Check a VIN

2008 Ford Escape transmission complaints

Page 6 of 12: complaints 131 to 160 of 329, newest first, as owners wrote them.

See the summary of 2008 Ford Escape transmission problems: which part fails, at what mileage and related recalls.

Filed Sep 5, 2014 · Acceleration, Transmission · 136,078 miles · TX

Vehicle surged forward when I came to a stop vehicle would not go into gear until I was at 3500 -4000 RPM. I got on freeway &couldn't get to speed limit. The wrench light is illuminated & when I looked up description in manual it states it is the throttle control/powertrain.after doing some research they do have recalls for this but on the 2009-2012 models. It also specified that ford as of feb. 2014 had issued an extended warranty for throttle body assemblies for 2005 - 2012 for 10 years or 150,000 miles. I contacted ford & then state there is no recall nor consumer satisfaction program 13n03 for my car. Yet, the have the same consumer satisfaction program for the 2011 milans. This I know cause my daughter has a 2011 milan & she received notice. I do not understand how ford can not comply when this escape clearly has the same problems as the recalled vehicles for 2009-2012. All I was told was to get it fixed & keep receipt and maybe some day could get reimbursed. This is really frustrating and on ford's part totally unaware and unfair to their consumers!

Filed Sep 4, 2014 · Transmission · 75,000 miles · NJ

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 ford escape. The contact stated the transmission was slipping and failed to shift into gear when the accelerator pedal was depressed. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 75,000.

Filed Sep 3, 2014 · Acceleration, Transmission · 75,000 miles · NJ

Two days ago, I was driving on the highway and suddenly, my gears started slipping. I was driving 45 MPH and then my car decelerated to the point where I could no longer accelerate. This made it very difficult to get back home and I feared that I would be at risk for a crash. Immediately the next morning, I brought my car to a ford dealer and they diagnosed the problem to be with the transmission. My options were to fix one band or the entire transmission. Upon doing research about this issue, I found that many other ford customers had experienced the same problems with their 2008 ford escape's transmission.

Filed Aug 28, 2014 · Transmission · 150,000 miles · MD

While accelerating to get onto the highway, I noticed the engine was revving but our speed wasn't increasing and it seemed as though it wasn't going into gear. Finally once it did shift the wrench indicator light came on. After taking it to the repair shop to have it evaluated I was told that the bands for 2nd and 4th gear were busted and I'd need a new or rebuilt transmission installed. I won't ever buy another ford after seeing all of the other reports on this and knowing that they aren't issuing a recall to fix this problem. This can be real dangerous if someone is coming at you and you can't get out of the way fast enough! I'm taking the loss and trading it in on something more reliable.

Filed Aug 4, 2014 · Transmission · 79,000 miles · CA

I was driving on the freeway when my car suddenly wouldn't drive. I pressed the gas, but it wouldn't go. I limped over to the side of the road. My wife and children were in the car, but fortunately they were not hurt. After about 5 minutes, I was able to drive it to the exit (a few hundred feet). This seems like an incredible hazard - one that ford should fix! I can tell you this, I will get the car fixed to where it can be driven, but I will never buy a ford again. Ford has put my family at risk and won't do the right thing.

Filed Aug 4, 2014 · Steering, Transmission · 100,000 miles · MI

Tl-the contact owns a 2008 ford escape. The contact stated that when driving at low speeds, the steering seized. The contact also stated that the vehicle hesitated to accelerate when depressing the accelerator pedal and the wrench warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not been notified. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency campaign number: 14v284000 (power steering) but did not confirm if the VIN was included. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000. Djr

Filed Jul 22, 2014 · Transmission · 97,000 miles · TX

December 17, 2012 with only 97,000 miles on this car it completely stalled while driving, vehicle had to be towed and complete transmission replacement. July 22,2014 vehicle starting to excel while driving and lose power ....wrench light is on.....124,000 miles recall needs to include 2008 it includes 2009---2013 for throttle body replacement and extending warranty to 150,000.

