Problems with 2003 Ford Escape ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford escape. the contact stated that while his vehicle was not running and sitting in his driveway, the vehicle caught on fire without warning. the contact was able to extinguish the fire on his own, no injuries occurred and no fire report was taken. upon investigation the contact associated nhtsa campaign number: 07v156000 (electrical system) with his failure. the contact spoke with a dealer (apple ford 3250 cape horn rd, red lion, pa 17356 717-429-0726) and was able to drive the vehicle to the dealer to determine the cause of the failure/fire. the dealer informed the contact that the fire was related to the recall associated with the vehicle. when the contact informed the manufacturer of the failure, they informed him that his vehicle was not included in the recall. the vehicle had not been repaired. the failure mileage was 175,000.

My escape started to miss, first it wasn't bad then started jerking and it started idling rough when i stopped at red light. when i started moving again it acted as if it would die and would go. if i get to 40 mph it is really bad. but this happened on main highway with other vehicles all around me and had 18 wheeler behind me and all of sudden my speed decreased and me and my children almost was in accident because of decrease in speed. it scared me and my two children. when i got it looked at the codes said it was missing on one cylinder then at one point all cylinders.

I have a 2003 escape that has a interesting problem with the rear hatch. when it is hot out side or the sun is shinning on the rear hatch the lock will not unlock,all the other doors do. when it gets dark or the door cool down the nit will unlock with the rest of the doors. our rear hatch. intermittently working and then not working at all. after looking in the search engine on this forum, under "rear hatch won't open" i found a posting listing the part # for the solenoid only, from an aftermarket source. (ford makes you buy the whole handle and actuator assy. for $200 or so). the solenoid was $10 plus shipping. installation was straight forward except the rod that connects the solenoid to the mechanism needs to be modified and the wires spliced instead of the modular plug on the stock one. if your not that mechanical, you may want the dealership to do it , but if you have some skills, you can save a lot of money! (if ford had put a freaking key hole on the rear hatch it wouldn't be such a big deal) search the threads and you will find the post for the part. hope this helps.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford escape. while driving approximately 20 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. the failure recurred numerous times. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 04v165000 (power train). the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 130,000.

The car was parked in a shopping center parking lot no one was in it. it some how caught on fire, when we got the fire out and towed to the shop, it was the alternator that caused the fire and did several $1000.00 damage. there were no issues with the car no warning lights.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford escape. the contact stated that within months of owning the vehicle, that there was a progressing failure with a loss of the battery power, and the anti-theft alarm and horn randomly sounded without warning. the contact attempted to recharge the battery, but the failure continued with the anti-theft alarm sounding whether the door was opened or closed. after a while, the horn and anti-theft alarms stopped, but the failure progressed to the point that the vehicle was unsafe to be driven. the vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. the manufacturer was to be notified to determine a repair solution for the vehicle. the vin and failure mileage were not available.

While i was driving back from the shooting range the engine did a hesitation and then when i pushed down on the gas to see if it would clear up the instrument panel gauges went haywire. the fuel, speed, rpm and heating cluster level arms all went to the max point and when i let off the acceleration to pull over the cluster panel gauges died like there was no power and when the engine idle leveled off the gauges went back to normal. the instrument panel did it 4 more times before i actually got home. i am afraid to drive it to work and this is my only transportation. what is causing the issue with this? i need to know as soon as possible. thanks.

Tl* the contact owned a 2003 ford escape. while driving approximately 5 mph, there was smoke coming from the front driver side of the vehicle without warning. the contact discovered flames underneath the vehicle. a police officer extinguished the fire. the vehicle was destroyed and towed to an independent mechanic. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 180,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford escape. the contact stated that the vehicle failed to start several times without warning when the key was turned in the ignition. in addition, the vehicle stalled without warning more than once. the rpms raced and, at times, the instrument panel would become dim upon experiencing an electrical short or internal failure. the dealer was notified of the failures and stated that the vehicle needed to be diagnosed. the manufacturer was not notified. the contact was uncertain if the vehicle would be repaired because the dealer stated that there was a manufacturer recall for these failures; however, the vin was excluded. the recall details and failure mileage were not available. *tt *js

My 2003 for escape refuses to start after being driven until several hours if not days later. i have replaced the starter twice the first time it worked for 2 months and it did it again on 9-2-14 replaced the starter again and it will not start still there is no power going to any of the electrical parts in the engine compartment and there is a strong smell of fuel. i have replaced all relays and fuses and still nothing. i was stranded with my 5 month old and 16 month old in 100 degree weather. *tr

I cant remember i just remember my head lights going out and i tried to control my car and couldn't. *tr

Vehicle stalls or will not start as described in ford recall number 04s13. i have replaced multiple parts including fuel pump, gas cap, fuel filter,etc. and now i found that there was a problem with the pcm programming on this vehicle. i purchased this truck used and do not know if this was serviced. this is a dangerous problem as stalling can cause an accident. *tr

