The contact owns a 2002 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH and depressing forcefully on the accelerator pedal, the accelerator pedal got stuck. The contact was unable to disengage the accelerator pedal. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated he did not attempt to depress the brake pedal to stop the vehicle. The contact shifted the ignition to off to stop the vehicle. The contact was unable to move the vehicle safely out of the road. The contact stated a bystander called the police department to assist with traffic. A police report was filed. The contact towed the vehicle to an independent mechanic and disengaged the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 213,000. The VIN was not available.
2002 Ford Escape transmission problems
105 complaints (10% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 74,000. 5 crashes reported.
- owner complaints
- 105
- of this car's complaints
- 10%
- typical mileage
- 74,000
- crashes
- 5
- recalls
- 2
Which part fails
- Automatic transmission44
- Automatic transmission: control module (TCM/PCM/tecm)21
- Manual transmission3
- Automatic transmission: lever and linkage: column shift3
- Clutch assembly2
- Transfer case (4-wheel drive)1
- Driveline: differential unit1
- Driveline1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
Ford Escape transmission problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2002 Ford Escape transmission
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Transmission failure 26Jerking 12Hesitation 8Harsh shifting 7Slipping 7Won't shift 6Shudder 5
Related recalls
Power train: automatic transmission: lever and linkage: floor shift
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2001-2008 Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner vehicles manufactured March 31, 2001, to September 1, 2009. The affected vehicles are equipped with either a 2.3L or 3.0L engine and have had their CD4E transmission replaced with remanufactured one that was rebuilt between June 11, 2015 through July 15, 2015. These service repair part transmissions have a shift lever bolt that may not be properly tightened. As a result, the shift control lever could disengage from the transmission without warning.
- Risk
- If the shift lever disengages from the transmission, a driver may be unable to shift gear positions and the indicated shift position may not represent the gear position the vehicle is in. Should a disengagement occur while the vehicle is being driven, when the driver goes to stop and park the vehicle, the gear selection indicator may show that the transmission is in the "PARK" position, but the vehicle transmission may not actually be in the "PARK" gear position. If the vehicle is not in the "PARK" position there is a risk the vehicle will roll away as the driver and other occupants exit the vehicle or anytime thereafter. A vehicle rollaway increases the risk of injury to exiting occupants and bystanders.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the transmissions and either tighten the manual shift lever bolt or replace the manual shift lever assembly. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on October 23, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S28.
Recall number 15V606000 · Recall details
Power train: automatic transmission: control module (TCM/PCM/tecm)
- What is wrong
- On certain sport utility vehicles equipped with 3.0l v6 engines, during deceleration, the engine can stall.
- Risk
- Should the engine stall, a vehicle crash could occur.
- Remedy
- Dealers will reprogram the power control module (PCM) with the appropriate calibration. Owner notification began on april 21, 2004. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact ford at 1‑800‑392‑3673.
Recall number 04V165000 · Recall details
What 2002 Ford Escape owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
My vehicle will randomly lock up and when I start it and try to move it into drive or reverse from park. And when I try to turn off my vehicle so that I can restart it my vehicle won't evem attempt to turn over or start but my electrical will still work just fine
On 2002 ford escape xlt, while driving car in reverse gear backing out of garage down hill and turning on road also with steep down hill, transmission shifter cable detached from transmission. Could not get car out of reverse gear. This caused a very dangerous situation as car rolled backwards down hill out of control when engine shut off. Used emergency brake to stop car and blocked wheels with rocks to diagnose. Bushing on shifter cable end closest to transmission disentegrated and shifter cable slipped off link to transmission such that the column shift was detached from transmission. Had no prior warnings to inspect this. Found through research that ford had issued recall number 18s20 for ford escape model years 2013-2014 for exact same issue on july 18, 2018. Called ford customer service. Ford refused to acknowledge this issue for model year 2002. Temporarily fixed issue to continue driving car. Very dangerous situation. I am no expert, but someone with less expertise than me could be in a lot of trouble as this can happen on a hill where the car can roll out of control. Recommend ford add this model year to recall list or at least issue warning to owners to inspect shifter cable bushing. Difficult to get photo since transmission cable buried down in engine compartment, but could attempt upon request.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford escape. While the vehicle was stopped and waiting for a train to cross the tracks, the contact attempted to place the vehicle back in gear but the vehicle would not shift out of the park position. An independent mechanic was contacted and arrived at the scene. The independent mechanic diagnosed that the shift lever had disengaged from the transmission and would need to be bolted back into place. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was not included in the federal safety agency campaign number: 15v606000 (power train). The contact also stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would experience unexpected acceleration and was difficult to slow down. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was not included in the federal safety agency campaign number: 12v353000 (engine and engine cooling, vehicle speed control). The manufacturer was not made aware of the failures. The failure mileage was 132,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford escape. While shifting gears from drive to park, the vehicle rolled backwards without warning. The contact was able to stop the vehicle by engaging the hand brake. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the shift gear stick disengaged from the transmission and the shift lever assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The VIN was not included in the federal safety agency campaign number: 15v606000 (power train). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The VIN was invalid. The approximate failure mileage was 230,000. Updated 04/13/16*lj the repair shop replaced the shift cable. Updated 04/20/16.
My car jerks when driving very badly hed many repairs done to no avail 118,000 miles have a disabled husband car is unrieabledriving on highway and local streets to get home.
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
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford escape. The vehicle was not included in the federal safety agency campaign number: 04v165000 (power train). While driving in reverse, the vehicle lost power and stalled. When driving in hot weather or after a certain amount of time, the vehicle would stall in the middle of traffic. A mechanic stated that the PCM/TCM power train need to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 160,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford escape. The contact stated there was a fuel odor coming from the ignition. In addition, the contact stated that when driving there would be a sudden deceleration in speed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacture was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 200,000.
I put the vehicle in reverse to back up and when I put vehicle back in drive it died/stalled. This has repeatedly happened along with dying at stop signs, red lights and multiple times at slow speeds. Also the vehicle has repeatedly "stumbled" at various speeds up to 65 MPH.
Questions about the 2002 Ford Escape transmission
Does the 2002 Ford Escape have transmission problems?
Owners have filed 105 complaints about the transmission of the 2002 Ford Escape, 10% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 2002 Ford Escape transmission problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 74,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2002 Ford Escape transmission?
Yes, 2 recalls: 15V606000, 04V165000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Ford Escape have bad transmission?
The Ford Escape model years with the most transmission complaints are 2010 (508 complaints), 2014 (481 complaints) and 2013 (401 complaints).
Other 2002 Ford Escape problems
Engine 330Brakes 195Electrical 123Acceleration 100Body 87Suspension 80Airbags 79Steering 70Fuel system 37Visibility 34Locks 20Seat belts 14Lights 12Tires 12Wheels 10Driver assistance 5Seats 3
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