Problems with 2008 Ford Escape ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

There is a bad weld on the ac condenser/ transmission cooler estimated cost $800. if not replaced transmission will fail. found multiple complaints. *tr

The condenser is combined with power steering and transmission. this vehicle should not of had a leak as it only has 28311 miles on it. this is bad for ground water as fluid leaks goes on street and into storm drains. cost to fix is about $700.00. *tr

I left the ford dealer's service center after having my car exhaust repaired and less than a quarter mile down the road i suddenly lost all power to the car and could no longer accelerate when i stepped on the gas pedal. i was traveling on a very busy road and i was extremely fortunate to roll into a parking lot without getting hit by another vehicle or causing a major accident. the ford dealer ship found that the throttle body malfunctioned. i found that ford is extending the warranty on this defective part for certain model years under a "customer satisfaction program". i contacted ford and they are refusing to extend the warranty on the throttle body for my car. i would like to find out why my car is excluded from this program. the part is obviously defective and should be replaced by ford per this program. *tr

I was driving down the highway slowing down to make a left hand turn and was unable to turn wheel. after researching it found out if you have the heat on it will cause the sensor to over heat. this is unacceptable. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 ford escape hybrid. the contact stated that while driving approximately 65 mph, the stop safely now warning message displayed as the vehicle stalled. the vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the electronic cooling pump needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the vehicle was repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 67,838 and the current mileage was unknown. updated 01/23/2014 *bf

Ac started blowing hot air. called dealership. when i took it there, started blowing cold again. has blown hot air for 30-40 minutes 2 more times then blow cold and act fine. monday, dropped off at dealership, they kept overnight, fixed moisture packs or something they called them. picked up car day before yesterday. yesterday, blew hot air again. went back to dealership, it was blowing cold again. they don't know what else to do and they are a ford dealership!!! *tr

Transmission defect on 2008 ford escapes. *tr

Purchased 2008 ford escape in june 2007. after around 25k miles the transmission was leaking fluid according to the ford service center we took it to. they repaired this at no cost since this was under the 3 year/36,000 mile warranty. had a minor issue back in august with the air fan not blowing air properly. the fan had to be placed on high before it would blow out any air. this was fixed and cost approx. 200 dollars since the warranty was out in june 2007. no big deal. then on october 30, around 73k miles on the car, it started stalling while driving and shaking violently. put on brakes it would start to stall and when giving gas it would shake and then stall. took it to the ford service shop which is also the dealer where we have purchased around 5 or 6 vehicles and who has always serviced our ford vehicles and were told that it needed a brand new transmission and since it is out of warranty this will cost $4,900.00. have checked on numerous websites and this is a common issue with ford escapes. i actually know someone who bought her vehicle at the same dealer, the same year vehicle and had the same exact problem with around the same mileage when her transmission went out as well as the fan problem. i do not feel that i should have to pay for this since we had the same issue back when the car only had 25k miles on it. this car is only 3 1/2 years old and we should not have these many issues with this car. i cannot afford to have it fixed so it will sit in my driveway. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 ford escape. the contact stated that the transmission fuel was leaking through the cooling system. the vehicle was parked when the contact noticed the leakage. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who replaced the transmission cooling system. the manufacturer was notified who advised that the vehicle was not covered under any recalls. they offered no further assistance. the failure mileage was 59,500. updated 10/04/11*lj updated 3/30/12 *cn

2008 ford escape has 68,000 miles on it, the transmission is jerking when shifting into first and second gear. it is really bad shifting to second, it's almost like the motor is dropping. my a/c also just started having issues, the fan only works on high. *tr

I have a 2008 ford escape and it seems there is a part in which the cars transmission could be ruined. this part is the a/c condenser which tends to go out every 20,000 miles which is my experience so far. there was a recall on this part but it seems it did not do any good because even after the replacement part is put in, the part still has to continue to be replaced in order to keep the car functioning as it should be. *tr

