtsa campaign id number 04v165000 (power train:automatic transmission:control module). she took the vehicle to a local dealer and received her free repair. in august of 2008, the failure recurred. while driving approximately 10-20 mph, the vehicle stalled and lost all power; however, it was able to be restarted. on august 11, 2008, while backing out of the driveway at an unknown speed, the vehicle lost power. the contact lost control of the vehicle. the failure recurred two additional times the same day. the vehicle was taken to a local dealer and a complete diagnostic test was performed; however, no failures could be found. the manufacturer stated that since they already repaired her vehicle, they were not liable for another repair. the current mileage was 51,007 and failure mileage was 200.

Vehicle stalled twice at 40 mph. dealer replaced pcm sensor and reprogrammed computer.*ak

Consumer stated on july 2, 2002 the vehicle was taken back to the dealer for a broken headlight and missing equipment from the vehicle, on july 23, 2002 the vehicle began experiencing stalling, brake and odometer problems, the brakes were replaced due to a flaw, the stalling and the odometer problems could not be duplicated, also there were problems with the speakers and the clutch sticking, consumer stated while the vehicle was parked, the parking brake disengaged and the vehicle rolled into a hotel.*jb

Engined stall while coasting down a hill at 35 mph. lost power steering and braking.*ak

2002 ford escape has a transmission slip problem that they didn't want to cover under warranty. this is a dangerous situation when this happens if passing another vehicle causing the vehicle to stall. also, if turning in front of another vehicle oncoming and it stalls you could get hit from the side. *nlm

I have had multiple problems from first day i bought the truck starting with all my cd's getting jammed one at a time ejecting from my 6xcd indash changer i also then proceeded to have trouble with starting the truck in cold or hot weather or even humid weather proceeding with constant break noises from first week whick multiple times its been worked on but no luck fixing also now left drivers side headlight casing started presenting a bad seal in headlight which in return caused me to have to replace set of headlights with installation for 90 dollars also my sunroof is sticking when you go to shut it and hoding down button and out of all these defects you think it wouldnt be enough to deal with trying to get fixed when you work two full time jobs and had no transportation for work and yet ford dealership did not want to assist me in any way with rental for their defects of vehicle leaving me stuck with no transportation for work due to relocating to dallas then atlanta and not knowing anyone whom could help me with getting to employment and home locations but to top it off my 2002 ford escape xlt is also having a problem with leather seats wearing extremly bad yet i try to keep them as clean and repliished as possible but yet seats are of poor quality which also the leather stearing wheel is fading with spots of darker and lighter leather wrapping and same for the dash and radio controls, all are fading with dark and lighter black spots all over yet i keep my truck spotless and i take extreme care of it for my vehicle is my baby but seems to be with ford im going to be forced to find something else with all the safety issues of the engine stalling not starting and not being able to shift in gear and forcing the vehicle ignition to be swutched off and then back on to start back up (if it will start the next time)

With no warning the automatic transmission on our escape failed completely at 44,130 miles. so far, no financial assistance has been offered by ford or the repairing dealer dispite attempts by me to get relief for the $2700 repair bill! we have had a loud noise coming from the drivetrain since about 18,000 miles and had it checked at 25,000 by our local ford dealer. the dealer insisted that it was only tire noise...which while very sceptical, we accepted with the caveat that when we eventually replaced the tires, the noise would be gone our we expected the vehicle to be repaired at no charge. since the transmission's very premature failure, we have revisited the powertrain noise as we now suspect its source may have caused the transmission failure. both front wheel bearings have been changed, the wheels and tires have been substituted and the very loud noise continues. two ford dealers have inspected the vehicle and no one yet has an idea of what the source of the noise is now! this truck is a true lemon and i think ford should be stepping up to the plate to fix and pay for this problem as well as all or most of the transmission repair!!!!

