Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STEERING | |||||
| 042210 | 11/15/2004 | 10013396 | Steering gear squeak - when turning the steering wheel during low speed parking maneuvers. *tt | 04/18/2005 | |
| 04214 | 11/01/2004 | 10013366 | Steering drift/pull - improved diagnostic and repair procedure - service tip. *tt | 04/15/2005 | |
| STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST - HOSE, PIPING, AND CONNECTIONS | |||||
| 17532 | 02/01/2004 | 10008104 | Low pressure power steering line leak after cold soak in temperatures of -23c (-10) or lower. *mj | 07/22/2004 | |
| STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST - POWER STEERING FLUID | |||||
| 0252 | 03/18/2002 | 636040 | Some vehicles built before 2/12/2002 may exhibit a power steering fluid leak at the return hose and / or cooler hose at the intermiediate tube assembly during extreme cold ambient temperatures -20 to -28c (-5 to -20 f), *tt | 11/04/2002 | |
| STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM | |||||
| 16908 | 06/01/2003 | 10002619 | Squeaking noise from the power steering rack when turning. *tt | 09/08/2003 | |
| STEERING - LINKAGES - TIE ROD ASSEMBLY | |||||
| 031513 | 08/04/2003 | 10003192 | Tie rod end inspection procedure. *tt | 10/10/2003 | |
| STEERING - WHEEL AND HANDLE BAR | |||||
| 15576 | 01/01/2002 | 630120 | Some vehicles built before 12/11/2001 may exhibit a slight looseness of the steering wheel in a fore-aft direction. *tt | 04/12/2002 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| STEERING | |||
| 07/30/2012 | 154131 | 1 | |
| I was driving my 2002 ford escape and coming to a stop at an intersection when i heard a loud popping sound. after i stopped, i released the brake and rolled forward a few feet before re-applying the brakes and the sound repeated. i was able to drive it across the highway to a ford dealership for repairs. upon inspection the following morning it was determined that the subframe assembly had rusted out completely on the passenger side and had caused the lower control arm to become loose thus bending it and making it unuseable. i am thankful that this happened at a very slow speed and fear that if other folks have this happen at highway speed it could be a very bad outcome ! this allowed my passenger side tire to pull outward hence pulling the control arm loose. it was a very expensive fix and the warranty i had purchased at the time of buying the vehicle was no avail. i contacted ford and was told that if there is no recall then there is no problem !! sorry but it was a very expensive fix and i believe ford should make good on this. how many injuries are required before someone takes notice ?? the repair bill was $ 1160.96. i had only owned the vehicle for 7 months at that time. it still has many payments to be made before it is payed off. it would appear that the air conditioning drain runs down this area causing it perhaps ? just an observation from a running vehicle identical to mine. any help would be appreciated on this matter and hopefully it gets resolved before any fatalities happen if they haven't already !! thank you ! *tr | |||
| 07/30/2012 | 154131 | ||
| I was driving my 2002 ford escape and coming to a stop at an intersection when i heard a loud popping sound. after i stopped, i released the brake and rolled forward a few feet before re-applying the brakes and the sound repeated. i was able to drive it across the highway to a ford dealership for repairs. upon inspection the following morning it was determined that the subframe assembly had rusted out completely on the passenger side and had caused the lower control arm to become loose thus bending it and making it unuseable. i am thankful that this happened at a very slow speed and fear that if other folks have this happen at highway speed it could be a very bad outcome ! this allowed my passenger side tire to pull outward hence pulling the control arm loose. it was a very expensive fix and the warranty i had purchased at the time of buying the vehicle was no avail. i contacted ford and was told that if there is no recall then there is no problem !! sorry but it was a very expensive fix and i believe ford should make good on this. how many injuries are required before someone takes notice ?? the repair bill was $ 1160.96. i had only owned the vehicle for 7 months at that time. it still has many payments to be made before it is payed off. it would appear that the air conditioning drain runs down this area causing it perhaps ? just an observation from a running vehicle identical to mine. any help would be appreciated on this matter and hopefully it gets resolved before any fatalities happen if they haven't already !! thank you ! | |||
| 06/01/2010 | 85000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford escape. the contact stated that a grinding noise emitted from the steering column while driving at various speeds. the contact also stated that the noise became more prevalent during hot weather. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer, but they could not diagnose the failure. the contact was informed that the failure could be the result of a bearing issue. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer offered no assistance. the failure mileage was 85,000. | |||