My issue began the same as many others i have read about on the internet, which screams, "where is the '08 ford escape transmission cooler recall?". i had a routine oil change & tire balancing on fri, 04/01/11 at my local ford dealership & by the following thurs, had noticed a somewhat large leaking-spot on my garage floor & a friends asphalt driveway. my first thought was to automatically relate this dark oil-like residue, to the recent oil change. at the same time, this leak/spot seemed to be coming from just behind the front bumper on the passenger-side, which didn't jive with the typical location of a more centered oil-leak. nonetheless, my ford advisor assumed the same thing i was; that the plug or filter was probably loose & to bring it in for immediate correction. here's where the shock & utter disbelief began. i was told my issue was not related to the recent oil change, but in fact a transmission fluid leak from a transmission cooler. i was also told this was not covered under the 36k warranty, since i was now at 37,099; nor was it under the transmission warranty. i was then taken back to my car where the tech explained that this "cooler" looks like a really thin radiator, but is actually a separate cooling unit that sits just in front of the radiator. i was then told the leak is a result of the constant vibration of this unit hitting the radiator, which eventually cracks the left (passenger-side) bolt area. he also said this is a common repair & that it only happens around the left bolt, not the right. i then asked how it wasn't going to reoccur if it's a known defect. he replied that ford knows about it & has now included a small rubber bushing that comes with the new replacement unit that somehow absorbs and/or prevents the vibration. i was initially told this was a $650 + repair, but by the grace of god, the advisor was able to get ford to approve my cost at $200. it wasn't $0, but better than others; so, "how is this obvious defect, not a recall?". *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 ford escape. the vehicle would exhibit an abnormal squealing when first starting. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer who advised that the alternator belt bracket pulley was defective and would need to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the contact called the manufacturer who offered no assistance. the current mileage was approximately 39,000. the failure mileage was approximately 38,900.

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 ford escape hybrid. while driving approximately 65-70 mph, the engine stalled and there was a beeping chime heard in the vehicle followed by a message displayed on the instrument panel instructing the contact to stop and pull over safely. the vehicle was coasted to the side of the road and the engine was restarted. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the electronic cooling pump was being replaced. the failure mileage was 51,000. the vin was unavailable.

A/c condenser-transmission cooler leak. trans. oil all over engine bay which is a fire hazard. car wants to take off on it's own which is caused when trans. fluid gets low. part needs to be replaced. there's hundreds of complaints on line of this particular problem and ford is yet to do a recall. *tr

Car burned down to the frame. turned the car on it started to smell like something was burning. smoke and fire started coming out of the a/c vents. the contact left the vehicle immediately and it went up in flames. after speaking with the police and firemen and they had a chance to look at the remains of the car once the fire was put out, the best conclusion they could come up with as to what happened was some sort of electrical fuse malfunction. updated 12/20/10 * bf the fire originated within the passenger compartment and then advanced into the engine compartment. the exact cause of the fire could not be determined. updated 12/27/10

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 ford escape. the contact stated that when stopped at a stop light, the accelerator pedal became stuck and would not move unless the consumers wife pressed on the bottom of the pedal firmly. the vehicle was taken to the dealership where he was informed that there was a clogged intake valve which would not allow the pressure in the pedal release. the vehicle had been repaired at the time of the complaint. the current and failure mileages were approximately 35,000. updated 06/02/10.*lj updated 05/11/10. *lj updated 08/18/10

2008 ford escape. consumer states vehicle loss all power while driving *tgw when the mechanic opened the hood, he discovered the engine was covered in fluid. the transmission cooler was leaking, as well as the coolant.

Car started jerking (or stopping) when stopped at stop signs/stop lights. i took to the dealer and they had to replace transmission cooler / a/c combo. *tr

The ac/condenser that also cools the automatic transmission is leaking. through research there are many other cars doing this as well. also have notice my vehicle surging at stops. vehicle repaired under warranty at dealership. advised several other vehicles in for the same problem. *tr

My 2008 ford escape started jerking during acceleration and shuttering at stop lights. no lights check engine light ever came on, and didn't happen all the time. finally the car stalled at a red light and i decided to bring it in. my ford dealership said its the transmission fluid leaking via the ac condenser. they are fixing it, $800 cost. *tr

