Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford escape. While driving approximatly 25 MPH, the vehicle appruptly stopped. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who discovered that the frame fractured near the front passenger side wheel well. The vehicle was repaired by the manufacturer but, while driving, the vehicle experienced severe shaking and vibrations. The cause of the failure was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notied of the failure. The VIN and failure mileage were unknown.
2003 Ford Escape body complaints
Page 3 of 5: complaints 41 to 70 of 121, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford escape. While driving approximately 40 MPH, a thumping noise was heard from the passenger side of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the subframe was severely rusted and fractured. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact also stated that a brace was placed on by the dealer in the subframe as part of a recall in 2014. The approximate failure mileage was 121,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford escape. While driving at a high speed, the vehicle veered to the right and failed to remain in position. The contact had to steer the vehicle in excess in order to keep the vehicle in position. The vehicle was taken to a dealer who repaired the vehicle under the federal safety agency campaign number: 14v165000 (structure); however, the local dealer stated that there was corrosion around the attachment area and the subframe needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 109,000.
My ford escape had recall 14s02 completed, which was supposed to "fix" the rusting out sub-frames made of inferior metal due to salt-belt states salting of roads, by installing a flimsy brace across the sub-frame, but I'm honestly not sure what it does besides prevent your car from "completely" losing control. Ford refuses to truly fix the problem and it posses a serious risk to me, my family, and others on the road. If the sub-frame does detach on my car, which it is one nasty pot-hole away from detaching, than I will lose control of my car when the control arm breaks off the sub-frame and I will be in a potentially life threatening situation. My local independent mechanic warned me of the danger of this problem just recently while it was stationary, but ford did not. Ford simply brushed me off and didn't explain to me how dangerous this supposed "fix" is. I am student, and in order for me to fix this on my own the cost will be unbearable. I do not think this is fair or following federal law, and I don't know how this pathetic brace held on by a couple of bolts was considered a real fix for a very dangerous problem. The manner in which ford has handled this situation has been deplorable as well, and I have received nothing but rudeness from their service department, and customer service representatives. The danger of this particular problem is that when the car is in motion and it does detach, especially on a highway, then I, and others will be at a risk due to loss of control of steering.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford escape. While driving at various speeds, there were abnormal noises coming from the front of the vehicle. In addition, both front tires leaned inwards. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the front control arm, sway bar, and tie rods needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the mechanic also stated that the subframe corroded and needed to be replaced. A week later, while reversing at a low speed, the contact heard a loud noise coming from the front of the vehicle. Upon inspection, the contact noticed that the control arm and axle fractured. The contact was aware of the federal safety agency campaign number: 14v165000 (structure) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 90,470.
Last year I returned my vehicle to the dealer for the sub frame recall. I had the new support installed. This year when I went for my annual vehicle inspection I was told to stop driving the vehicle as my subframe was so badly rusted that it could break at any time. Why was the subframe replacement not included in the recall?
Steering lose with little control. Mechanic states a separation of the lower control arm due to excessive corrosion in frame. Matches ford recall 14s02. Yet recall was performed june 2014. So safety recall failed.
Went to get car inspected and the exhaust y pipe and engine cradle subframe has corrison. Called the ford recall and for some reason my vehicle did not have a recall, but there were other 2003 recalls for the control arms and corrison of the frame and members. This seems to be a problem with a lot of ford vehicles but not on the recall list and should be. Vehicle has 100,078 miles. There is also noise come from an area around the tires not sure which one.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford escape. While driving over a bump in the road at approximately 10 MPH, the front passenger side wheel well fractured and damaged the suspension. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the subframe was rusted. The failure was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 145,000.
2003 ford escape. Consumer writes in regards to excessive rust on vehicle sub-frame recall notice. *smd the consumer stated the arm cross bar was replaced. However, the subframe was not covered. The consumer has been unsuccessful at getting the sub frame replaced, because no was willing to sell the part. The part was being used for certain VIN's. The consumer referenced recall # 14v165000.