Filed Jul 22, 2014 · Transmission · 87,500 miles · OH

When the vehicle approaches 15-20 MPH the RPM's rev. Vehicle also wants to stall at low speeds or when idling. While all these issues start occurring the wrench light comes on in the vehicle. It makes the vehicle useless to drive and down right dangerous on the highway.

Filed Jul 14, 2014 · Transmission · 82,000 miles · NJ

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 ford escape. While driving approximately 20 MPH, the vehicle hesitated and failed to accelerate. The maintenance service sensor illuminated on the instrument panel. An independent mechanic stated that the second and fourth gears were faulty and the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and the manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 82,000.

Filed Jun 30, 2014 · Transmission · 80,800 miles · VA

My 2008 ford escape kept surging up to 5 RPM while I was driving. Thank god I was able to pull over without having an accident! Wrench symbol appeared that said: throttle/powertrain. Had to have car towed to a mechanic who told me I had to take my vehicle to a ford dealership. Called ford dealer and appointment was scheduled with on 6/27; of course, I had to have the vehicle towed again. After the vehicle was evaluated the service advisor called and said it is my transmission!!?? How could this be! I only have 80k miles on the vehicle in 5 years! How is the transmission failing at such low mileage?! Ont he the federal safety agency website, I see there are myriads of complaints regarding this same issue, yet no recalls?? No way should I (consumer) be responsible for a total transmission failure at 80k mlies, especially when it's evident it's a manufacturer's defect! My SUV is still at the dealership because it had to be re-evaluated by one of their transmission experts.

Filed Jun 24, 2014 · Steering, Transmission · 40,000 miles · AR

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 ford escape. The contact stated that the steering column seized and the transmission failed. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 40,000 and the current mileage was 42,000.

Filed Jun 16, 2014 · Engine, Transmission · 82,000 miles · GA

Wrench light came on and I immediately took my vehicle to john bleakley ford for a diagnostic test to see what was going on. I noticed that the vehicle was stalling while going uphill and sometimes would not go more than 20. Then when driving in the city the vehicle would sometimes jerk. This is a very nervous feeling!!! I was told that it is a factory problem & told to continue driving it. I was told by the service mgr to contact them in january after he contacts ford. I called and emailed often ad it is a nervous feeling to drive a car like this. I finally was able to follow up with the service mgr who avoided me until may 2014, and he only spoke to me after I contacted mr bleakley! I have quoted prices for a rebuilt transmission and a new transmission which is very expensive. I am still trying to figure out what happens when ford customers do not find the money to make expensive repairs. The mileage is too low to need a transmission. Also I have maintained my car good. This is dangerous & unbelievable!!!

Filed May 27, 2014 · Electrical, Transmission · NY

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 ford escape. The contact stated that once the vehicle was turned off it could not be restarted. The radio also failed and the vehicle exhibited a reduction in power. The failure recurred on 5 different occasions. The vehicle was towed and the transmission, alternator, front axle and battery were all repaired however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure and current mileage was unknown. The VIN was not provided.

Filed May 26, 2014 · Transmission · 87,720 miles · MD

On friday may 23, I was driving to the store and the "wrench" symbol came on. My truck started to stall in mid-travel and I was able to avoid being rear-ended. I do not feel safe in the vehicle. The light went out after we were almost home. However, on saturday, after I pressed the gas peddle, the truck did not pick up speed. It is now parked in front of my door.

