Major Problems with 2003 Ford Escape Derived from Complaints & Recalls
Custom-fit Add-ons
Worst 3 complaints of 2003 Ford Escape
2003 Ford Escape
TIRES
Victims: 4
Mileage: 65000 miles
2003 Ford Escape
AIR BAGS
Victims: 3
Mileage: 160000 miles
2003 Ford Escape
CABLES
Victims: 2
Mileage: 25000 miles
Browse 2003 Ford Escape complaints by category
Problems with SUSPENSION, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL and BODY are the most frequent issues recorded by the NHTSA from Ford Escape owners.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
| SUSPENSION while driving 55 mph the knuckle separation off the suspension caused accident. *nlm... |
71
~ 123589 miles |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL when the consumer applied the brakes the vehicle accelerated. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for this problem in |
63
~ 97963 miles |
| BODY > STRUCTURE paint peeling -- delaminating -- from roof of 2003 ford escape xlt color code c2. area is above junction of... |
50
~ 98083 miles |
| STEERING while driving 55 mph the steering wheel vibrated. the driver was able to maintain control of the vehicle and drove |
41
~ 94106 miles |
| AIR BAGS ltr to ford concerning a safety defect re defective wiring of the side airbags in 2003 ford escape. *bf the... |
35
~ 90012 miles |
| STRUCTURE when the vehicle was driven in the rain water cames through the drivers side window frame. the water went down |
27
~ 47942 miles |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM previous complaint: stalling of 2003 escape. i returned vehicle back to the dealer and they installed a new eec and... |
25
~ 87857 miles |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC while driving at 50/55 mph vehicle died out without warning. this resulted in loss of power steering and brakes.the cost |
25
~ 67962 miles |
| ENGINE tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford escape. the contact stated there was a recall associated with nhtsa campaign id... |
22
~ 129225 miles |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER when the temperature is warmer the escape intermittedly will not start. takes anywhere from 4 to 7 times of cranking... |
21
~ 83902 miles |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING while driving at any speed and without warning the vehicle stalled and it would be hard to start up the |
20
~ 68937 miles |
| ENGINE > ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING i've had my new suv for 4 days (270 miles) - it stalled while sitting in traffic. lost all power.... |
19
~ 24053 miles |
| FRAME AND MEMBERS > STRUCTURE i purchased a ford escape 2003 on july 2008. last month i noticed the leather interior loosened from all four |
18
~ 97602 miles |
| AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION > POWER TRAIN i purchased a 2003 ford escape a couple of weeks ago. i drove it 8 days and 650 miles when... |
18
~ 42317 miles |
| POWER TRAIN when accelerating the vehicle jerked forward. please provide more information. *jb... |
17
~ 84905 miles |
| UNDERBODY SHIELDS > FRAME AND MEMBERS > STRUCTURE when i recently had my routine maintenance check on my vehicle i was horrified when my mechanic informed me that... |
15
~ 104876 miles |
| FRONTAL > AIR BAGS while driving about 55 mph another vehicle jump in front of the consumers vehicle. the consumers vehicle veered off the |
14
~ 42442 miles |
| WHEELS tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford escape. the contact stated that while driving 50 mph the vehicle started to... |
11
~ 100050 miles |
| CABLES > VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL the accelarator cable on my 2003 ford escape stuck at 65 mph. the engine continued to rev until i was... |
11
~ 42505 miles |
| ACCELERATOR PEDAL > VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL when the accelerator pedal was pressed slightly the vehicle surged forward from 0-10 mph. *nlm... |
11
~ 10192 miles |
| SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE > FRONTAL > AIR BAGS the air bag check light remained on and had been repaired 6 times but the problem recurred. owner was informed |
10
~ 53254 miles |
| CONTROL MODULE (TCM, PCM) > AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION > POWER TRAIN nhtsa recall 04v165000 subject: engine stalling. after having the power control module (pcm) with the appropriate calibration reprogrammed the vehicle... |
9
~ 57323 miles |
| TIRES driver's side front tire blew out. the consumer was currently waiting for aaa to help with the problem. continental contitrac... |
9
~ 25159 miles |
| TREAD/BELT > TIRES while driving 65 mph the driver's side rear tire experienced tread separation. this was the original tire that came with |
9
~ 9667 miles |
| SERVICE BRAKES while driving my escape the front brakes started to make a knocking/thumping noise. when i got home i removed the... |
8
~ 139701 miles |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford escape. the contact stated that while driving approximately 35 mph there was a... |
7
~ 114084 miles |
| LOWER ARM > CONTROL ARM > FRONT tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford escape. the contact stated that the vehicle was included in nhtsa campaign id... |
7
~ 100245 miles |
| CONTROL UNIT/MODULE > ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP > SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford escape. the contact received recall notice # 07v156000 concerning service brakes hydraulic:antilock:control unit/module... |
7
~ 108391 miles |
| PADS > DISC > FOUNDATION COMPONENTS i have a 2003 ford escape. on april 17 2003 i took my vehicle into the ford dealership in vacaville... |