| 06/01/2010 | 85000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2002 ford escape. the contact stated that a grinding noise emitted from the steering column while driving at various speeds. the contact also stated that the noise became more prevalent during hot weather. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer, but they could not diagnose the failure. the contact was informed that the failure could be the result of a bearing issue. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer offered no assistance. the failure mileage was 85,000. sm. | |||
| 06/05/2008 | 80000 | ||
| No events leading to this... it just started about 2 yrs ago summer of 08. clunking noise in the front of car. can be felt by the steering wheel (which also has the squeeking problem). occurs only when the temperature outside is warm. went to the ford dealer several times complaining of this... never was able to recreate the problem. finally had both left and right arm assembly link, bolt, hex for front suspension replaced jun 09. on sept 09 noise returned and had everything tightened, lubed. problem went away until again the weather warmed up then is now back worse than ever. not only when turning the wheel but when driving straight. | |||
| 08/15/2008 | 71000 | 1 | |
| Front knocking noise. has been present since we first bought the car new. many mechanics, including the ford dealer, could not find the problem. brakes, transmission, and struts were checked or replaced. the knocking persisted. on 8/15/08, the ball joint failed as my wife was traveling at 45 mph around a corner causing the driver side wheel to flop at a 90 degree angle. steering was impossible. luckily, my wife was able to get the car stopped safely without out any life threatening consequences. ford escape 2002 xlt. *tr | |||
| 03/05/2004 | 25000 | 1 | 07/23/2002 |
| While driving air bag light illuminated. dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak the illumination of air bag light happened in an intermittent basis. consumer was also involved in an accident where his air bags failed to deploy. in addition, consumer experienced noise in steering wheel and rattling noise in exhaust. *la | |||
| 35000 | 2 | 10/01/2002 | |
| Vehicle lost power without warning. also, it effected the ability to steer the vehicle.*ak dealer would honor the warranty. in the tsb that was issued, the diagnostics items were fine. ford think they need to change the items on the tsb. *ph | |||
| 12/14/2002 | 7000 | 1 | 12/29/2001 |
| Car went out of control during a simple lane change left on intersate i-90, unabloe to steer, swerved and spun around and hit tall concrete medium, air bags were employed. good weather 48 degrees, no ice or oil, was not up to full speed as had just gotten on the interstate. | |||
| 06/30/2002 | 8 | 06/30/2002 | |
| Purchased 2002 ford escape from hinder ford of aberdeen, md in june 02 and from the start the left rear wheel was cracked and the vehicle pulls (not drifts) to the left so bad that the vehicle left front tire will cross the line in 5 seconds if steering wheel is released while in the right lane of a two lane and within 3 seconds if in the left lane. hinder ford gave me the ford 800 number to call because there was nothing they could do even after i provided them excerpts from maryland law that states a vehicle with a steering or braking problem that can not be fixed the first time is to be replaced. they have refused. i complained to the on-line customer service several times until they finally sent the area ford tech to investigate. he replied that there was definitely a problem (he stated he had seen this before), attempted to fix the problem. hinder returned the vehicle and again stated there was nothing they could do. i sent certified/return receipt letters twice to ford motor co. and latest result was a call last week from mr. duncan alberson who agreed that a cracked wheel and this vehicle leaving the road within three seconds was not safe, but that he was going with a report that he had from the area ford tech who stated that the vehicle was within specification and that i should drive with my hands on the steering wheel! i stated i release the wheel only to emphasize the drastic pull of this steering and of course i drive with my hand on the wheel at all times! i told mr. duncan to simply send another tech to test drive my vehicle any time and any place and his response ... he hung up! possibly because i also told him hinder ford has sold two other vehicle with the exact same problem. if you know of a good law firm in my area please give me their number. ts | |||
| STEERING - COLUMN | |||
| 03/31/2005 | 1 | 07/09/2002 | |
| My steering has a very annoying whinning noise and i have taken it in to be looked at 2 times and they cannot fix it.*ak | |||
| 11/26/2004 | 1 | ||