I had the alternator go out in the middle of a busy intersection in the middle of rush hour traffic. i was very fortunate not to have gotten hit. however, there was an accident involving 2 other vehicles due to my being stopped. an alternator going out is not normally something to file a complaint on. it went out again in 4 days. ok, bad alternator, it happens. i get on google to find out that this is an ongoing problem with the 2003 escapes and it's listed all over the internet. i had no advanced warning that this was going out. i'm almost afraid to drive out of town. i don't know about you all, but, i am financially in bad shape due to the economy. i am working full time for the same wages i made in the 1980's i can't afford multiple automobile repairs for a problem that requires as much time to replace as this does. the front axle has to be removed in order to replace it so it is not a cheap repair. why would a repair shop want to honor a faulty part when evidently it's an ongoing problem with the vehicle. i sure wouldn't!!! when is this alternator defect going to cause a serious accident and someone's kids get killed. had i been farther into the intersection, it would have been much worse.[xxx] like i said, i had no warning, it just died. i have 160,000 miles on the vehicle so i can understand the first one going out. but what about the 2nd 4 days later? and this is a nationwide problem that has been going on for several years and ford is aware of it!!! information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6) *tt

On may 8,2013, the anti-theft alarm sounded while my car sat in the driveway. it had not been driven for 3 + hours. upon investigation of the alarm, there was smoke coming from the engine compartment. the wiring harness attached to the abs had a small flame and smoke from its wiring insulation. after extinguishing the flame and disconnecting the battery, i called for a tow . the safety features worked well and locked out the entire auto system. the service technician said there was a recall ( recall 07s51 suppl #2 dtd 9 oct 2009 ) and that ford should probably provide a fix or credit toward said fix. the car was then towed to a ford dealership. the current status is: 1.) the wiring harness is no longer manufactured by ford and the dealership has no approved provisions to secure a harness. 2.) recall 07s51 was implemented per their records so there is no provision for the dealership to fix this issue even if they could get a wiring harness and then troubleshoot the extent of the damage.3.) my private insurance's comprehensive plan does not cover a vehicle sitting static for a wiring fire. 4.) i am awaiting forms from ford quality group to plea for consideration. once the forms are completed and received by ford corporate offices, their lawyers will require approx 15 days to make a determination if my claim has merit. *tr

When i am driving my car will try to die and all gauges will go to the highest rpm, speed, and full gas, then it will go back to zero and then proceed to the speed i was going, the battery light will keep flashing but no check engine light comes on. when i researched it, it seems that on more than ten occasions if not more are having the same electrical problem and no garage can figure out, they try replacing alternators, batteries, and wires and grounds and nothing is working, it can't be read on codes because nothing is showing up. if you ask me this should be a recall because if you search it in bing over two hundred matches comes up with the same complaint!!! *tr

this vehicle has a bad misfire problem,rough idle as well as bad hitching on highway. looked it up on yahoo answers and a lot of people are having the same problem. is there going to be a recall on these vehicles. i'm hearing faulty computers. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford escape. the contact stated the air bags light illuminates and there was a constant beeping sound in the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who ran a diagnostic test and there was a code#b1869 stating the wiring harness for the driver and passenger seats and body harnesses needed to be replaced. this would be an expense of $686 to the contact. the manufacturer was notified who offered no assistance. the failure mileage was 86,000.

I have a ford 2003 escape 6 cyl. bought in may of 2004 new - 76 miles on it test driven from a dealer in schulenburg, tx - the check engine light came on - the pcm computer went out and blew a spark plug on 1/16/2011 - i had to replace the pcm (which i was told should have been a recall on the 2003 ford escape) since this should never go out on the car. the mileage was only 43,625 on 1/16/2011 when this happened. i have the car for 7-8 yrs. now. i had to replace the pcm with a remanufactured (since it would cost way more for a new one) pcm - electronic ignition costing me just over $2,100. again, this part was intended to never go out for the life of the car, period. this should have been a recall on ford motor companies part - and i was told to complain and record this to nhtsa as others have, and if enough do, they would have to recall. i am not sure if i am in the right place to place this complaint. *tr

I have a 03 ford escape, and the trouble is endless. the car will not start at times and it is a strong smell of gas when this happens. i have had it in and out of the shop about 6 times and has had the car for only 2 years. the failure to start is scary because you don't know if the car is going to explode or what. the dealership tells me that it is a sensor that goes out and tells the car it doesn't have to start. been replaced 6 times and the other day it did it again. i hate to go out of town because of the fear of getting stranded on the highway. and another thing the smell of the engine is crazy my daughter has asthma and talking about a problem for her it is. i can go to work and go back 30 minutes later to my car and you can tell that it is still smelling of course where i got it from they told me that it was no concern it was due to the fact of them dropping oil when they did a change, come on people 2 months later. i fear that one day it will explode i just pray to god that my family is not in there. the airbag light will not go off and from reading in here i am scared to death. something really needs to be done about this problem before some family loses a member. *tr

The key cannot be inserted into the ignition switch easily. on several occasions had to move the steering wheel back and forth to get it to engage. it was getting worse, and i would expect this to fail soon. it even happened at the dealer, and they had trouble getting it to engage.*ak

