Two problems related to axle assembly have been reported for the 2001 Ford Escape. The most recently reported issues are listed below. Please also check out the statistics and reliability analysis of the 2001 Ford Escape based on all problems reported for the 2001 Escape.
The left front axle made a clicking noise as the vehicle turned. The problem was fixed by the dealer. My concern is that the dealer replaced the axle with an axle from the original design. There's a good chance that this axle may cause the same problem since Ford has not redesigned this part. I'm also a bit suprised that my dealer had replaced the same axle on another Escape and Ford still has no TSB or recall.
The front axle and cv joints completely fell off. There was no evidence of the saftey connector bolt being installed at factory. I have photos. Might be called a lower ball joint.