| The steering wheel on my 2002 ford escape with only 37000 miles recently became loose while i was driving.the vehicle's 36000 mile warranty just expired. i took my vehicle to a ford dealership (cowles parkway ford) to get an estimate for the repairs, and was told that the vehicle needs a new steering column (a $400+ cost). before making a decision i did some research on this type of vehicle and discovered that it is a known defect (nhtsa item number: 630120). there is a safety recall for the 2001 ford escape (nhtsa campaign id number : 00v223001 )but not the 2002 model. i was told by someone in the service department that this is a known manufacturer's defect, but i was no longer under warranty, and would have to pay $400+ to get it fixed. i also have called ford costumer service and was also told that they are are not responsible for the cost of repairs because i had exceeded the warranty. i believe ford should be responsible for the cost of the known defective part.i also believe that there are other ford escape on the highways with this same safety issue that need to be recalled. thank you. michael estes . *ak | |||
| 09/13/2004 | 43132 | 1 | |
| Steering column. his vehicle was involved in a front end collision. the air bags deployed and the steering column completely detached from the dash. i am unaware if this caused further injury to the operator. i am a licensed auto damage appraiser and thought this to be very unusual and potentially unsafe.*ak | |||
| 04/09/2002 | 27 | 1 | |
| 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 | |||
| 04/28/2004 | 3 | ||
| Consumer took vehicle to dealer' 4-5 times for the same problem. when she turned on heat or air conditioner there was a mildew smell. each time that consumer took vehicle dealer she was told to come back if the light came on. dealer could not reproduce the foul smell. also, while driving a wind came into vehicle even though the doors were closed. in addition, consumer complained about the steering wheel making noise. dealer will not look at vehicle again. however, consume complained vehicle was falling apart, and the dealers will not help.*ak | |||
| STEERING - COLUMN LOCKING - ANTI-THEFT DEVICE | |||
| 44050 | 1 | ||
| Steering wheel locked while vehicle was being driven at approximately 35 mph. *ak | |||
| STEERING - ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM | |||
| 04/09/2002 | 27 | 1 | |
| 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 | |||
| STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST - HOSE, PIPING, AND CONNECTIONS | |||
| 04/09/2002 | 27 | 1 | |
| 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 | |||
| STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST - POWER STEERING FLUID | |||
| 09/01/2004 | 45000 | 5 | 09/11/2002 |
| While driving vehicle, noticed that steering wheel was getting harder and harder to turn. after parking vehicle, noticed that steering fluid was leaking onto the ground. this is the 5th repair incident involving this vehicle with the power steering fluid leak. ford dealer and ford rep. claim the problem is fixed each time, but continues to occur every 6-9 months. *jb | |||
| STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM | |||
| 03/14/2003 | 4 | ||
| I have a 2002 ford escape. at 15,000 miles my engine blew. two weeks earlier my sister who also has a 2002 ford escape lost her engine at 35,000 miles. since then the car has been back for three rounds of repairs to the engine, the ball bearings, the power steering, and the coolant. this car is dangerous!*ak | |||
| 08/07/2002 | 2 | 08/01/2002 | |
| Problems with power assist, engine and brakes. mr | |||
| 06/02/2002 | |||
| Vehicle will shut off at any speed without any notice. everything will go out like power steering and brakes and accelerator, etc. contacted dealer, and the dealer was not willing to do anything.*ak | |||
| 08/23/2002 | 1 | 06/14/2002 | |
| While driving brakes and steering locked up and engine shut off without any warning .driver lost control of vehicle, resulting in an accident.*ak the consumer stated that the manufacturer had issued two technical service bulletins on defects of the vehicle, and the problems occuring were the result of one of those defects. *yh | |||
| 06/26/2002 | 1 | 10/01/2001 | |
| As i was descending down a hill, traveling about 35 mph, and turning a bend, i noticed that my power steering was not working and then that my brakes were not working and that one of my indicator lights was lit on my dashboard. i put the car in neutral, and turned the key back on and it started. fortunately, no one was around because my brakes were not working. i have reported this to my dealer who did not even write my concern down. i have since sent them a formal letter. this has not happened since, but it could be dangerous while traveling on busy roads.*ak | |||
| 08/05/2002 | 1 | 10/01/2001 | |
| 2002 ford escape. while making low speed turns, clicking nosie coming from front end wheel well area. clicking nosie sounds like rotatining parts are binding. frequency of the clicking sound is directly related to vehicle speed (the slower the speed, the longer the time between each sucessive click). the sound occurs with either right or left turns, but is much more noticable while turning left. this clicking is not a healthy sound and i am worried about a failure of the affected parts.*ak | |||
| 08/02/2002 | 2 | 12/01/2001 | |
| I purchased a 2002 ford escape. it currently has 10k miles on it. while going down a hill, the engine stopped, power steering went out and the power brakes didn't work. luckly i managed to pull over, put the car in park and restart the engine. the same problem, same situation occur a couple of days later. both times occurred while i was going down a hill at about 30-35 mph. i noticed that the rpm reading when the accellerator isn't depressed is very low. it sometimes dips close to zero. normal rpm for sitting in idle is around 1. it's currently at the dealership. | |||