Filed May 19, 2014 · Transmission · 46,300 miles · NM

We've owned an '08 escape 2wd xls. At 46300 miles, she experienced a loss of acceleration between 10-20mph; at 22mph the car into gear; at 50mph she got the wrench light. Took it to the dealer, they hooked it up on the ids computer, came back with codes p0732 and p0743 internal transmission problem. They said it would need to be torn down to find cause of problem. When I asked how much for that I didn't get an answer and he went to say how if they did that the transmission would already be out and open so fixing it at that point would be the best. After I asked the second time how much is when he said approx. $2500 plus tax... Could be higher or lower for the tear down and repair. I declined and decided to take it to aamco. They confirmed the problem. They told me that the cost to rebuild the transmission would be almost as much as getting a remanufactured trans with all the problem areas upgraded and a 3yr 50,000 mile warranty, whereas a rebuild would only get 1 yr warranty. We ended up buying the remanufactured that was the better choice. At the end with labor, install and tax $2837.51. I emailed ford prior to bring to aamco and didn't hear from then until 2 days before my wife's car was done. They call to ask if there was any way they could help but when I told them the escape was no longer at the dealership they said there was nothing they could do. I told them we could not afford to wait to hear from them and that it was a transmission specialist we took it to. They said that they cannot stand by the work an outside (non-ford) shop does. I then told them how I knew ford was aware of the problem because they had issued a service bulletin to its techs advising them of the problems because there are more than 1 problem with these transmissions. Ford knowingly put my wife and daughters lives in danger with this problem and they don't care.

Filed May 16, 2014 · Engine, Transmission · 127,000 miles · CA

My car isn't working properly due to defective ford throttle body.

Filed Apr 28, 2014 · Acceleration, Transmission · 103,000 miles · IN

As I was driving about 30 MPH my car suddenly sped up on its own. When I began to slow down my car then would not shift into second gear. The rmps would jump to over 300 when I tried to go faster than 25 MPH. Once I had gone that speed for a few seconds my car would then do a hard jerk and move into the next gear. This caused many safety hazards for me while driving on the highway.

Filed Apr 18, 2014 · Steering, Transmission · 80,000 miles · NY

When I start my car the power steering wont work. I have to shut the car off and restart it and it will work. I noticed my escape was leaking fluid took it to the ford dealer it was the transfer case. After 2500. Its fixed and it should be a recall on both as there are numerous complaints on both of these.

Filed Apr 15, 2014 · Transmission · 110,000 miles · NY

My ford escape had 3 transmission failures in the past 4 years. I had it rebuild or replaced by ford twice and it need a third transmission rebuild or replace. The cp4e doesn't hold up or like others commented on this vehicle they have a tendency to have a loose stearing which cause the second gear transmission band to pull away or broken. Please advise on this problem or issue a recall since there are more escape with the same problem.

Filed Apr 8, 2014 · Steering, Transmission · 117,000 miles · IL

My power steering keeps going out and on and out and on at any rate of speed. I can't afford the 1500.00 to replace it since I just had my transmission replaced at 4,000.00 it is a big safety issue and I've seen 1000 other complaints online. Ford needs to do a recall. This is ridiculous. Gm just did a recall and it is the same part. Can someone help with this matter please?

Filed Apr 7, 2014 · Transmission · 55,000 miles · NJ

The vehicle began to drive rough and the wrench light popped on the dash. Vehicle was taken to a ford dealer and was determined to have transmission failure at 55,000 miles. Told would cost over $2k to fix and warranty just expired. We bought this vehicle as a certified pre-owned from the ford dealer 20,000 miles ago.

Filed Mar 24, 2014 · Brakes, Electrical · 108,000 miles · PA

For the last couple of days, whenever I put my car in reverse and begin to back up, I lose my steering ability. The only way I can get my steering wheel to work again is if I turn my car off and then turn it back on again. Well, today, it happened again, but this time I tried multiple times to turn my car off and turn it back on and my power steering would not kick back in. I have read through many complaints on here as well as other sites and see that a lot of people are having the same issue with their 2008 escape. I have seen that it can cost over $1400 to get it fixed!! I do not have that kind of money right now!! The fact that there was no warning light to tell me that something in the power steering was going is ridiculous!! In the past 2 years I have had to replace the transmission, get a new battery, get brakes, tires,new gas tank, new sensor for the heating control, and the list continues. This car is only 6 years old and just past 100,000 miles!!! I should not have had to replace all these things already!! I am not about to put another $1400+ in this vehicle especially since it seems to be an ongoing problem with many other escapes. Time to do a recall people or you can gladly take this car back!!

