There are 27 owner-reported visibility & wipers complaints for the 2002 Ford Escapein NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
MY 2002 FORD ESCAPE'S BACK WINDOW JUST EXPLODED PARKED IN MY DRIVEWAY. TEMPERATURE WAS MILD IN 70'S. NO RAIN.
ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS, THE REAR WINDOW EXPLODED WHILE PARKED UNATTENDED IN A PARKING LOT. THE REAR WINDOW DEFROSTER HAD BEEN ON PRIOR TO INCIDENT. SECURITY CAMERAS REVEAL THEE WAS NO HUMAN TAMPERING PRIOR TO EXPLOSION.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE EXHIBITED A LOUD EXPLOSION WHILE THE CONTACT DRIVING. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE REAR LIFTGATE GLASS HAD EXPLODED AND SHATTERED, CAUSING SCRATCHES TO THE SIDE WINDOWS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 112,000.
REAR WINDOW EXPLODED WHILE PARKED. *TR
YESTERDAY I DROVE AROUND TOWN RUNNING ERRANDS IN MY 2002 FORD ESCAPE AND IT WAS FINE. CAME HOME LAST NIGHT (TEMPERATURE OUTSIDE WAS AROUND 27 DEGREES OUTSIDE) AND PARKED IT IN GARAGE. WHEN I WENT OUT TO GARAGE NEXT DAY (14 HOURS LATER) TO LEAVE AGAIN I NOTICED MY FORD ESCAPE HAD IT'S BACK GLASS THAT WAS COMPLETELY SHATTERED OUT OF IT AND ALL OVER THE FLOOR OF THE GARAGE. ALL DOORS TO GARAGE WERE SHUT AND LOCKED. THIS EXPLOSION OF GLASS HAPPENED ALL BY ITSELF AFTER BEING PARKED THERE THE NIGHT BEFORE. ALSO HAVE AN ISSUE WITH AIR BAG LIGHT AND CHECK FUEL CAP LIGHT THAT HAS BOTH BEEN STAYING ON AND CANNOT GET EITHER TO STAY OFF!! WORRIED VEHICLE IS GONNA FALL APART SOME DAY BEFORE I GET MY CHILD TO HIS SCHOOL ONE MORNING..NOT DEPENDABLE VEHICLE AFTER ALL!! :( SEEMS I HAVE READ MANY MANY OTHER COMPLAINTS ONLINE ABOUT THESE PROBLEMS FROM ESCAPE OWNERS WANTING TO KNOW..ARE THERE NO RECALLS FOR THE BACKGLASS?? OR EVEN ANYTHING ELSE FOR THIS VEHICLE?? FEELING UNSAFE FOR MY CHILD TO RIDE IN NOW!! *TR
OUR REAR HATCH WINDOW ON OUR 2002 FORD ESCAPE XLS EXPLODED OVERNIGHT WHILE SITTING UNDISTURBED IN OUR GARAGE. IT HAD BEEN SITTING FOR 10 HOURS IN OUR ENCLOSED GARAGE WHEN IT EXPLODED FOR NO REASON. THE TEMPERATURE OUTSIDE WAS IN THE SINGLE DIGITS. I'M WONDERING IF THE REAR DEFROST WASN'T CUT OFF WHEN THE CAR WAS SHUT OFF? WHEN I STARTED THE CAR AFTER THE WINDOW SHATTERED THE REAR DEFROST WAS ON. THERE ARE OTHER REPORTS ON THE INTERNET WITH SIMILAR OCCURRENCES. REAR WINDOW EXPLODING ON FORD ESCAPES SOUNDS COMMON. INSURANCE COMPANY IS SUPPOSE TO BE IN CONTACT WITH ME, BUT I IMAGINE WE WILL BE PAYING MOST OF THE REPAIR OUT OF POCKET SINCE WE HAVEN'T MET A DEDUCTIBLE. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR LIFT GAGE BACK WINDOW WAS BROKEN. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THEY COULD NOT ASSIST HER WITH ANY INFORMATION REGARDING THE PARTS TO BE REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 70000.
