Ford Motor Escape Consumer Reviews

I bought my first new car off the lot in January of 2008. Yep a brand spanking new 08 Ford Escape. I struggled with buying a Ford because of some of their history with shotty vehicles (the Mercury Topaz, need I say more?). But my Grandpa retired from Ford and I had a discount buy in deal. I had trouble with my vehicle early on. First it was the Transmission cooling system had a leak. My car was lurching and sputtering while driving down the road almost causing an accident at one point.

I made an appointment at the dealership where I purchased the vehicle. Ford technicians were quick to inform me that I was 2000 miles over my warranty and the repair would cost $700.00. I was appalled that my new car had such a big problem so early on. I talked with Ford and they said because I had been a loyal customer they were going to fix my car for only a 50 dollar fee. Woo Hoo, I had been such a good Ford customer that they were helping me out! Wrong, little did I know that this was a very common problem that a lot of people were experiencing with this year and model.

I went on my merry way and made it about 25,000 miles down the road and my entire transmission gave out while driving near my home. I had it towed to the Ford dealership once again explain the problem and the wait begins. They call me three days later to tell me I need a 130$ battery before they can run a diagnostic. "OK" I say "put it in and let me know what you find out". Four days later I Finally CALL THEM BACK and they inform me that the transmission is out and it will cost me $3900.00 to replace ("Oh and don't forget the charge for the battery ma'am"). Where is my loyal customer discount now?

My car is a little over three years old. It has never been driven more than 200 miles from home and never gone over 85 miles per hour! It was maintained by Ford, not always right on time but within a reasonable time frame. How in the world can it have a failed Transmission? I can't afford to repair my car. I will however continue to pay it off as it sits in my driveway.

The salesman that sold me the vehicle said he just "felt terrible about my LUCK". He had no idea Ford Escapes had such a transmission problem. I thought to myself "hmmmm GOOGLE IT BUDDY". After all I did and found page after page of sites talking about this faulty transmission clamp and eventual transmission failure.

It was obvious that Ford once again has duped the American consumers with the whole built ford tough. If that's the case then show me the way to the Honda built strong dealership because that motor company seems to be building a much better product. I can't believe that Ford can get away with making shotty vehicles. We as consumers need to stand up and stand together and demand that our vehicles be fixed, replaced or bought back.

Maybe if enough people got together and found a way to hold Ford Motor Company responsible for this substandard craftsmanship they would be forced to make a vehicle that lasts. When do we say ENOUGH is ENOUGH? Boy do I regret my decision to cut corners with Ford. I guarantee I would be doing better right now with even a used Honda!!!!!!

I have a 2005 Ford Escape. I love the body style, space, amenities, etc. Performance, on the other hand, is AWFUL. FIRST INCIDENT: The vehicle was a couple years old and I was in a traffic jam in the middle of winter and turned on the rear defrost and approximately 3 seconds later the back window exploded. Glass was everywhere including on my dogs in the backseat who were terrified. Thank God it wasn't a child back there.

The window was all gone except around the very edges. You could see "burn" type marks on the lines of the defroster that were left on those edges. Took it to dealership and was asked "how fast were you traveling?" "Did you hit any bumps?" REALLY? The window explodes and somehow it's my fault. They said "it's not defective so you'll want to claim the repairs on your insurance because it's expensive".

Called, wrote and emailed everyone I could. The only responses were "What is it you're looking for from us". How about they reimburse me? Got nowhere. Everyone I was in contact with said "Can't help ya". Side note: This was my husband and I's 6th Ford in 12 years and between the 2 of us we owned 3 Fords at the time. Hmmm, thought as good customers we would be treated better.

Then a year later the computer went out. Fortunately that was covered under an "unannounced recall". Computer was fixed for free but not the items that got damaged because the computer went out (the coils, etc. shut down because the computer shut down). $1,400.00 later I was back on the road. This summer the air conditioner stopped working. I didn't bother spending the hundreds of dollars they wanted and go without air conditioning. This week the transmission went out. $4,200 later I can get back on the road. So, what am I missing here?

The car is barely 5 years old and I've put $6,000 additional into it. Obviously this doesn't include the amount I've spent on tires, brakes, etc... General maintenance. BUT, those I expect to pay, the others NOT SO MUCH. My husband and I used to be loyal customers but they have lost us and many friends and family members for life. It's a shame that the vehicles are not made to last and the customer service and loyalty are non-existent. Hmmmm, they wonder why people buy foreign.