The lower control arm on my 2003 ford escape is rusted through and ford didn't include my vehicle in the recalls. They are obviously having a wider issue with this control arm since recall number 14so2 has affected my escape as well. They claim that my lower control arm wasn't part of the factories that was listed so they won't include me in the recall. I have had this issue for a while and if I was going down the highway my entire wheel could have disconnected and cause a horrible crash. They must include all ford escapes from 2001 through 2004 as listed in this recall since my escape is obviously included in this recall and I should not be charged for the repair or at least notified of the danger. They should not be allowed to pick and choose which car they deemed acceptable for the recall if there is obviously a defect which could cause harm to the owner and is documented as being harmful,,
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford escape. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency campaign number: 14v165000 (structure); however, the recall repair was not effective. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that the rear frame was completely rusted due to corrosion. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 114,000. Ma 08/10/15 the dealer informed the consumer, the rear frame was in the process of rusting. However, the front frame was already rusted. Updated 08/18/15
Vehicle went in for control arm brace recall in 2014 due to poor metzl used on the subframe, march of 2015 it failed leaving limited control of steering, ford was contacted and stated that they are only responsible for the control arm recall and to contact the dealer. They said they did what they were told to do and the rotted subframe was not a part of the recall. Ford needs to recall the subframe part before someone gets seriously injured or killed.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford escape. The contact stated that while having a routine inspection performed, the vehicle failed to pass inspection due to rust on the right wheel well, the right fender, the cross member and the frame. The inspector determined that the components deteriorated and needed to be replaced. The contact was not included in the federal safety agency campaign id number: 14v165000 (structure). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 57,600. Updated 5/4/15*cn updated 05/26/15
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford escape. The contact noticed that the subframe was fractured. The dealer diagnosed that the subframe needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired under the federal safety agency campaign number: 14v165000 (structure). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 116,994. Updated 3/12/15*cn updated 9/11/2017
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford escape. The contact heard a constant noise coming from the front of the vehicle near the wheels. The dealer stated that the vehicle was included in the federal safety agency campaign number: 14v165000 (structure). The dealer provided the recall remedy of a newly designed cross brace as an interim repair, but the noise failure recurred. Within three months, the power steering failed. The front passenger side wheel was leaning due to the fact that the lower control arm fractured. The subframe was rusted to the point of corrosion. The dealer was notified of the failures. The vehicle was towed to an independent repair shop for diagnostic testing. The VIN was not available. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000.
Seems we own a ford escape 2003 which needs a cross brace for the sub frame. The reason for the recall is that the sub frame corrodes and the brace will keep the two sides from breaking apart and splitting them into two halves. That is because it can rust and break. The top of the sub frame of the ford escape is rusted and looks very unsafe. Ford would not replace the whole sub frame because it does not effect where they can attach the brace. Problem solved ford will not cover the top of the sub frame only the bottom where the brace is installed. Question 1: would you or the owner of the ford corp have his daughter and/or his grand daughter drive down rte. 495 doing 65 MPH with a rusted-out top sub frame? Question 2: I have a brand new ford escape 2014. How long are the iron frame parts of the car good? Should I sell it at 5 years or 6? I know that 10 years is too long.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford escape. While driving approximately 15 MPH, the subframe fractured. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the subframe needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 122,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford escape. The contact received a recall notice for the federal safety agency campaign number: 14v165000 (structure: frame and members). The contact took the vehicle to the dealer to have it repaired according to the recall. The mechanic installed a newly designed reinforcement cross-brace; however, the mechanic could not complete a front end alignment due to an excessive amount of corrosion present. The front end alignment was an enforced procedure per the manufacturer, which was included in the remedy for the recall. The manufacturer was notified and informed the contact that nothing could be done. The contact had not experienced the failure listed in the recall; however, the steering became affected due to the recall. The failure mileage was unknown.
On june 9 2014, I took my escape to the ford dealer to have recall 14s02 performed. We had recently purchased the car and had gotten the recall notice. The service writer called me to say that "the car wasn't safe to drive" because of the rust spots that had eaten through the engine cradle. He warned me that if this went unrepaired, the frame could collapse under the weight of the engine. He reassured me that he was working with ford to replace the engine cradle as part of the recall. He took pictures (twice) of the car and submitted them and a request to ford for the repair. On july 13 2014, more than a month later, the service writer let me know that ford had rejected the repair claim, saying that "they didn't think the rust was significant, it was surface rust, and the car was actually safe to drive." the dealer installed a bracket across the bottom of the rusty cradle. I understand that the bracket is part of the recall. I picked the car up on july 14 2014 and was told that it was safe and not to worry about the rust. We subsequently spent over $1,500 making other repairs to the car, believing it was a good investment. Less than 2 months later, on september 5 2014, my daughter experienced a catastrophic failure of the engine cradle, bending the drive axle on the passenger side and rendering the car unable to drive. The service writer had been correct, it was unsafe to drive and it did fail. We had the car towed to the nearest dealer. On september 9 2014, I was told that ford had again rejected the claim to repair the (broken) engine cradle. This time, the reason given was "they had already done the recall" that was meant to address the cradle damage from rust. I have appealed the rejection through ford customer care and through the special services group and they continue to reject the repair. I would like ford to repair the vehicle at their expense.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford escape. After the vehicle was repaired according to the federal safety agency campaign number: 14v165000 (structure), it was discovered that the front passenger side subframe was corroded and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired and the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 164,429. Updated 10/01/14 *bf updated 1/7/2015
This vehicle is part of the ford recall 14s02 (nhtsb #14v165000 ). I had the recall directed cross-brace installed in june 2014 (3 months ago). I was turning a corner at about 5-10 MPH, heard a pop in the right front of the car and then heard a scraping sound and had difficulty steering. I had the vehicle towed to the dealership who found that the cross-brace had failed because the subframe gave way. I was told that the brace was only to provide an envelope of safety if the subframe failed but it was not meant to prevent frame failure or correct frame weakness. I was also told that the subframe repair was not covered as part of the recall and that the repair would cost about $2000. I don't think that a quality vehicle would have a frame failure after only 10 years. I think this is a design flaw and that similar to toyota, ford is trying to say they put in a fix but not really fix the real problem. I believe that my frame was severely weakened before the cross-brace was installed and that the subframe should have been replaced instead of the patch fix designed in the recall which ford admitted to me was only to help prevent injuries, not to fix a known design problem. You would think the mechanics would want to protect customers from potentially lethal structural failures. Maybe they do but management is only concerned with profits. Failing to stand behind the quality of their product will cost ford; they certainly have lost me.