MY REAR WINDOW OF MY FORD ESCAPE SPONATEOUSLY EXPLODED WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY . *TR
THE WINDSHIELD ON THE FORD ESCAPE CRACKED WHEN I RINSED IT WITH A REGULARLY GARDEN HOSE. SINCE I RINSE ALL MY CARS FREQUENTLY AND HAVE NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM MY MECHANIC SUGGESTED THAT THE GLASS WAS VERY THIN AND LIKELY CRACKED FROM THE COLD WATER HITTING THE WARMER GLASS. I CONTACTED THE FORD DEALER, WHO INDICATED THAT THERE WAS NO KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THEIR WINDSHIELDS. I HAVE SCHEDULED A GLASS COMPANY TO REPLACE THE WINDSHIELD THIS FRIDAY, JUNE 22 AT MY HOUSE. PLEASE CONTACT ME, IF YOU NEED ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. THANK YOU. *AK
WIPERS STOPPED WORKING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE WINDSHIELD AND WILL NOT GO BACK TO THEIR PARKED POSITION. *NM
WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH REAR PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW SHATTERED. WI DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK
FOR THE SECOND TIME, THE REAR WINDOW ON MY COMPANY-OWNED FORD ESCAPE HAS SHATTERED. THE TRUCK WAS PARKED IN A GARAGE DURING THIS SECOND OCCURANCE, DURING A NIGHT WHEN THE TEMPERATURES WERE IN THE TEEN'S. I'D BLAME THE COLD WEATHER, BUT THIS ALSO HAPPENED LESS THAN 6 MONTHS AGO DURING THE SUMMER WHILE DRIVING AT 65MPH ON A HIGHWAY. IN BOTH CASES, THE SHOCKS THAT HOLD THE REAR WINDOW UP WHEN OPEN, HAVE EXTENDED TO FULL LENGTH, AND AS A RESULT, SCRATCHED THE PAINT ON THE REAR TAILGATE. *AK
THE WINDSHIELD WIPER FLUID WOULD FREEZE UP IN THE HOSES. THE CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO CLEAN THE DIRT AND DEBRIS OFF THE FRONT WINDSHIELD, THIS CAUSED POOR VISIBILITY WHILE DRIVING. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. *JB
AT TIMES OF HEAVY RAIN OR WET SNOW THE INTERIOR WINDOWS FOG SEVERELY. THEY FOG SO BADLY THAT CONDENSATION WILL RUN DOWN THE INSIDE OF WINDOWS RESULTING IN AN UNSAFE DRIVING CONDITION. I HAVE TRIED NUMEROUS METHODS OF TWEAKING THE CONTROLS BUT CAN NOT SEEM TO KEEP THE WINDOWS DEFOGGED ADEQUATELY. WHEN MY WIFE AND KIDS ARE IN THE CAR THE PROBLEM IS WORSE THAN WHEN I AM ALONE. I AVOID DRIVING THE CAR AT NIGHT WITH THEM WHEN THE WEATHER IS WET BECAUSE I WORRY ABOUT BEING ABLE TO SEE SAFELY. I AM WORKING ON TRYING TO FIX THE PROBLEM BUT THOUGHT STRONGLY ENOUGH ABOUT THIS TO NOTIFY YOU HERE. SINCERELY, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
REAR WINDSHIELD THERMAL MELTED THE CONNECTION TO DEFROSTER. DEALER REPLACED THE WINDSHIELD WITHOUT ANY CHARGE. *AK *MR
THE WINDSHIELD ON MY 2002 FOR ESCAPE XLT LEAKS INSIDE EVERY TIME IT RAINS. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THE WINDSHIELD WAS SEPARATING FROM THE CAR BUT FORD WILL NOT COVER IT AS A DEFECT. THIS IS A DEFECT AND SHOULD BE FIXED BY MANUFACTURER. FILED COMPLAINTS WITH BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU AND WILL BE TALKING TO THE MEDIA. *LA
COMPUTER CONTROLS LOCKED DOWN THE CAR. THE DEALER SAID THAT THE COMPUTER WAS RESETTING WHEN IT DONE THIS AND THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. THE WINDSHIELD IS SEPARATING FROM THE CAR AND THE DEALER WILL NOT COVER THIS AS A DEFECT BECAUSE MY CAR IS THE ONLY ONE THEY KNOW OF.
THE WINDSHIELD LEAKED WATER WHEN IT RAINED. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE WINDSHIELD WAS SEPARATING FROM THE MOLDING, AND IT'S NOT A SAFETY DEFECT IT WAS NORMAL. *AK WHILE DRIVING WATER WOULD GET INSIDE THE VEHICLE. *SC *JB
SUN ROOF STICKING DURING OPENING.CLOSE OPERATION; VEHICLE WAS TAKEN INTO DEALER AND INTERMITTENT OPERATION WAS VERIFIED; FAULTY SUN ROOF SWITCH WAS CAUSING THE PROBLEM; NEW SWITCH WAS ORDERED AND INSTALLED. *AK AT THE SAME TIME, THE COOLANT LIGHT KEPT COMING ON AND OFF; NO LEAKS FOUND; PROBLEM NEVER IDENTIFIED
THE REAR WINDOW SHATTERED, WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED. *JB
Showing 1–20 of 27 complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026