Filed Mar 10, 2014 · Steering, Transmission · 77,500 miles · MI

After driving on the freeway for approximately 45 miles, I was unable to steer the wheel without a lot of force. I was unable to stay on the road and came very close to hitting another vehicle before coming to a stop along side the freeway. In the past 6 months I have had to replace the transmission (at 69000 miles) and now this. I am not an aggressive driver and feel these problems should be addressed. The steering is a very serious safety issue and should have a recall!

Filed Mar 5, 2014 · Transmission · 139,700 miles · TX

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 ford escape. The contact stated that there was an oil leak. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that there was a transmission fluid leak from the condenser, which needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 139,700.

Filed Feb 18, 2014 · Transmission · 69,000 miles · OH

Was driving down road at 50mph then lost all acceleration. Wrench light came on, engine would rev, but we would not go forward. Crawled to side of road, then acceleration picked up, then stopped, then went, then stopped. Then when the car was not accelerating and we were going maybe 5mph the throttle stuck and RPM's went extremely high.(into the 5-6 range) put vehicle in neutral and it slowed down a little. If SUV acceleration would have actually caught at that point we would have spun out and crashed . Crawled until we got home. This is a 2008 ford escape v6 with 69k miles. There has been a recall on the 09's. Why not the 08.????? It uses the same drive-by-wire as the 09's. All signs are pointing to a throttle body failure. Lets add the 08's to the recall list please someone better do something about this known problem before someone gets killed.

Filed Feb 16, 2014 · Electrical, Lights · 36,178 miles · TN

When I started my vehicle, a warning light in the shape of a wrench stayed on. I look in the manual and this said powertrain. Upon further checking, I found this is a problem in these escapes. When I stop at the railroad track or at a red light, the vehicle will surge forward when I take off. The shifting is rough at times. I also just had to have the dome light in the vehicle replaced. This, too, I was told was a common problem. The lights would not work when I opened the door and also the dash lights would go off and on. This was a 103.88 repair job and the dome light, after being replaced, is loose and does not fit properly. When this having to be replaced frequently, I would think there would be a replacement light that fit the roof correctly.

Filed Jan 21, 2014 · Transmission · 72,000 miles · PA

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 ford escape. The contact stated that while sitting at a stop light, the rpms increased excessively. In addition, the vehicle hesitated between first and second gear. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection where they stated that the 2-4 band needed to be replaced in the transmission. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 72,000. The VIN was unavailable.

Filed Jan 15, 2014 · Transmission · 82,526 miles · MO

When I would come to a stop or even start to slow down and start to go again my car (transmission) would jump, rev up to 4/5 rpms and stall in the middle of traffic, I would take my foot off the gas as soon as it would do this and it would do the same thing without me even on the gas, always twice meanwhile again stalling in the middle of traffic. My (wrench) light also came on which showed powertrain/control throttle. After taking it to a ford dealership they are quoting me $3500 to fix the problem oh and did I mention my warranty ended a month in a half ago! I know I have seen many others this is happening to and sincerely believe ford is not standing behind their product or wanting to admit there is a problem.

Filed Nov 18, 2013 · Transmission · 68,000 miles · VA

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 ford escape. The contact stated that while driving 10 MPH, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer for a diagnostic test where the dealer stated that the transmission cooler was defective and needed to be replaced. The dealer replaced the transmission cooler. The failure mileage was 68,000.

Filed Nov 13, 2013 · Acceleration, Transmission · 96,000 miles · FL

While driving on the highway 595 speed of 65 MPH the car just lost power causing to reduce speed fast with no prior warning. Had to move from the far left lane to the right lane on rush hour almost causing an accident.

VIN decoder

See the problems and recalls for an exact car

Buying a used 2008 Ford Escape?

Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.

Check its history