DEARBORN, MICHIGAN -- We purchased a new 2009 Ford Escape Hybrid. Whenever it rains, water comes in on the inside of the front doors. Both dealer and Ford Company maintains that the vehicle is operating within Ford specifications. Many emails have been sent back and forth to Ford and in addition to many answers they suggest that we go to another dealer for another assessment. That would of course not only be an additional cost for us, but absolutely absurd going to another dealer who would have every right to tell us that we should have purchased the car from them.

Again, quite absurd for Ford to suggest this especially after telling us that our dealer has factory trained technicians, comprehensive service information and specialized equipment to resolved our concerns. We have been in touch several times with the dealer where the car was purchased and the last step they took was to call Ford Motor Company for our problem and along with all the prior answers received, Ford related that if they received more complaints regarding this water problem, they would look into the problem. But at this time, they feel we should accept this water coming inside the door because as they claim "its within Ford's specifications".

The dealer was also advised by Ford that they would be allowed and attempt to repair with additional seals to stop the water. However, we would have to sign a waiver that would void any further warranty for such repair work if it did not solve the problem. We could not accept this restriction.

On June 1, 2009 we wrote a letter to Mr. Alan Mulally, President and CEO with a copy to William Clay Ford Jr., Executive Chairman, both of Ford Motor Company, by return receipt requested. We did not receive a courtesy telephone or written answer from either one. We then tried to contact both of them with a telephone call and we were told that these executives were just too busy to talk to us. Thank you for your time.

LAKEWOOD, COLORADO -- At 26,000 miles, our 2006 Ford Escape started having a pulsating in the brakes when you came to a stop. Took it into a Ford dealer for service. Their answer was, "We'll turn the rotors." They did and that did not solve the pulsating problem. We took it back to them a second time for the same problem. Their answer was, "We'll turn the rotors." I said that did not work the first time and their answer was, "We'll turn the rotors." That did not solve the problem.

Took it back to them a third time. They answer was, "We'll turn the rotors." Again, I said that didn't do anything the first two times but they said, "We'll turn the rotors." I expressed concern that they were turning the rotors so much they could get to be below spec. They said, "No problem... there's lots of metal left." This third turning of the rotors did not solve the problem. At this point, we took it to another Ford dealer.

Explained the pulsating problem and they said, "We'll turn the rotors." At that point I got a call from the service rep telling me the rotors were too thin to turn and the rotors and pads had to be replaced at $450 cost to me. Even though Ford authorized service people insisted on turning the rotors 3 times to the point that are not serviceable, I am now expected to pay for new rotors and pads.

No one at Ford showed any interest in finding the cause of the problem, i.e., what caused the brakes to begin pulsating at 26,000 miles. I talked to Ford Customer Service people at the Regional Office. Their oft repeated position is that the warranty does not cover brake pads or rotors and therefore they will not replace the rotors or pads. No matter that their mechanics turned the rotors so far that they are not serviceable anymore. I am to pay $450 for their mistakes in attempting to correct a problem.

Suffice it to say I will never buy a Ford product again and will advise anyone to not buy Ford. Ford does not stand behind their products or services.

2003 Ford Escape story. The car had 64,000 kms on it, 4,000 over warranty and was 3 1/2 years old. Since new, it had been maintained as per the schedule published by Ford as well as having "Crown Rust proofing" to protect it from our dreadful winters. My 14 year old Dodge Dakota looks factory-new except for the parking lot door dings from inconsiderate others. But, that is another story. Crown works!

Back to my Ford situation. After a hand wash, I noticed that paint was starting to delaminate above the front windshield. Close examination showed delaminating on the rear tailgate. Over the next month, large pieces of paint peeled off the car. I went to the local Ford dealer and spoke with the body manager who informed me that this was my problem, not his, and since the warranty was expired, a paint repair would come out of my pocket.

Conversations with Ford went nowhere. During one exchange with Ford Canada, the person on the other end of the phone told me that there was a note on my file that stated that the car had been repainted. This apparently came from the body manager whom I initially spoke to about the problem.

I owned the car since new and adamantly stated that the paint or what was left of the shoddy paint was indeed original. My next visit to the dealer in no uncertain terms I told the manager that I didn't appreciate being insulted and called a liar regarding the paint problem.

