2002 Ford Escape: jerking or lurching

Filed Feb 8, 2020 · Suspension · 160,000 miles · TX

My car jerks, and swerves because of the lower control arm on the drivers side. It and the subralframe are messed up. It will cost me too much money to fix and no one wants to touch it. I dont want to sell it to anyone be cause of the safety of the vehicle. It jerks at low speeds and gets worse at high speeds.

Filed Oct 11, 2015 · Fuel system, Transmission · 118,000 miles · CT

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.

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 Oct 3, 2012 · Acceleration, Fuel system · 135,320 miles · VA

Vehicle has begun to accelerate unexpectedly since early september. There has been at least four incidents involving vehicle suddenly accelerating when its was at low speed or stopped (with foot on the brake). The accelerations last a few seconds and lurch the car forward. The vehicle has been taken to ford for the recall notices involving the cruise control cable (11s24b on 30 june 12 and 12s37b on 20 sep 12). This vehicle did not experience this problem prior to the recall repairs.

Filed Sep 24, 2012 · Suspension · 147,000 miles · OH

Ford escape was making sharp jerking motions like the front wheels were going to fall off. It happend right after I took the escape in to ford dealer to get the ABS and engine cover recalls. They said they did not casue the problem. I took to local mech in town and he said issue is the control arm bolt is seperated from the subframe and is rusted away so it is making the wheel wobble out of alignment causing the jerking motion. Wondering if recall is on ford escape for subframe issue where control arm bolt is attached . Seen many same issues when searching the internet.

Filed Jul 27, 2012 · Brakes · 33,000 miles · NC

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford escape. The contact stated that the brakes were exhibiting failures and the vehicle would jerk abnormally. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who discovered that the brake lines were fractured and would need replacing. The dealer replaced the brakes, rotors, brake pedal and the brake lines. The vehicle continued exhibiting braking issues after the repair. The contact later received notification of the federal safety agency campaign id numbers: 12v005000 (service brakes, hydraulic:antilock:control unit/module), 07v156000 (service brakes, hydraulic:antilock:control unit/module), and 07e023000 (service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:master cylinder) and took the vehicle to the dealer for repairs. The dealer denied the recall repairs. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The failure mileage was 33,000 and the current mileage was 62,000.

Filed Aug 2, 2011 · Acceleration, Transmission · 94,700 miles · IL · crash

On rt. 59, just south of northwest hwy (rt. 14) in barrington, my 2002 ford escape xlt was involved in a bizarre incident or accident. While sitting static on level road in a line of traffic with a train-crossing barrier arm keeping traffic safely waiting for the train to pass, my vehicle lurched forward in an unintended acceleration while my foot was firmly pressing on the brake pedal. The engine raced at >= 4000 RPM. With continued braking action on my part with no vehicle response, the passenger-side front end of my vehicle hit the 1988 ford f150 truck immediately in front of me. As a side note, I had the 2005 ford recall work performed on the defective accelerator cable, with the cable replacement at packey webb ford dealership service center in wheaton, illinois. There is a safety-hazard risk associated with the vehicle, and I refuse to drive this vehicle even if the approximately $4000.00 damages are repaired, which I have not authorized. I am an experience computer it software/hardware professional, as well as an engineering design controls expert in the health care industry, working for a major product manufacturer (software and hardware). There is a definite safety risk associated with this vehicle make/model, and I want to report this incident to the proper agency. The insurance company, ford dealership, and the authorized service center have done nothing to identify the root cause for the vehicle malfunction on design defect; they only treat this as a loss and did not perform initial computer diagnostics prior to compromising the vehicle in their actions to appraise damages to the vehicle. I need this incident properly investigated and reported to the public if a safety risk is confirmed.

Filed Oct 7, 2005 · Transmission · 132,000 miles · CO

Trans has had to be repaired replaced rebuilt over 14 times in less than 100,000 miles and less than 2 years. The overdrive light starts blinking and the car jerks when the car shifts up or down, except the time I could only go in reverse and had to let the car roll into a parking lot off of a busy street.

