2002 Ford Escape: check engine light

Filed May 12, 2018 · Electrical, Fuel system · 116,349 miles · GA

My vehicle idles to 4000rpm and control the speed by itself, there is a leak in the back break area the steering wheel locks where I can't put it in any gear sometimes and getting worse. Had to get it towed home last night because while driving it idled high and as I brake it barely stopped and when releasing break it speeds up to 50 or more MPH and I had to keep my feet on the break..I pulled over and turned the switch off and waited a while and turned back on and it idled to 4000 RPM again. Could not shift the gear from park and break pedal was hard. When arriving home to back car in driveway towe guy had no problem with idle. The following morning cranked and was at 1000rpm at first start. Also AC pressure. Car runs hot but no smoke water bubbles in coolant reservoir. My check engine light never gave warning of any of the problems listed.

Filed Apr 28, 2018 · Brakes, Driver assistance · 160,000 miles · CA

Bought this car and 2 miles down road check engine, ABS, and the brake as well as the over drive (only one flashing) came on. The car gear shift lever pops out of gear. The vehicle has a new tranny. The vehicle stalls, and is blowing tranny fluid. It has had the compute replacee on a recall. Every issue I have found relates to recalls, yet fore told me nope zero recalls on this even after I showed him proof of a recall on the engine itself. So recalls; 07v156000, 15v606000, 12v005000, and 04v165000 somehow do not apply? So I have to crash before ford willl even look at the car. It pops out of gear! Clearly an ABS malfunction or not? All hazards.

Filed May 26, 2015 · Engine, Steering · 100,000 miles · IL

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford escape. While driving at 30 MPH, the vehicle jerked and the contact heard a noise coming from the steering wheel and front of the vehicle. The check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer multiple times. The technician was unable to diagnose the failure and repair the vehicle. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 100,000. Updated 7/16/15

Filed Jul 31, 2014 · Engine · 126,774 miles · OH

Returning home from vacation. Heard something bump under the vehicle, slowed down, saw the engine light come on, then the engine started to sputter, rumble, run rough. Got off the freeway. Called for service, was towed to garage. Mechanic discovered that a spark plug ejected from the engine, and that a 2nd spark plug was probably going to do the same thing. It is my understanding that this has happened before in ford engines and can cause alot of damage and possible injuries.

Filed Jul 27, 2011 · Engine · 137,000 miles · IN

2002 ford escape. Catalytic converter problem. Problem began last week when dpfe tubes came off and dpfe sensor melted. The next day the valve next to the dpfe sensor blew a hole and all parts were replaced. The next day one of the dpfe tubes came off again. This was replaced again. The next day the car did not have good gas power. When going up a small incline the car would not go past 40 MPH. Went to car repair shop and o2 sensor was removed to see if it was the catalytic converter. This car has 3 catalytic converters. This car is at another car repair shop now to see what the cause is for the catalytic converter(s) to go bad. One repair shop advised that this is a common problem with ford escapes. I contacted ford motor company and was told that there have been no recalls for this problem. I went out to the ford forum and there are entries from 2007 to present with many 2002 escape owners that have experienced the same problems that I am experiencing. This problem can cause major engine problems that could cause an accident. No engine light has come since the dpfe tubes and sensor and valve was replaced.

Filed Sep 20, 2010 · Engine · 134,000 miles · OH · fire

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford escape. The contact stated that there was an abnormal burning odor emitting from the vehicle. The cruise control, ABS and check engine warning lights suddenly illuminated as smoke begin emitting from the front end of the vehicle. The contact then noticed that the vehicle was on fire as flames poured from under the hood. The fire was extinguished but independently re-ignited . The fire department was called and extinguished the fire. A police/fire report was available. The vehicle was then towed to the contact's residence. The vehicle was not repaired and had not been driven since the failure. The contact called the manufacturer who offered no assistance. The current and failure mileage was approximately 134,000.

Filed Jan 4, 2010 · Engine · 130,000 miles · CA

2002 ford escape v6 four wheel drive, rear exhaust manifold cracks. Drive this car reasonably, not like a teenager, and the manifold cracked. Since this manifold has built-in catalysts, repair is extremely expensive. Ford has not recalled, but the exhaust fumes that build up in the vehicle are extreme (we get headaches). Also, mpg has fallen to 14 mpg, and still no cel-on condition.