Had been having a problem with a loud squeaking noise coming from the steering column when turning; checked the nhtsa service bulletins and found a bulletin from june 1, 2003 noting this same problem; check engine light was also on again; i made an appt at dealer to check out these issues (4/7/04). took vehicle in on 4/9/04. dealer found the following problems: noise was coming from the upper steering column because the wiring for the horn was pulled out and rubbing on the contact plate; additional noise found at lower end of steering column dealer deactivated the airbag system to remove and replace the steering wheel and contact; also found that they had to replace the steering column boot, which had to be ordered at the same time, a recall was issued for this vehicle regarding the power train control module; dealer performed the recall vehicle was in the shop from 4/9 - 4/14 and dealer had to pay for a rental car steering column boot was ordered and i had to take the vehicle back into the dealer on 4/23/04 to have them install it. after leaving the dealer on the 23rd, i realized that my horn, cruise control and left brake light were all inoperable, so i took the vehicle back into the dealer on 4/26/04. dealer found that the clock spring was not making contact, so they had to deactivate the airbag again to remove the steering wheel and replace the clock spring; for the rear brake light, the dealer had to replace the bulb element vehicle was in the dealer for two days and they had to pay for a rental car for me again, *ak

There was a burning smell coming from the vehicle's clutch and it wouldn't go into 1st or 2nd gear. the dealer was notified. ph the transmission failed , and the clutch burned. the cable was reinstalled. there was a chattering in the clutch, and the clutch pedal had gone to the floor before being able to shift. the entire clutch system was replaced. also the slave cylinder was bled. scc

While driving vehicle stalled causing the steering wheel to lock up and the system to shut down, after the vehicle sat for 30 min the vehicle could be restarted, the dealer has been contacted, consumer states the problem was the pcm. nlm

2002 ford escape xlt, vehicle would not start, engine turned over but soounded like it was going to blow up. after several attempts it finally started. it does this 2 or 3 times a day. dealer says no problem, it will fix itself. vehicles engine smoked on two occasions, thought the car was on fire. dealer says there is nothing wrong. vehicle will surge on its own, even with the brake depressed, almost as if i had floored it. i cannot drive 20 mph, it surges forward! last incident i had with the vehicle, i lost complete use of the brakes, no hydraulics, no nothing. pedal depressed right to the floor. almost got into a head on collision, used e-brake to stop. happened a second time later that day. took car to dealership, nothing is wrong. contacted ford rep. and they will not do anything to help me. i do not feel safe driving this vehicle. i do not wish to keep the vehicle.

On several occasions, while traveling on a steep curvy road at 25 mph, vehicle lost power brakes and power steering, consumer had to use both feet on brake pedal to control speed, oil and emission lights came on, consumer was able to turn off street onto parking lot and slow down enough to avoid crashing, engine was still on when vehicle came to a stop, dealer reflashed pcm and replaced mass airflow sensor, throttle body and iac solenoid. *ak *tt

Vehicle stalled at 35-40 mph. dealer replaced ecc power relay. mileage was 5162 miles. vehicle stalled again at same speed on 15 april 2002, dealer reprogrammed tcm. *ak

Bought vehicle 11/1/2001. the first time, 1/9/2002 with only 1547 miles, let off of gas, coasting down hill, approx 40 mph, car died, lost power steering and brakes. after coasting to a stop, car restarted. dealer replaced powertrain control module relay. 2nd time, on 5/3/2002, with 3949 miles, similar conditions, car died, lost power steering and brakes, car restarted after coasting to a stop. dealer changed the fuel mixture in the computer. i have serious doubts that this has fixed the problem.

I have owned the vehicle for 90 days. 30 of those days the vehicle was out of service. the car cannot be drive when gear assembly sticks.*ak

Vehicle cuts off when decelerating, going down a hill to accelerate up a hill. problem is intermittent. also, ford is aware of problem, but not sure of what solution could cure the problem. please provide more information.*ak

I bought the vehicle used. i am concerned with all of the updates that i have seen on the safety issue of the vehicle simply shutting down in the middle of driving. the problem i am dealing with is the 4wd is stuck in 4wd. the 4wd light isn't on, but when i turn sharply, i can feel the wheels grabbing for traction. it is at the dealership now (only had 2 weeks) and they have not identified the problem. *jb