Owners' Stories

we are having all kinds of things go wrong we are blowing break lines left and right the accelerator cable is giving us hell and come to find out all the issues we are having is what has been recalled but we just got it used in 2010 so we are stuck with it broke abs light and brake light always on and feels like the front end is falling apart

pulling a u-haul up a small hill. Car down shifted to 2nd gear, rpm and mph dropped. Would not up shift to drive. Had car towed to dealer. They could not find any problem, but thinks that it was not exhausting propperly and that the exhaust was flowing back into the engine. Check engine light did not come on at anytime. Do I have a problem?

I bought the vehicle with 208000 miles, It needed the tranny rebuilt. After rebuilding the transmission i was able to drive it. It ran rough and was hard starting, I replaced 4 coil on plugs that were obviously cracked, was still getting a miss at idle in gear and a code for cylinder 4, so I changed that coil pack too, it was better but in overdrive it had a miss , stumble, or hesitation whenever you gave it some throttle but not enough to kick down. just a stumble in overdrive when kinda lugging it. I changed a bunch of sensors to no avail, every sensor! Still had the stumble. I replaced the 6th coil pack and it still had the stumble. So I purposly drove it up hills with the throttle in that spot to make it miss enough to through a code. It would then through random misfire code and cylinder 1 and 3 misfire. I thought it must be a fuel problem, I verified that it had good fuel pressure and a new fuel filter. Still stumbled in overdrive. I put a tank of premium in it and 5 diferent types of injector cleaner in it at once and (techron) and I prayed to GOD and begged him to have mercy on my soul. The car drove smoother and smoother within 20 miles was driving like a new car!!! Thank you LORD!! That is my true story, I wasted a lot of money on several sensors I didn't need, first thing I should have done was injector cleaner and replace all the coil packs. Good luck with yours. James at Alaska Mobile Automotive.

Bought new and love the vehicle! We have stuffed it to the gills and taken it up mountains to Yellowstone - still plenty of power in the 4cyl and great gas mileage. 80K on it now and beginning to see the start of maint items - it's in for a trans-to-axle seal replacement ($440 - gasp!) and needs new tires this winter.

Bought my 2003,6 cyl. 4WD Escape, in 2004, with 74,000 miles on it. Whoever owned this car before I did drove a ton in one year! This car is great! One recall on it, something with the ABS Unit catching on fire, minor wear and tear, great 4WD. I had a major problem with the running lights and interior lights shutting off while driving, headlights remained on, found out it was a relay that had filled with water, because the water drain had clogged up, backflowing the water behind the fuse box, filling the relay with water. When it overheated, the lights went out! $230.00 repair, not bad, better than a $300.00 ticket!

Bought this car new recently, love it except for one thing. It frequently has hesitation and surging. Mentioned it to the dealer but they basically blew me off and said something about putting more miles on it and "flex fuel is different" Now i have about 3500 miles on it and it still does it intermittently.

have had to replace the roters 3 times and completely replace the ENTIRE transmission. AC has always smelled like mold when you turn the car on. Have had to replace the battery 3 times. We'll probably never buy another Ford again. We're just holding our breath until the next repair to it. Hate this SUV.

Best vehicle I ever owned.

one of the best cars I ever bought

Debra McClelland Sebring, FL. February 22, 2011 Best vehicle I ever bought. Have had almost 6 years only replaced battery. Been rear ended twice-no damage to my vehicle.Love it !!!!! thank you Ford.

One of the best vehicles I have ever owned, and I have owned several. Just installed a new battery after (5) years. Brake pads of course and new wiper blades. Will keep this car for many years. The clearcoat sealer Ford used keeps the car looking new, even in our severe winters. The only con: tires that come with are cheapies, loud and rough ridinig. Switched to Michelin's and what a difference.