Filed May 8, 2009 · Transmission · 30,000 miles · FL

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford escape. While driving approximately 20-30 MPH on normal road conditions, the engine stalled without warning. Immediately, the contact shifted into neutral and restarted the engine. The vehicle was able to resume normal operation. The check engine warning indicator illuminated on the instrument panel and remained lit until the engine was turned off. The failures occurred intermittently. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing, but the failures could not be duplicated. On two separate occasions, the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for identical failures, but there were no resolutions. The VIN was excluded from the federal safety agency campaign id number 04v165000 (power train; automatic transmission; control module), although the failures were identical. The vehicle has not been repaired. The failure mileage was 30,000 and current mileage was 70,000.

Filed Nov 17, 2008 · Engine · 64,430 miles · NY

I recently had $2,900 worth of repairs done to my 2002 ford escape xlt in july. My vehicle was bucking and almost stalled when I pulled into the nearest service center. The check engine light was on. The mechanic diagnosed the problem as clogged cat converters. The car has three sets of them. This is the effect of the cause which he believed was faulty oxygen sensors as well as bad spark plugs. At the end of sept the car was not running well and I went to another mechanic who said the egr valve was blown and their was broken bolts where the mechanic was replacing the exhaust system. I was furious and proceeded to return to the merrick bellmore service center. He told me if the problem was on his end that he will take care of it and then diagnosed that the cats where clogged again. He didn't properly diagnose the cause of the cats getting clogged the first time. The mechanic has since replaced three sets of cat converters and he has a bill for $1600 and has had my car at his shop for two months now. The shop is "trying" to get ford to pay for the exhaust parts. After numerous attempts to speak with the owners of this service station to no avail (the clerks tell me 5 different set of names as to who is the owner) all I want is my car back and let this service station "eat" this current bill due to the fact that on the bill that I paid in july the warranty on parts is one year or $12,000 miles. I am frustrated, angry and don't know where to turn.

Filed Aug 12, 2008 · Engine, Transmission · 89,999 miles · SD

My family and I were driving along the insterstate with cruise controll set at 75 MPH. We were going up a small hill and about to go into the passing lane. The car sounded like the transmission slipped in over drive and the rpms went through the roof. We were able to coast to the side of the road. We turned the vehicle off for serveral minutes and then turned it back on. The oil pressure light flickered on and off and the engine made a horrible screeching noise. We checked the oil and it was full. The car had to be towed to the mechanic were he then informed us that the car needed a new engine. He stated the the catalytic convereted had gone out causing the engine to fail. The car also will need a new transmission. The total cost to fix this is around $8000.00. I contacted ford today to tell them what had happened and they stated that there was nothing they could do since the car had not been serviced at a ford service station consistantly since the car was first purchased and that they have had no other similiar complaints with this vechile. After researching online I have found many similar complaints where ever one has seemed to contact ford and they say the same things to them. I also have had some smaller problems with this vehicle like the engine light going on and the emergency break light going on and brought them in to the shop and have had to replace the sensors. Right now I am not able to replace the vehicle due to finicial reasons.

Filed Jul 25, 2007 · Engine · 67,000 miles · WA

(1) approximately 100 miles of highway driving LED up to (2) a loss of power at all speeds with excessive rpms for given speed followed by a flashing check engine light, followed by considerable engine and cabin vibration. (3) ford diagnosed the problem as a rare internal engine failure in cylinder #4. No remedy has been provided. The engine can be replaced for about $6,000.

Filed Jun 25, 2007 · Transmission · 90,000 miles · MN

I own a 2002 ford escape and was driving on the freeway when the overdrive off light started flashing. I pulled over ,but was not able to reengage the overdrive. Continued the commute home and the transmission started shifting roughly, and then the check engine light came on. I was able to drive it to the dealer, where they told me I would needed a new transmission. I took it, ,,(by this point the vehicle wasn't driveable and had to have it towed to a transmission shop near my home. They stated that I would need a new transmission, and that this seemed to be a common occurrence for ford escapes. They said that a vehicle at 90000 mileage should not have the extensive kind of transmission damage that this vehicle did.