Vehicle stalls suddenly without notice and the steering and brakes will not function. very dangerous situation that has occurred several times. dealership says they have never heard of this issue. 2003 ford escape. vehicle is the year included in the recall and came from the same kansas plant but it shows no recall. contacted ford directly and was told they have also not heard of this issue. *jb

I've read online several others that have had problems with the air bag light in the 2003 ford escape. my air bag light goes on and stays on about 2ce a week. *jb

The 2003 ford escape died when going to a stop or prior to acceleration. no apparent reason. this has continued to happen. i contacted ford ,and they told me it was probably bad gas. this has been going on for months. also, i had to pull to the side of the road and check for fire inside of the vehicle. as there was a very strong smell of burning rubber or wire. no fire found yet. engine will race for no apparent reason. vehicle attempted to roll forward after it has been put in park and even after it has been turned off. today one more nightmare has began. i drove the escape approximately 4 minutes, returned home, and killed the vehicle. it will not start. if i turned the key to the 3rd position all lights went out. it will not move out of park. this has been a complete nightmare trying to keep this vehicle going. i have tried on numerous occasions to get the vehicle into ford for recall on abs. they can give approximate date, but nothing definite. *ak

My 2003 ford escape stalls when placed in to gear and sometimes when stopping. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated while driving various speeds at night, the instrument cluster panel lights failed to illuminate without warning. the vehicle was inspected by a dealer who determined the inner dash panel light that illuminated the instrument panel had shorted out and needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was alerted.

I had a 2003 ford escape that started having problems starting. it was usually when i had left the vehicle for 8 or more hours. i would try to start it and it would hesitate and take a while to start it. after a few tries it would jerk back at me and start. this was a problem for about 2-months. on may 26, 2006 i left my vehicle in the parking lot at work. it was the first really hot day (90+ degrees) of the year. when i got back to my car it hesitated when i cranked it. i cranked it again and it popped back and me and then there was an explosion. there was smoke coming out of the hood. i opened the hood (burning my finger in the process) and found parts and pieces everywhere. i took it to the ford dealership and the upper intake manifold blew apart. the dealer never gave us a reason why (we pushed but we were told that it shouldn't have happened and that the engineer was on vacation). we had the upper intake manifold fixed and it cost us a lot of money out-of-pocket. i asked them for the old upper intake manifold back, but they wouldn't give it back. i was always intending to file a complaint. the ford was 3-years old with 54,000 miles on it, so it was out of warranty, although the dealer stated that it was a faulty part that caused the problem? it is possible that it was n a horrible misfire, but we aren't sure. i do know that it scared me and could have hurt someone. luckily the vehicle did not catch on fire. the problem was fixed for 2-months when the vehicle started hesitating again when i started it. i was terrified to drive it and the dealer told me it was unrelated but i could pay (again) to have it looked at. i started having panic attacks when driving the vehicle, so we traded it in. i would like a refund and to stop this from happening to other people. *nm

2003 ford escape parked in garage located at 7755 sunset drive, elmwood park illinois. vehicle spontaneously burned. the garage was a lofted structure with storage containing 30 years of possessions. the car, garage and personal items were destroyed by the fire. this occurred at 5:00am on a sunday morning after the car had been parked in the garage from the saturday afternoon before. *jb

Since the beginning of 2003 consumer complained about starting problems. there had been incidents where the vehicle stalled at intersections, and could not be restarted. consumer took vehicle to dealer for inspection seven times. could not figure out the cause of the problem. *ak

The engine of my 2003 ford escape (v6, automatic) dies when going into reverse occasionally. since mid of june, 2004, it has happened 5 times (today is july 25, 2004). we have sent the car to ford dealer three times already. they could not duplicate the problem and hence could not fix it. *ak

Upon turning the ignition to the "on" position in my 2003 ford escape, the sunroof will automatically open. this occurs when the vehicle has been turned off between 10-15 minutes, and then restarted. this has occurred 6 times within a 4 week period. *nlm

My 2003 ford escape intermittently stalls when going into reverse. after the 2nd trip to the dealership they replaced the computer, it is still happening. now it is happening in drive as well. i've had the car since december 2002 and it has stalled out a total of 11 times. the vehicle has 8000 miles on it.*ak

2003 ford escape v-6 automatic vehicle stalled on freeway for no reason. *ak

Previous complaint: stalling of 2003 escape. i returned vehicle back to the dealer and they installed a new eec and trouble shot the system. the work performed did not fix the problem and now it is seven days later and the stalling has returned. the onboard computer does not revel any problems so this more than likely will be an ongoing issue. *jb

My 2003 ford escape has a stalling problem. it has stalled at least ten to twelve times in the last 14 days. the conditions during the stalling vary: on an incline, coming to stop and on straight away level terrain. it has also stalled and restarted much like a hesitation. *ak

After driving car, parking and starting again, it will start but will not keep running. usually can wait a few minutes with hood up and will be ok. today (10/26/2019) it would not keep running. had it towed. purchased new 06/2003 and has always happened. ford mechanics other mechanics do not know why.