2007 ford escape bought it new and it now has over 80,000 miles on it. During the time i have owned it,, Ive had to replace the Engine, transmission output seals, two alternators, two AC Compressors, two serpintine belts, tensioner pulley, half of the exhaust, two complete brake jobs, and a window regulator with motor because the cable broke. Thank God I bought the extended warranty, it paid for the engine and the transmission seals everything else was out of pocket

I have owned a 2003 Escape for 5 years. It now sits in the yard with a transmission that has completely failed. The white paint has started peeling off in large patches on the roof and the back hatch around the rear window. It leaks oil and it chews up front break pads like chewing gum. And it has horrible gas mileage. This is the worst vehicle I have ever owned! I DO NOT recommend it to anyone. It will cost over $2,000 just to get the transmission fixed, then I'm sure something else will break down on it after that.

I bought my 2005 Escape XLT used over a year ago. Absolutely love this vehicle! Obviously, since it's used and almost 6yrs old, I expect to have to replace things on it eventually. So far, it's been only brakes. Which do not cost much when you do the work yourself. Numberous friends have owned the same vehicle for much longer than I have and they've had no problems. I would buy this vehicle over and over again!!

My wife says that this is the best vehicle that she has ever owned. Good visability when changing lanes and parking. No major issues. We plan to own this vehicle a long time.

I just bought my 03 escape in sept and man i love it I love to drive it it seems ford made this vehicle for me , It was like it was made just for me , It drives great looks great, I m a poor cat but it makes me feel rich when Im in it . Thanks Ford for making my suv and thak Honda /toyota for having in stock for me to buy . AWESOME RIDE !!!!!!

Purchased 2003 Ford Escape Limited 3.0 V6 Feb 2010-veh had 40K on it, currently has 56K. Replaced belt/hoses in July, ignition coil in December, and now FULL brakes, pads, calipers, ect to the tune of 1200.00 this week. Would NOT recommend this vehicle to anyone!! Currently attempting to get dealer to replace.d

Had numerous problems. Ignition switch went bad twice Rear seat would not latch twice Transmission oil cooler leaked Seats stain very very easy Tailgate rattle

I bought it new in April '04 now has 207,445 miles on the V6 and still runs like new, no repairs outside of normal maintance.Thanks Ford

I own a 2007 FORD ESCAPE it has 48,000 miles on it. I bought it brand new. It was in snow country for 3 months. Took it for brakes yesterday and the mechanic showed me and made me very aware that the whole entire under carriage is rusted out. He just broke pieces of my brakes, rotors,calipers right off. The exhaust is same way,cables,wiring,horn,radiator,battery box & spots on the frame!!! I can not understand it..what do I do now.

I bought my Escape in November 2006 and I LOVE it. It is perfect for my young family of four. It is great on gas and comfort for the 70mile round trip commute that I drive 5 days a week. I am very consistant with my 3,000 mile oil changes and orther required maintenance and I couldn't ask for a more reliable vehicle. I think as long as a person is driving their vehicle the way that it is intended, any vehicle should last a long time.

Where do I start, welll I just paid $4,000 to get a new transmission installed, The truck only had 73k miles on it the transmission went out. The brakes whre out very fast I bought it new in 2002 and already had two brake jobs costing over $400 each. I also had to replace front suspension parts , tie rods, upper/lower control arms damaged by regular wear and tear on street driving. Rust is forming in the inside rear door wells. The radio keeps jam ming my cds inside. Connector to one of the headlights shorted out,(plastic was melting) lucky truck didn't catch on fire. Vehicle sensative to high moisture air, trys to stall when humidity is very high. This will be my last Escape

I had to replace bad Ford brake rotors twice and had a complete transmission failure at 105,000 miles. Also replaced two ignition coils on the front due to moisture problems. It's a shame because the car runs and drives great when not in need of repair.