5
~ 35431 miles |
| LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES 2003 ford escape - key won't turn. steering is locked as well.... |
4
~ 101999 miles |
| CRUISE CONTROL > VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL apparently brake fluid leaked from the master cylinder onto the electronics causing an increase in internal voltage causing the electronics... |
4
~ 17728 miles |
| ELECTRICAL > EQUIPMENT i bought a 2003 ford escape in november 2002 and i have experienced a lot of problems with my suv... |
4
~ 27613 miles |
| EXHAUST SYSTEM > ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING without warning vehicle started smoking from underneath. the smoke was coming from vent area inside of vehicle. also there was |
4
~ 60452 miles |
| ROTOR > DISC > FOUNDATION COMPONENTS i have a 2003 ford escape. on april 17 2003 i took my vehicle into the ford dealership in vacaville... |
4
~ 27210 miles |
| SEAT BELTS we have a 2003 ford escape the airbag light has came on and went off sporadically in the past 3... |
3
~ 45333 miles |
| LATCH > DOORS > LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES rear liftgate and rear window just stopped working in 2008 in my 2003 ford escape. the rear liftgate and rear... |
3
~ 91667 miles |
| IGNITION > ELECTRICAL SYSTEM since the beginning of 2003 consumer complained about starting problems. there had been incidents where the vehicle stalled at intersections... |
3
~ 28141 miles |
| FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER engine stalls and has a loss of power at times under acceleration. *ak... |
3
~ 39828 miles |
| SIDEWALL > TIRES hello. i recently purchased a new ford escape with continental tires in june 2003. tire model: continental contitrac suv tire... |
3
|
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE my 2003 ford escape which i purchased in april of 2003 caught fire in the engine due to a defect... |
3
~ 28341 miles |
| SWITCH > IGNITION > ELECTRICAL SYSTEM my 2003 ford escape has a stalling problem. it has stalled at least ten to twelve times in the last... |
3
~ 23600 miles |
| MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE > EXHAUST SYSTEM > ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING after the vehicle was turned off for about 2 minutes a "sizzling" noise was heard. the muffler looked like it |
3
~ 1994 miles |
| HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS > DOOR > BODY i went to shut my drivers side door and it felt a little funny. i opened it again and when... |
3
~ 1383 miles |
| HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE > BODY > STRUCTURE 2003 ford escape leaks dirt into passenger compartment when driving down a gravel road at times the dust inside the... |
3
~ 17740 miles |
| CONTROL ARM > FRONT > SUSPENSION tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford escape. the contact stated that he received a notification for recall nhtsa campaign... |
2
~ 121500 miles |
| ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL on may 8 2013 the anti-theft alarm sounded while my car sat in the driveway. it had not been driven... |
2
~ 116000 miles |
| ABS WARNING LIGHT > ANTILOCK > SERVICE BRAKES, AIR urgent recall notice i received on my 2003 ford escape after research on the recall vehicle i believe this caused... |
2
~ 55000 miles |
| INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL > ELECTRICAL SYSTEM dt*: the contact stated while driving various speeds at night the instrument cluster panel lights failed to illuminate without warning.... |
2
~ 44813 miles |
| ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP > SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC ford escape 2003 while parked caught fire in braking area spread to speed control electrical harness. *jb... |
2
~ 42500 miles |
| HOOD > BODY > STRUCTURE dt: the caller pulled the hood release and with the hood in the release position and the safety latch on... |
2
~ 15000 miles |
| DRIVELINE > POWER TRAIN cable on vehicle accelerator pedal broke and car accelerator unchecked. i needed to"stand" hard on my brakes to get any... |
2
~ 23200 miles |
| COOLING SYSTEM > ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING i bought a 2003 ford escape in november 2002 and i have experienced a lot of problems with my suv... |
2
~ 38500 miles |
| DOOR > BODY > STRUCTURE 2003 ford escape leaks dirt into passenger compartment when driving down a gravel road at times the dust inside the... |
2
~ 41100 miles |
| SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY > VISIBILITY the sunroof completely shattered. the consumer stated pieces of glass fell into the front seat. dealer has been contacted. please |
2
~ 38495 miles |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING i cant remember i just remember my head lights going out and i tried to control my car and couldn't. |
1
~ 170000 miles |
| ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR > ELECTRICAL SYSTEM i had the alternator go out in the middle of a busy intersection in the middle of rush hour traffic.... |
1
~ 160000 miles |
| MOUNTING > TANK ASSEMBLY > STORAGE tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford escape. while parked the contact smelled a strong odor of fuel inside and... |
1
~ 49000 miles |
| SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRIC sensor rings broken on a ford escape 2003 brakes lock up causing loss of control of the vehicle. *tr... |
1
~ 28000 miles |
| VISIBILITY just as i parked my 2003 ford escape in my driveway i heard a huge crashing sound. the back window... |
1
~ 90000 miles |