Over the last several weeks i noticed my car running sluggish and jerky with no pep at all going up hills either. on 2 occasions my car almost stalled as i was pulling from a stop sign which almost caused 2 accidents. i also began noticing oil spots on my driveway. i thought i might have an oil leak since i just had an oil change about a month ago. when i called the dealer to explain my situation the ford tech. advised it had nothing to do with my oil change but rather a problem with my transmission fluid and a/c condenser. i questioned the tech on how he can diagnosis the problem so quickly with out even looking at the vehicle and he advised ford has tsb for this. i brought the car in for service and asked if this is a recall or covered under my warranty. i was advised it was neither and that i needed to pay for the repairs directly. the dealer replaced part # 818z19712j. i did some research on line and found numerous complaints with the same vehicle year and make dealing with the same problem i'm dealing with ie: transmission & ac condenser. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 ford escape. the contact stated that while at a stop light before entering the freeway. when he tried to move forward after the light, the vehicle completely shut down. the contact shifted to neutral and re-started the vehicle and the problem seemed to correct itself. he noticed the problem again and was able to re-start the vehicle almost immediately. there were no warning lights on the dashboard indicating a possible reason for failure. he took the vehicle to the dealership and the dealer told him that there was a flaw in the design of the vehicle and a leak in the transmission fluid compartment and the radiator was also destroyed. he was also told that the radiator, air conditioning condenser, the transmission fluid compartment and other components (not known to the contact) needed to be replaced. he called the manufacturer and filed a complaint. the manufacturer offered to cover half of the repairs if he signed a contract stating that he would no longer complain about the problem. the vehicle was being repaired at the time of the complaint. the current and failure mileages were approximately 49,000.

I bought a 2008 ford escape (used) and approximately 6 months after i bought it and 38,000 miles, i noticed the vehicle would lurch forward when i pressed on the accelerator. i started doing research and found that it may be a problem with the transmission and sure enough, found a large puddle of transmission fluid on the floor of my garage. i have to refill the transmission fluid weekly due to the massive amounts its leaking and am looking into getting this fixed now. *tr

1) limited use of vehicle, 28,000 miles on a 2008 escape (used moderately in cold weather situations) 2) transmission cooler failure, leaks cooler fluid and transmission fluid all over engine compartment. vehicle "springs" forward or stalls after coming to a stop (daily). vehicle loses a quart or more of fluid monthly. vehicle shifts very loudly and roughly (daily - is an automatic) 3) repair is quoted at $1000 dollars for replacement cooler piece. even though vehicle is still under power train warranty and under bumper to bumper warranty (for miles, not time which ended a week ago). dealer and ford motor company is uncooperative. *tr

Vehicle is leaking severe amount of transmission fluid just at warranty mark. dealer will not cover repair. there are a lot of complaints on internet in regard to this, it could cause a potential fire in vehicle or accident due to low levels of fluid, the control panel does not alert driver if transmission fluid level is low. *tr

I purchased a 2008 ford escape 2wd in february 2008. in january 2010, my husband noticed steam coming from my hood and something dripping on a our driveway. it has since been determined that my radiator is leaking where the plastic and metal parts are "sealed" together. unfortunately i was out of my 36k bumper to bumper warranty & this part is not covered under ford's powertrain warranty. i continue to drive my vehicle but check the radiator coolant level weekly. there is no guarantee that an identical radiator will not have the same problem. therefore, we are hesitant to pay the $800 the dealership asked for to fix. also, the back driver's side door sometimes will not open. it appears to lock & unlock but the door doesn't catch the hook to release & open. *tr

The car started to drive sluggish and hesitated in the middle of the street. after checking the transmission fluid i found that i was nearly empty. i refilled the tranny with about 3 quarts of fluid. the next day i checked it again and there was no fluid on the stick. i looked at the right passenger front side of the vehicle and saw were fluid was leaking from under the radiator. after having this checked out i am told that this is the transmission cooler and lines and there is no fix for the problem. it can be replaced but it will happen again according to the dealer. now, i have to put a quart or more in every day. there is no recall and the warranty does not cover this repair. this fluid leak could possible cause a fire under the hood and by dripping out so fast it could cause the vehicle to stop in traffic without warning. *tr

The ac/condenser that also cools the automatic transmission is leaking. through research there are many other cars doing this as well. *tr

My 2008 ford escape would slip or stall when accelerating. looked on web and found out needed new transmission cooler had to have replaced at my own expense since the transmission cooler has nothing to do with the transmission and is not covered under the powertrain warranty. *tr