At a slow speed, steering all of the sudden became erratic. It could not be driven, so my local dealer took a look at it. He is a certified ford mechanic. He said the subframe was damaged and it was directly related to the recall #14s02 which is for a crossbar to the subframe due to a potential loss of steering. We had to have it towed to the only ford dealership in our area, oneonta ford. The put the crossbar in and performed only the specific recall work. They are telling me now that it still cannot be driven as the subframe is damaged. This is directly related to the issue and the recall. I don't feel I should have to pay for this. Oneonta ford is not doing the right thing.
2003 ford escape. Consumer writes in regards to lower control arm corrosion recall notice problems. *smd the dealer informed the consumer, the parts were not available and that was in may. The dealer stated to call back in july. To date, the recall has not been fixed. The consumer referenced recall # 14v165000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford escape. The contact stated that the rear driver side interior door was corroded and as a result, exhaust fumes were emitting into the vehicle. The vehicle had not been repaired or diagnosed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 82,000.
2003 ford escape. Consumer writes in regards to waiting for vehicle parts to come in.
I am writing about a recall for my ford escape. This recall included the front control arms and the subframe. They were being recalled for corrosion on the control arms and if separated from the subframe it could cause significant steering loss and loss of control of the car and increasing chance of an accident. I took my car in for the recall fix, they installed a reinforcement part and sent me on my way. After this, slowly, my steering wheel started becoming cock-eyed. After driving it like that for a few days,I noticed that after I take a left turn the car would jerk as the steering wheel straightened. I immediately called the ford dealer that fixed the recall, since the recall clearly stated that it could lose steering control and asked them to look at it again, thinking that he recall was not fixed properly or something else to do with the recall is failing. They looked at it and said that the subframe is corroded and it has nothing to do with the recall. And that it would cost 1800 dollars to fix. I asked why it wasn't included in the recall since the steering is effected, they said that the subframe wasn't included. I have read several documents about this recall and several of them state that the subframe is included. So I called ford customer care, they stated that the recall only included the subframe if the control arm separated from it before the recall was fixed not after. I think this is so unfair, since clearly the subframe was corroded when they did the recall fix. They had to have seen that, just because it wasn't separated at the time doesn't mean it shouldn't be included. Anyway, I ended up taking it to my own mechanic who can fix it for alot less, but it is still costing me 1400 dollars!! I can't afford it, can something be done about this, I think it should be fixed for free, and that the sub frame should be included. Please help, thanks. Recall 14s02.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford escape. The contact stated that the frame was rusted. The contact mentioned that she felt her vehicle was unsafe to be driven. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was 56,000. Updated 9/19/14*cn updated 2/20/2015
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford escape. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH, the subframe became separated from the passenger side wheel area and also became bent. The power steering assist also failed, which caused the vehicle to veer to the right and slide. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, but there was no diagnostic testing performed. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 123,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford escape. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, the front end of the vehicle began to shake violently which caused a loss of steering. The contact was able to regain control and maneuvered to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed first to an independent mechanic and then authorized dealer. The technician informed that the passenger's side engine cradle was completely rusted. There was a voluntary recall issued by the manufacturer related to a newly designed engine cradle cross member bracket. The vehicle was repaired under the recall and the problem persisted. The remedy failed to correct the problem. The vehicle had not been repaired for the most recent failure. The manufacturer was notified of the defect. The approximate failure mileage was 150,000.
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