| 07/19/2002 | 2 | 10/01/2001 | |
| The first incidence (may-2002), while driving approximately 40 mph the engine shut-off and the steering lock. luckily the vehicle came to a stop at the side of the road with no injuries. the vehicle eventually restarted and was returned to the dealership. they reprogrammed the pcm and said the problem was fixed. the same thing happened about 6-weeks later along the same stretch of road, and luckily again nobody was hurt. the vehicle was again returned to the dealer. this time they said that they can't find anything wrong and gave it back to us without a fix. i am afraid that next time it happens it will be in traffic and someone will be injured or killed. this vehicle should not be on the road.*ak | |||
| 07/01/2002 | 1 | 06/01/2002 | |
| While my wife was driving our 2002 ford escape the engine stalls go down hill 30-40mph no power steering--engine light & oil light comes on. escape towed back to dealer . dealer unable to duplicate the problem, dealer did not know of any problems like this with the 2002 escapes, i told him to look it up on the nhtsa consumer complaints database.lots of them like this one . called ford motor on there 1-800 line to let them know about it. | |||
| While driving at 20 mph and without warning power steering locked up. consumer was almost involved in an accident. dealer has been notified. however, has not found a remedy.*ak | |||
| 05/17/2002 | 1 | 04/01/2002 | |
| All functions suddenly locked up. i had no functionality in steering, brakes, and acceleration. i had no control of the car and car slowly died. after a few minutes i was able to restart car with no problems. but this could potentially have caused a fatal accident if environment, speed, etc., were just slightly different. | |||
| 01/29/2002 | 3 | 12/01/2001 | |
| On first occasion vehicle shut down, dash lights came on, power steering and brakes failed. needed to coast into a parking lot. vehicle restarted and was able to get home. only had vehicle 1 month. took vehicle to dealership, (not point of sale) and had vehicle inspected. was told that they were unable to duplicate the problem and that it was due to excessive amount of other keys on primary key ring, to remove the keys due to they were interfering with the path and shutting down vehicle. removed the keys and continued to drive. on 4/9/02 was driving in exact location as previous incident, going about 35-40 mph and same thing happened. had put a file cabinet key on key ring, thought was same issue, didnt' report again. on 4/11/02 while traveling on much busier and much more dangerous road, vehicle again stalled. no safe shoulder to pull off onto and unable to restart while in process. was luckily able to coast onto side street, breaks and steering were not functioning properly, had to roll to stop. able to restart and get to work. will notify dealership asap.*ak | |||
| 03/15/2002 | 1 | 02/01/2002 | |
| I was driving at 55 mph when suddenly i lost all steering and brakes. no warning lights came on. i was able to get the vehicle slowed down by putting both feet on the brake. i had to steer with both hands. i was able to get the vehicle slowed down and off the road. i called ford roadside assistance and had the vehicle towed to lance cunningham ford. the dealership diagnosed the problem to be something wrong with a computer part. they reprogrammed the computer . they went to fords website to find out what the problem was. they told me if there was a certain number on the computer then it could be reprogrammed. if it had not been that number, they would have had to replace the computer. since having the vehicle repaired, i have noticed the steering is still not right. i'm driving down the road and it feels like on occasion the steering will steer off on its own. it drives like when your driving in high winds. i took the vehicle back to the dealership to be rechecked and they advised they could not find any problems with it. i have explained to the service director that i am not satisfied with the vehicle and i'm waiting on a resolution. i feel this vehicle is not safe to drive on the interstate because i cannot be guaranteed the engine will not stall again. i feel very unsafe and uncomfortable driving or having my family in this vehicle. ford motor company should recall this vehicle before fatalities occur. *ak | |||
| While driving vehicle stalled at 30 mph. power brakes and power steering completely shutdown. please provide vehicle identification number, and any further information.*ak | |||
| 02/04/2002 | 2 | 11/18/2002 | |
| 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 | |||
| STEERING - LINKAGES - TIE ROD ASSEMBLY | |||
| 05/26/2006 | 48804 | 1 | 11/01/2001 |
| Dt*: the contact stated while traveling 10 mph, the steering wheel locked. the contact then reversed and put the vehicle back in drive. after traveling a short distance, the vehicle would not move. the contact noticed the front driver side wheel was turned the opposite direction of the other tires. the vehicle was towed to the dealership, where it was determined the tie rod fractured and because the vehicle was driven after this, the axle fractured as well. the tie rod and axle were replaced. updated 7/14/2006 - the dealer informed the consumer that the tie rod fractured due to rust. *nm | |||