| REAR WINDOW WIPER/WASHER > VISIBILITY just as i parked my 2003 ford escape in my driveway i heard a huge crashing sound. the back window... |
1
~ 90000 miles |
| WHEEL SPEED SENSOR > ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP > SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford escape. the abs warning light was illuminated on the instrument control panel. the... |
1
~ 90000 miles |
| CATALYTIC CONVERTOR > EMISSION CONTROL > EXHAUST SYSTEM tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford escape. intermittently the vehicle failed to accelerate while the contact was driving approximately 60... |
1
~ 80000 miles |
| FRONT > SUSPENSION i have a 2003 ford escape that i just took to the dealer for repair. the replaced the bushings in... |
1
~ 45000 miles |
| WHEEL BEARING > FRONT > SUSPENSION tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford escape. while driving 25 mph the vehicle made growling and squealing noises and the... |
1
~ 65000 miles |
| MACPHERSON STRUT > FRONT > SUSPENSION tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford escape. while driving 20 mph the brake pedal was applied. the engine began to... |
1
~ 62900 miles |
| STABILIZER BAR > FRONT > SUSPENSION car to dealership on 6/1/07 for service. brake pads replaced rotors turned tires rotated replaced stabilizer bar. left dealer and... |
1
~ 106000 miles |
| ABS WARNING LIGHT > ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP > SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC car to dealership on 6/1/07 for service. brake pads replaced rotors turned tires rotated replaced stabilizer bar. left dealer and... |
1
~ 106000 miles |
| HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS > FOUNDATION COMPONENTS > SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC vehicle was stopped with engine running transmission in d with foot on brake. brake pedal unexpectedly pushed to floor and |
1
~ 88500 miles |
| ROOF AND PILLARS > BODY > STRUCTURE the paint is coming off the roof of the car near the front wind shield area and also on the |
1
~ 50000 miles |
| DELIVERY > FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE fuel gauge is inaccurate. after filling up the indicator reads empty. twice we have run out of gas even though... |
1
~ 20000 miles |
| FRONT > SEAT BELTS dt*: the contact stated while driving 35 mph on normal road conditions the vehicle had a collision with another vehicle.... |
1
~ 34000 miles |
| SHIELD ASSEMBLY > CHILD SEAT dt*: the contact stated both sides of the overhead shield separated from the child safety seat. this is a cosco |
1
|
| FRONT UNDERHOOD > WIRING > ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 2003 ford escape parked in garage located at 7755 sunset drive elmwood park illinois. vehicle spontaneously burned. the garage was... |
1
~ 30000 miles |
| LINKAGES > REAR WINDOW WIPER/WASHER > VISIBILITY sitting in vehicle in grocery store parking lot and heard loud pop sound. i noticed the rear window had shattered. |
1
~ 260000 miles |
| PEDAL/HAND LEVER(MOTORCYCLE) > CLUTCH ASSEMBLY > POWER TRAIN accelerator pedal got stuck while driving down on 96 east in michigan. i was driving about 85 mph and realized... |
1
|
| PARKING BRAKE the consumer had the brakes checked and was told the brake pads separated and that was why she was not... |
1
~ 31000 miles |
| DISC > FOUNDATION COMPONENTS > SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC complete failure of brakes - pads and rotors - with only 19 000 miles on vehicle. replaced at my cost... |
1
~ 19200 miles |
| WHEEL SPEED SENSOR > ANTILOCK > SERVICE BRAKES, AIR while on a return long distance road trip my abs dash light came on and remained on. after stopping and... |
1
~ 42182 miles |
| MECHANICAL > EQUIPMENT new car owned 10 months. 16 000 miles on it. sudden engine failure no warning what so ever ie no... |
1
|
| RADIO/TAPE DECK/CD ETC. > ELECTRICAL > EQUIPMENT i bought a 2003 ford escape in november 2002 and i have experienced a lot of problems with my suv... |
1
|
| ANTI-THEFT DEVICES > ELECTRICAL > EQUIPMENT i bought a 2003 ford escape in november 2002 and i have experienced a lot of problems with my suv... |
1
|
| ACCESSORY SCISSOR/SCREW/BOTTLE JACK/LIFT > MECHANICAL > EQUIPMENT hello. i recently purchased a new ford escape with continental tires in june 2003. tire model: continental contitrac suv tire... |
1
|
| COLUMN SHIFT > LEVER AND LINKAGE > AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION 2003 ford escape shift lever does not lock into park without pushing lever forward dealer replaced parts and now condition... |
1
~ 10 miles |
| AIR CONDITIONER > APPLIANCE > EQUIPMENT sizzling noise when air condition is used. vehicle has been taken in to 2 separate ford dealership and they claim... |
1
~ 2571 miles |
| HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM > STEERING while driving at 50/55 mph vehicle died out without warning. this resulted in loss of power steering and brakes.the cost |
1
~ 3500 miles |
| GLASS, SIDE/REAR > VISIBILITY problems with vehicle's engine and windows.*mr prior to date vehicle was serviced six times for: difficulty in cranking clinking noises... |
1
|
| PEDALS AND LINKAGES > SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC the brake and accelerator pedal was designed to close together which caused consumer to press the accelerator when the brake |
1
|
| POWER STEERING FLUID > HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST > STEERING there was a groaning noise coming from the brakes when the vehicle was at a complete stop but idling. there... |
1
~ 3 miles |
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