Ford walked away from the problem and I walked away from Ford. To this day I look at the same model of Escape which I had and continually I see paint peeling in the same places as my former vehicle. Obviously Ford has a problem with the process of getting paint to adhere to some models of their vehicles. After absorbing a huge depreciation expense of the private sale of my Escape, I purchased a Lexus GX470.

Never will I own a Ford again. Poor workmanship, poor body fit, poor paint, poor dealer service. I pass on my Ford story to anyone who will listen. Lexus quality and service has been a dream after the Ford experience.

NEW JERSEY -- An angel must have been riding with me in the passenger seat of my 2003 Ford Escape on June 2, 2005... I was lucky to have survived my accident. My tale of woe begins when I received a recall notice for the accelerator cable for my vehicle in January 2005. Although I promptly had the vehicle serviced at the dealership from which it had been purchased this seemed to not matter in my case.

A mere 5 months later, as I was driving home from work one evening, the accelerator pedal stuck down to the floor of my vehicle and the brakes wouldn't engage. As I was fast approaching an intersection where vehicles were stopped at a red light and a gas station stood on the corner, my vehicle was still accelerating on its own, now at about 50mph.

So I took a deep breath, said a quick prayer, and jerked the steering wheel to the right onto someone's lawn just to get off of the road. I somehow managed to drive in between two trees but didn't see the next one that broke my fall. As I sat there bleeding profusely and trapped in my mangled vehicle until rescue workers could cut me out all I could do was thank God that I didn't kill anyone.

I hired an attorney, who sought the expertise of both an automotive engineer and a mechanic, but to no avail. They determined that there was no obvious evidence of a manufacturer's defect. Since I couldn't afford to pursue this on my own I had to drop the case.

Although I'll never be compensated by Ford for my pain and suffering (which includes surgery to repair the open compound fracture of my elbow and the torn ligament in my wrist, the chip fracture in my hip socket, and the nightmares which often wake me) at the very least I have Ford to thank for the overdue vacation from work that I finally got to take (3 months of disability), for the motivation to finally start a workout routine (weekly visits to physical therapy), and for the get-out-of-jail-free card to help me get through airport security/metal detectors (metal implants id card). Enough said...

ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO -- The brakes on my 2005 Ford Escape started making terrible grinding noises. I was told by two shops that my pads needed to be replaced. Had them replaced but the problem continued. The pads were replace again - problem persisted. Since then, I've had 3 shops look at the brakes and they couldn't find the problem. I finally took it to Ford (I was told $19.99 for inspection but they CHARGED me $102.93). They told me I had 'chatter marks' and needed to replace all 4 rotors for $700. They told me you couldn't miss the 'chatter marks'. Funny how none of the other places saw the marks.

I did some research about 'Chatter Marks' - nothing really but a lot of information on this same brake grinding problem on the Escape. I called Ford and they said can't do anything because I took it to another shop. I've been buying Fords for 20 years! They just lost a loyal customer - I'll never buy a Ford again!!!

I purchased a 2005 Ford Escape with 19,000 miles at the end of 2005. I know purchasing a pre-owned program vehicle is taking a chance but I never expected all the major problems this vehicle has delivered. At 70,000 miles the transmission (automatic) was just fine on the way to the grocery store and had never slipped or given any signs of a problem. However, leaving the grocery store I started the engine, put it in gear and absolutely nothing happened. The Ford dealer put it on the computer and it show complete internal failure. That cost me $3000 out of pocket to replace.

Unfortunately, that was not the end. As of last week, I now have 124,000 highway miles and my new diagnosis is complete engine failure. The preventive maintenance schedule has always been more than up to date and I am now looking at $5000 for a new engine that Ford is recommending. I have no choice but to buy this as I still owe on the vehicle. Ford has not been willing to help me in any way except to apologize for my problems. I have always driven Fords in the past, but am seriously considering other options for future purchases.

From day one of the purchase, the seats in the vehicle stained as if they were used seats. Complained to the dealer and their reply was to read the manual on how to look after the seats. Very, very dissatisfied.

DEARBORN, MICHIGAN -- Sometimes when I get in the car, my knee bumps into the light switch and moves it to the LIGHTS OFF position. Not a good thing.