While my 2003 escape was in motion, the vehicle jerked and kicked ad I pressed accelerating on a heavy city highway. The vehicle couldn't drive or move forward. I believe it is the transmission went out. The gears were slipping or not going in position. I was using more gas, having a recall on transmission was announced on 2003 ford escape. Recall id 234608 on powertrain automatic transmission. And recall id 234607 automatic transmission: gear position indication. Recall id 234607 I called the ford service center. I was told no recalls under my VIN number. I asked for assistance to fix my transmission. No was answer. I took my car back to place I purchased it carter's radiator, purchased 5-8-2020. Carter radiator did diagnose, found it was the transmission. I was told car will not go into gears. 4th gear is in-operative. Ony 1st & 2nd gears operating. To repair faulty transmission will cost $3900, but because I purchased vehicle from them, repair cost is $2400.
2003 Ford Escape: complete transmission failure
7 of the 558 complaints about the 2003 Ford Escape describe complete transmission failure.
- owner complaints
- 7
- of this car's complaints
- 1%
- typical mileage
- 43,299
- recalls
- 2
Complete transmission failure by model year
What owners say
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford escape. While driving 60 MPH, the transmission failed. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 136,000.
Transmission failure in a 2003 ford escape xlt. This vehicle has 53,576 miles on it and showed no warnings of failure. While operating vehicle in traffic the overdrive light started flashing and the transmission started slipping and no movement from vehicle. This is a safety hazard as there is no way to safely exit drive lanes , and may cause rear end collisions. The cd4e transmission has major design flaws known by ford hence the conversion of transmission manufacturers from batavia, ohio to livonia, michigan in 2006. I have yet to have the problem repaired as I may be using the vehicle for explanatory proof of poor quality and engineering.
Tl* - the contact owns a 2003 ford escape. While driving 40 MPH, thought there was a tire failure. Inspection revealed the tires to be fine. The contact got back in the car and tried to shift into reverse gear with no results. The vehicle was towed to the ford dealership, and the dealership informed the contact that the vehicle needed a new transmission. The contact was concerned about the diagnosis since the vehicle had 43,000 miles on it. *ak updated 2/9/2007 - the failure occurred suddenly and without warning.
Winding noise from under the car. At 40 MPH transmission lost power. Transmission blew drive gear needs to be completely rebuilt. Only 27 days out of warranty, only 26,324 miles on the car.
Incident: transmission failure. On 9 march my transmission in my 2003 ford escape (xlt) failed. There was no prior warning except as I drove that morning the car seemed not to want to go forward. After pulling over to the side of the road, the car transmission locked up and would not go forward or in reverse. I called a tow truck to bring the car to the nearest ford dealer. To date, the reason or cause of the failure is unknown.
I purchased a 2003 ford escape a couple of weeks ago. I drove it 8 days and 650 miles when the transmission went out. It was towed to the dealer and has been there for 6 days. I am requesting from ford an extended warranty on the vehicle which they are unwilling to provide. They are fixing the direct clutch which failed. I do not think an extended warranty is unreasonable. I know gm would provide one should the situation be the same.
Service bulletins that may apply
- General (PCM) power train control module programming procedures
- Wheel speed sensor removal tip
- General power train control module (PCM) programming procedures
- A final drive whine at 25-45 mph (40-72 km/h)
- Clutch chatter when cold
- Transmission control indicator lamp (TCIL) on with diagnostic trouble code P1783 and/or P0733 cold climate...
- Final drive whine most noticeable at 25-45 mph during light acceleration or deceleration
- New transmission cooler flusher - service tips
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
Questions about the 2003 Ford Escape transmission failure
Is complete transmission failure a common problem on the 2003 Ford Escape?
7 of 558 owner complaints about the 2003 Ford Escape (1%) mention complete transmission failure. The model year with the most reports is 2014.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2003 Ford Escape?
There are 2 recalls and 11 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2003 Ford Escape
Ball joint 65Stalling 52Airbag light 39Fire or smoke 23ABS 22Adaptive cruise 19Tire blowout 16Sudden acceleration 15Power steering loss 14No deployment 12Jerking 12Loss of power 10Check engine light 9Hesitation 9Engine failure 7Won't start 7Brake failure 5Knocking 5
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