| 11/04/2004 | 2 | 05/17/2002 | |
| Front end troubles with ford escape 02 xlt. constant noises coming from the front. dealer changed stability bar, engine mounts and now need to change tie rods and fix steering wheel noise but there is no fix as of yet per the dealership. car is only driven on suburban roads and never been off road.*ak | |||
| STEERING - RACK AND PINION | |||
| 08/09/2005 | 59680 | 1 | 05/09/2004 |
| Steering started to clunk and bind on occasion. effort would go up but it would respond when turned. it rapidly got worse where it would clunk and bind and skip a section while turning. only three days from start to skipping while turning. finally it was skipping and binding on every turn. took to dealer they found rack and pinion was bad. (the car was never in an accident or taken off road.) rack was ordered and replaced.*ak | |||
| 12/03/2004 | 60000 | 2 | 10/16/2001 |
| 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 | |||
| 10/14/2003 | 18911 | 3 | |
| Check engine light came on; took vehicle into dealer; found a faulty catalytic converter monitor sensor; ordered part (10/02/03) took vehicle in again about a week later to have new sensor installed, and an engine oil leak was found; rack and pinion unit was leaking; unit was replaced, and was still found to be leaking so a third unit was installed (10/14/03). *ak | |||
| 10/24/2002 | 1 | 10/01/2001 | |
| 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 | |||
| 01/05/2002 | 1 | 12/08/2001 | |
| The power steering fluid was leaking due to rack and pinion failure. the dealer replaced the rack and pinion. *yh | |||
| 02/05/2002 | 2 | 01/01/2002 | |
| Brakes and steering failed once while driving down a curvy mountain road, speed approx. 25 mph, second failure at approx 45 mph on a straight and level city road. both times two feet had to be used on the brake pedal and with heavy steering and the vehicle was just stopped before crashing into obstacles. no warning preceeded the incidents. three dash warning lights came on after. the dealer took the vehicle back to the dealership both times and the first time said perhaps we had more than one key on the key ring in the ignition key hole. this was noted as a potential cause of turning off the engine. this was not the case in either incident, only the ignition key was on the ring. first incident they said ford noted the heavy key posibility and ford engineering also recommended reprogramming the computer and a new mass air flow sensor was installed. this did not help as a few days later the same failure occurred again, almost resulting in a crash. currently (feb. 23, 2002) the escape is at the dealer now after the second near crash incident as we will not drive it anymore. they say they are asking their engineering staff again what to do. this is the same source that originally said to tell us we probably had too many keys hanging from the ignition key. none has any firm answer and sources on the internet confirm this problem and ford has no solution at this time. we would like to terminate the purchase which was done about a month ago as the vehicle is not save to drive. both my wife, first incident, and daughter, second incident will not drive the vehicle they were so frightened and barely were able to avoid crashes. date feb. 23, 2002 signed eugene lally. *ak | |||
| STEERING - WHEEL AND HANDLE BAR | |||
| 03/27/2005 | 1 | 10/05/2001 | |
| My case is exactly similar to customer complaint odi # 10100963 as well as the recall of the 2001 escapes (recall #00v223001). my steering column started to loosen shortly after the warranty expired. the dealer (new brighton ford) fixed it once saying that it was possibly a defect in the column itself and if it loosened again that they would recommended having the steering column replaced. the dealer has now agreed to replace it but at half the cost. this seems too coincidental to be a random issue, especially given the past recall of the same problem. i don't want to pay and have it eventually be covered under a recall. thanks terry olson. *jb | |||
| 75 | 10 | 04/09/2002 | |
| The brake light came on while driving. this occurred because the brake master cylinder had a slow leak that progressed. the dealership indicated the leak may be due to a bad cylinder cap. the cap was replaced. also at 100 miles the steering wheel became loose and felt like it was going to separate from it's linkage. a screw in the steering wheel had became loose and needed to be tightened. the dealership tightened the screw and put a punch mark into the side of the screw to make it stay in place but the problem recurred. *nm the master parts were not working the steering wheel was loose after 50 miles. the master cylinder had a slow leak, which worsened over time and tightening did not fix. the consumer found the back light behind the gear selector and odometer went out, the airbag light had come on, the check engine light had come on, the radio did not start, the vehicle stalled, and the seat belts were inoperative. *sc *jb | |||
| 11/25/2002 | |||
| While driving the at 30pmh the steering whell become inoperable. brakes lock up. dealer inspected the vehicle and could not duplicate or correct the problem. please provide further information. ts | |||