NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2002 Ford Escape. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026
THE CAR HAD STALLED TWICE ONCE AT 65, ONCE AT 40. NO POWER BAKES, NO POWER STEERING. ENGINUE HAS STOPPED FOR NO REASON. DANGEROUS ON A HIGHWAY.*AK
WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED VEHICLE WILL STALL. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED.*AK
ENGINE STALLED WHILE DECELERATING FROM 40 MPH TO 10 MPH. *AK
NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK
ON 7/11/02 CAR SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING. LOST STEERING AND BRAKES. COASTED TO SIDE OF THE ROAD AND WAS ABLE TO RESTART. THIS HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING APPROX. 40MPH. THIS WAS THE 2ND TIME THIS HAPPENED. BROUGHT TO DEALER, THEY DID SOME TESTING AND REPLACED SOME VALVES. ON APPROX 8/3/02 THE CAR SHUT OFF AGAIN, BROUGHT IT BACK TO THE DEALER AGAIN. THEY DID MORE TESTING REPLACED SOME SENSORS AND ALSO CALLED THE FORD HOT LINE. ON 9/19/02 SAME THING CAR SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING THIS TIME THROUGH AN INTERSECTION. BROUGHT IN TO DEALER AGAIN. DRIVING SPEEDS ALL 4 TIMES WERE 35-45. *AK
WHILE DRIVING DOWN AN ENGRADE VEHICLE'S ENGINE SHUT OFF. POWER STEERING AND BRAKES BECAME HARD. THE DEALERSHIP STATES THAT THE PROBLEM IS WITH THE COMPUTER. PLEASE GIVE DETAILS? *MR
THE GAS PEDAL AND BRAKE PEDAL VIBRATE CONSTANTLY BETWEEN 1600-1800 RPM'S. I TOOK THE TRUCK TO THE DEALER, BUT WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS A TRAIT OF THE VEHICLE. I HAVE DRIVEN OTHER ONES AND THEY DO NOT SHOW THIS TRAIT. IT HAPPENS IN EVERY GEAR OF THE TRANSMISSION, BUT WHEN IN PARK THE PEDALS WON'T VIBRATE AT STATED RPM. AS THE LOAD ON THE VEHICLE INCREASE THE INTENSITY OF THE VIBRATION INCREASES. THE CONDITION IS VERY ANNOYING BECAUSE IT OCCURS AT NORMAL HIGHWAY AND CITY SPEEDS. I WOULD LIKE TO GET THE ISSUE RESOLVED, BUT THE MANUFACTURER SEEMS UNWILLING TO HELP. DT
CONSUMER STATE WHILE TRAVELING 25-35 MPH WITHOUT ANY INDICATION ENGINE WOULD STALL IN RESULT OF LOSING ALL POWER. DEALERSHIP AND MANUFACTURE WAS CONTACTED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. TS
MY ESCAPE WAS STILL NEW WHEN I FIRST EXPERIENCED A TOTAL STALL. I WAS ON A DOWNHILL EXIT RAMP FROM THE INTERSTATE MAKING A LEFT HAND TURN ONTO A VERY BUSY ONE WAY STREET THROUGH AN EVEN BUSIER INTERSECTION. I COASTED AT ABOUT 30-35 MPH DOWN TO MAKE MY TURN AND REALIZED THAT I HAD NO STEERING OR POWER AT ALL. I HAD TO FIGHT TO MAKE THE LEFT TURN AND GET TO THE CURB. THE EXPERIENCE LEFT ME SHAKING IN SHOCK AND FEAR FOR QUITE SOME TIME. I HAD NO TROUBLE RESTARTING IT AFTER I REGAINED MY COMPOSURE. I TOOK IT TO THE INITIAL POINT OF SALE AND WAS TOLD THEY HAD NOT HEARD OF ANY PROBLEMS. THEY "COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM". I HAVE HAD THREE ADDITIONAL STALLS, A DIFFERENT DEALER REPLACED THROTTLE, AIR INTAKE. ANOTHER STALL. SINCE PURCHASING THIS VEHICLE THE CD PLAYER HAS BEEN WORKED ON TWICE (THE DASH HAD TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE THE SERVICE TECH SCRATCHED IT CONSIDERABLY), THE PASSENGER FRONT WINDOW ROLLS UP OUT OF THE TRACK AND THE PASSENGER FRONT DOOR WOULD NOT UNLOCK. THE DOOR HAD TO BE TAKEN APART TO FIX THE LOCK ASSEMBLY CONSEQUENTLY THE INTERIOR DOOR WAS REPLACED BECAUSE IT HAD TO BE TORN OFF TO GET TO THE LOCK. CRUISE CONTROL WORKS INTERMITTENTLY, THE REAR WIPER DOESN'T WORK CORRECTLY, THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTS HARD, THE FRONT END MAKES NOISES WHEN TURNED, NOT TO MENTION A RATTLE IN THE BACK THAT WILL DRIVE YOU CRAZY AND A MUSTY SMELL. AS IF THIS WEREN'T ENOUGH, THIS MORNING IT BEGAN RUNNING ROUGH, BACKFIRED AND THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND STAYED ON. I MADE IT HOME, THANKFULLY AND HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALER...AGAIN I AM WITHOUT MY CAR! MY HUSBAND WORKS FOR FORD IN LOUISVILLE, KY AND WE ARE TRYING TO BE LOYAL, BUT THIS IS TOO MUCH! WE HAVE HAD TROUBLE WITH DIFFERENT CARS IN THE PAST, BUT I AM AFRAID OF THIS VEHICLE. I HAVE A 16 YR. OLD SON ABOUT TO GET HIS LICENSE. IT HAS BEEN HARD FOR ME AS AN EXPERIENCED DRIVER TO HANDLE THESE SITUATIONS, BUT I AM TERRIFIED THAT IT COULD HAPPEN TO HIM. DT