I bought my 2001 Escape for my wife in New Jersey. It was on an angled ramp waiting for me to by it. The Escape is yellow and black. The truck looks like it would have been on a set for Bay Watch. I maintained it from the start and it now has 138,000 miles. It needed repairs since I had it. I can not complain because my wife and I have never missed a day of work since I bought it. If you take care of your truck the truck will take care of you! My truck is as clean as the day I set eyes on it.

bought leftover 2009 alot of wear /tear my daughter users it for school round trip 80 miles aday so far 56000 miles one set new tires one tensionbelt bearing and ac blowerresister "very pleased" with truck

I brought this Escape in 2005, used great only problem water pump replaced April, 2010 and now I need to have the A/C Compressor replaced July, 2010. Other than that I love my Escape with her 120,000 miles.

Thanks Ford for a great truck

This car was great until about 60k miles and since then has required many repairs. Brakes are expensive to repair and at 108k miles it has failed a smog test. Fabric on interior door panels began peeling off even on passanger side which is rarely used. Would not recommend this vehicle to anyone. Hopefully newer models are better.

I still have mine and very pleased. The only thing that I had problem, 2yrs ago. gave it gas and it felt like something was blocking the paddle, that's what it felt like, came to be there's a" rubber ring like" and it got hard durning winter,got it replaced and now no problems. Regular maint. and 48,000 miles plus and still going. Great for all my granddaughters.

The wife and I bought a 6cyl Escape with the tow package brand new in 2004. It has over 100,000 miles and still runs strong. Had to replace the brakes and a couple of batteries, but an all around decent vehicle. In Florida it gets HOT. The transmission and oil coolers keep it running cool and smooth. Safe decent gas mileage and dependable.

I absolutely think this vehicle is a homerun. It is big enough to carry all kinds of stuff, small enough to be economical, tall enough to haul through all kinds of snow or rain. It just seems to be a good all around vehicle. We have had ours for seven years with only front brakes being done and regular oil changes.

We've had this car about 5 years, and we bought it used. Certainly not the most reliable car we've ever had. Like another reviewer, we've had to constantly replace the battery/alternator. We've taken it to multiple mechanics, including dealers, with no luck. Looks like we may be due for another, as every time we give it gas, the battery light faintly comes on. We've also had to replace the tone rings in addition to a few other minor repairs. Even regular maintenance can get fairly expensive as the vehicle seems poorly engineered and can be difficult to get to common things like the spark plugs. The car already has paint peeling and is starting to rust out in places . Probably our last Ford Escape.

Could be a Better

About the Worst vehicle I ever purchased, I will never buy another Ford vehicle because its going to cost me about $3000 to fix. And now I'm finding out that other people have had the same problems as me. I haven't even had the vehicle for a year yet. The vehicle started skipping but only did it one day, so I brought it in and they found the rear wheel bearing was out but no other problems found. 2 days later, I couldn't start my vehicle and when it finally started it was completely skipping and wouldn't accelerate to much, the RPM's had to go really high in order for it to shift. Brought it back into the dealership (not the one I bought it at)and they had to call the ford hotline because when they put it on the computer it was saying there was no problems, so they called and they suggested they change all the coil packs, which they did but it didn't change anything so now there saying it will need a new computer in it but that I can't get a new computer until June 15th.

This has been a great vehicle for me, I have had it for about 2.5 years and haven't had any trouble out of it.

Best vehicle I ever owned. Road noise is an issue, later models adjusted for that. Only issues were idle control valve (needed replacement, used to be listed as a common problem on this site); and the DPFE EGR Sensor mentioned under Common problems here. Outstanding little truck.

I own a 2003 Escape Limited and I love it. It drives and rides as well as the Lincoln Continental I owned previously. The height gives me better visibility of the road and there is plenty of room for 5 people. The lift gate has a cover that can be used to conceal anything in the rear of the vehicle. It also has 4 wheel drive which was an added bonus. We have only experienced minor problems which our Ford dealer resolved quickly. My next new vehicle will definitely be an Escape.

Problem with dead batteries.3 replacements. Replace alternator. No help from ford! Found out cause of electrical problems was bad GEM module. Had to trouble shoot myself. Had dead battery problems while still in warrenty, only to be told that there were no codes. Only 15000 miles. Also replaced front rotors and pads. For should had known about these problems.Otherwise satisified with vehicle in general.