Filed Jun 1, 2005 · Transmission · 87,000 miles · IN

Just after the warranty period on my 2002 ford escape expired, I started having trouble with the transmission, specifically, the transmission would not engage in reverse without revving the engine and having the gears jump into place, causing the vehicle to lurch backwards. When I contacted my local ford dealership where I had purchased the SUV, I expressed to them my displeasure in having transmission trouble at only 35,000+ miles and was informed that it was not unusual to need a new transmission at that odometer reading, and, indeed, they had replaced transmissions as early as 12,000 miles. I contacted my regional ford corporate headquarters about the problem without any success. On thursday, may 12, while traveling 55 miles per hour on the highway, the transmission failed, with the car sounding like I was revving the engine in neutral, and I was losing power quickly. I had to get off the road quickly and was unable to engage the transmission in any gear. After having the car towed to a transmission facility in indianapolis, I was told that the problem did not originate in the transmission, but was the result of a ground circuit problem. Ford constructed the car with the ground running through the transmission, which means that every time the car is started the high voltage running through the transmission melts the gears together. Additionally, the transmission was leaking onto the front suspension, which meant the ball joints needed to be replaced as well. The transmission company rebuilt the transmission, replaced the ball joints, and added an additional ground so that the problem would not happen again, which resulted in a total cost of $3655.

Filed Aug 4, 2004 · Brakes, Engine · 29,085 miles · AZ

(1) ce light on again (2) vehicle not idling normally (3) vehicle not advancing from stop (4) smell burning oil from engine when shut off, no visible oil leak found on driveway (5) rattling from lf of the vehicle; speed of rattling directly related to speed of vehicle; starts around 25 MPH. (6) driver's seat lurches forward on seat track when braking; only occurs with lighter weight drivers. Took vehicle to dealer for the 30k mile check & to have them address the issues. Dealer did the following - issues 1-4: engine covered in oil upon inspection (second oil leak); leak coming from the front cover & oil pan; dealer replaced the front cover gasket, oil pan gasket, valve cover gaskets, upper intake gaskets, & oil filter; dealer replaced the catalytic converter monitor sensor again (third time). Issue 5: dealer did not hear noise coming from lf of vehicle; heard a noise from rear of vehicle; rear lift door latch loose; adjusted/oiled it. Issue 6: dealer compared problem with other escapes; found to be a normal condition of power driver's seat to have some play in it (this is very unsafe; seat lurches forward 1-2in when braking; I'm a short female who struggles to sit a min of 10in from the sw for the ab; moving me forward another 1-2in in a crash is not safe). Dealer found front brake pads/rotors below specs; stated that this is normal for 30k miles; seems too soon. Several complaints filed to the federal safety agency regarding excessive brake/rotor wear. Vehicle was in the shop 7/16-7/23. Dealer paid for a rental car (third time). Picked up vehicle & drove it off lot; heard rattling from the lf of vehicle. Took it back & a mechanic went on test drive with me, heard noise. Took it back & inspected vehicle together. I noticed the weather stripping on the left side of the windshield was cracked & detaching from vehicle. Had been slapping outside of apillar when driving, making noise. Dealer stated they would order new part & I'd have to bring vehicle back again to have it installed.

Filed Jul 15, 2004 · Acceleration, Transmission · 29,100 miles · IL · crash · 2 injuries

Driver put the vehicle into park and without warning vehicle surged forward. This caused consumer to lose control of the vehicle, and hit some objects head on inside of the garage before stopping. The driver and passenger sustained minor injuries. Consumer will have the vehicle towed to the dealership.*ak the driver was in the process of placing gear from drive to park when vehicle lurched forward. Upon impact, the shifter is between park and drive.

Filed Jan 20, 2004 · Engine, Visibility · OH

2002 ford escape only 2 years old and ford will not honor warranty because rear wipers not working and engine makes and jerk at 3k RPM, not part of warranty.