2008 ford escape: failure mileage 21,775. engine rev-ed for no reason at < 10 mph. vehicle stalled while coming to stop. vehicle leaked large puddle of transmission fluid under right front passenger side. ford replaced transmission cooling assembly (part #8l8z-19712-j) under warranty noting tsb 09 09 04. i purchased this escape on 08-04-09 as a certifed used ford off a ford lease with mileage 20,227. i had not yet made the 1st payment. this appears to be an ongoing issue with many 2008 escape owners and over the long term causes damage to the transmission due to a dangerously flawed design. there is no recall at this time. *tr

2008 ford escape - i was informed that the fluid line leading from the transmission to the condenser had sprung a leak. after asking two separate ford dealers and doing a lot of web research, i have come to find that this issue is widely prevalent with this model and is a result of a design flaw. i asked about the replacement part and if it would suffer the same fate. i was told that the replacement part, engineered and manufactured by ford has been designed differently to accommodate the original flaw. this to me represents a situation where ford knew of this issue and failed to inform customers or issue a recall. as a result i am out almost $800 for the repair. ford will not cover it under warranty and accepts no responsibility for the defect. there is a technical safety bulletins issued on this defect tsb -08-5-7 if i recall right. it took me about 30 minutes to discover that this issue is wide spread and that all others affected with this problem on their ford escape vehicle have been given the same brush off by ford. something needs to be done about this. the resulting issue created by this problem, documented several places is a transmission failure. some have resulted in the vehicle jumping into gear and others creating a lurching issue which ultimately leads to a potential accident situation. *tr

The 2008 ford escape i own leaked transmission fluid through the a/c condenser. there was no warning lights engaged indicating a problem and the sudden starts began without warning. this is due to a factory defect and provides an unsafe driving environment given that the automobile's transmission does not engage properly due to the lack of fluid and surges forward. there is currently a tsb on this defect. there needs to be a recall before someone is injured since this is a common problem to all escape's manufactured prior to a february of 2008. the solution was to replace the condenser that has the faulty seam design. *tr

My vehicle would cut off when i stopped for red lights or stop signs. after taking it to the dealer multiple times they said the ac condenser was bad. it was replaced because it was covered by warranty. in 2009 at approximately 25000 miles. i began having the same problem. the dealer said that i was no longer covered by warranty and it would cost $800 to replace the ac condenser again. i purchased an ac condenser from the internet and had someone outside the dealer replace. now february 2014, i noticed a puddle under my vehicle and it was determined that once again my ac condenser needs to be repaired. once again i have had to replace this item. i currently have 150000 miles on my vehicle. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2008 ford escape. while driving 50 mph, the engine suddenly shut off. the gauges on the instrument panel continued to work and the contact pulled off the road. the vehicle was able to be restarted, but five minutes later, the failure recurred. the vehicle had only moved two meters. this failure occurred six times before he was able to find a mechanic a mile away. the mechanic stated that the water pump failed. the contact stated that he knows at least 20 people with the same vehicle, and are experiencing identical failures. the failure mileage was 39,148.

My 2008 escape has been to dealer for repair for major issues. 1) i had a problem with the steering wheel 2) i had a problem with the gas pedal getting stuck, 3) i had a problem with the leak of transmission fluid i thank god that the this happen to the car while its under warranty, so the dealer replace the parts for free. i just cant understand with so many complaints with all the same problems the government has not done anything about it. so many unhappy customers has to spend extra money in hard times to get there car repair. i called ford and they just told me that they will noted in my account. what will that do for me nothing! *tr

After coming for a drive out to parker lake, a 50 mile drive from my home, my new ford escape xlt awd stalled. loosing power and control. i was able to steer it over to the side of the road, luckily i was on a country road. i tried to start it but it wouldn't. i let it sit for about 2-5 min. and it started. i got it home and the next day it started right up. i was leaving from work yesterday feb. 11, 2008, and it again stalled on me in the middle of rush-work-hour traffic. it again wouldn't start, but after about 2-5 min. it did. i have had it towed to a dealer here in town, not to the dealer i bought it from. if i had been on the interstate and this happened i'm not so sure it would have been safe. you have done test and inspections in the pass on tributes and other cars with this issue. this is something that needs to be addressed again. before someone get hurt. *tr

Total hybrid / gasoline system failure while vehicle is being driven. *tr