THE TRUCK WAS STRUCK BY ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT FAILED TO HOLD WHICH ALLOWED THE DRIVER TO BE THROWN IN THE BACK SEAT. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. PH SEE VOQ#10021715 FOR REPOSITORY LINK TO PAR. CW
THE ENGINE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE DEALER REPROGRAMMED THE PCM. *JB *NLM
CONSUMER STATES WHILE DRIVING AND WITHOUT ANY INDICATION VEHICLE TRAVELED 40 MPH. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
CONSUMER STATES THAT THE SAFETY SYSTEM LIGHT KEEPS INDICATING THAT THE SEAT BELTS AND AIRBAGS DON'T WORK. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. *PH
THE VEHICLE STALLED WHILE DRIVING. THIS HAPPENED FOUR TIMES AND THE DEALER COULDN'T DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE DETAILS. *PH
ALL FOUR TIRE SIDEWALLS WERE THIN AND PUNCTURED EASILY. THE TIRE WILL BE REPLACED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *NLM
THE AIRBAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND STAYED ON. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND THEY REPLACED SOMETHING ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. AIR BAG LIGHT WENT OFF, BUT MONTHS LATER IT WAS ON AGAIN. *AK
VEHICLE STALLED AND LOST POWER WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 40-45 MPH. VEHICLE HAS ALMOST BEEN REAR ENDED 4 TIMES. DEALERSHIP MADE THREE ATTEMPTS TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM BY UPDATING THE IAC VALVE, AND REPROGRAMMING THE PCM. *AK
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
STEERING WHEEL LOCKED WHILE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN AT APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH. *AK
WITHIN ONE MONTH OF PURCHASING THE VEHICLE (2002 FORD ESCAPE) THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH THE BRAKES. (SEE ODI #10051805 FOR INFORMATION REGARDING 1998 FORD RANGER COMPLAINT).*MR THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER THREE TIMES FOR THE SAME VIBRATION PROBLEM, BUT THE DEALER CONTINUED TO STATE THERE WAS NO PROBLEM, AFTER ABOUT A YEAR THEY FINALLY NOTICED THAT THE TIRES WERE CUPPING ON THE REAR, IT WAS FINALLY DETERMINED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS DUE TO THE TO THE ALIGNMENT OF THE FRONT AND REAR WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO NEED NEW TIRES. ALSO THE AIR BAG LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE DASHBOARD. *CB *JB
VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. WHEN THIS OCCURRED THE ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING, BUT THE POWER STEERING AND BRAKES WERE LOST. ALSO, VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE. *AK
THE CONSUMER HAS TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES BECAUSE THE VEHICLE HAS PROBLEMS STARTING. THE DEALER MECHANIC HAS REPLACED THE STARTER, RELAY SWITCH, AND THE MASTER CYLINDER. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT THE DEALER FOR ANOTHER REPAIR. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *NM
VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN AT APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH WHEN IT STALLED AND THE WHEELS LOCKED UP. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *NM
OUT OF WARRANTY TRANSMISSION FAILED AT 49K MILES. *PH THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED A SHUDDER SINCE 37K MILES WHICH ONLY OCCURRED A COUPLE TIMES PER MONTH. FORD FAILED TO ALERT THE CONSUMER OF THE PROBLEM. THE CONSUMER REQUESTED REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE REPAIR. SERVICE BULLETIN#16056636254 *SC
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
WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKES CONSUMER HEARD A LOUD NOISE, AND VEHICLE VIBRATED UNCONTROLLABLY. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, AND DROVE IT TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT BRAKE ROTORS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO WORN OUT PARTS. *AK
RECALL NOTICE FOR 2002 FORD ESCAPE ARRIVED A MONTH TOO LATE. *MR THE CONSUMER SOLD THE VEHICLE A MONTH BEFORE THE RECALL NOTICE ARRIVED. THE VEHICLE BEGAN STALLING PRIOR TO RECALL NOTICE 04S13 OR 04V-165000. PRIOR TO THE RECALL THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER TO ALLEVIATE THE PROBLEM. THE DEALER SUGGESTED A GAS TREATMENT SYSTEM FOR THE FUEL INJECTION, BUT THE STALLING PERSISTED. THE CONSUMER REQUEST COMPENSATION FOR THE TREATMENT, TIME LOST AND STRESS FORD PUT HER THROUGH WITH THE ESCAPE. *NM