Body problems of the 2003 Ford Escape - part 1

The mechanic told me that the sub frame was broken and would be about $1000 to replace. I was driving down a dirt road , it was a little bumpy and the steering wheel stopped working due to the frame breaking. The 2003 Ford Escape has124000 miles on it. Luckily nobody was hurt, but I can't believe the frame of n SUV could break so easily.

Tl the contact owns a 2003 Ford Escape. The contact noticed that the k frame was corroded and the air bag warning indicator illuminated continuously. In addition, while the brake pedal was depressed, the vehicle accelerated independently. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the k frame needed to be replaced, the power control module needed to be repaired, and the air bags needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 172,470.

Tl- the contact owns a 2003 Ford Escape. While turning at low speeds, the contact depressed the brake pedal and the vehicle shook. In addition, the check engine indicator illuminated. The vehicle was taken to bob chapman Ford (1255 columbus Ave, marysville, OH 43040, (937) 642-0015) where it was diagnosed that the control arm and subframe were fractured and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign number:14v165000(structure). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 121,000. Dr.

Tl- the contact owns a 2003 Ford Escape. The contact stated that upon inspection it was discovered that the subframe of the vehicle had rusted near the lower control arm. The cause of the failure was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer belis Ford of hyannis, MA were both notified but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the NHTSA recall campaign number 14v165000(structure). The contact indicated that the vehicle had experianced the same failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 123,000. Jft.

My vehicle was serviced for the Ford recall # 14s02 and a cross brace was installed. The recall was due to a subframe corroding away in some parts of the us including my region. My complaint is that Ford did not correctly fix this problem with their cross brace. They simply bolted a cross brace from one side of the frame to the other and it does nothing when the subframe actually corrodes away. I was lucky to not get in an accident a week ago when my frame that has the cross bar installed finally gave way and my front passenger side control arm completely separated from the cross brace and subframe that has corroded to nothing. Ford has claimed that since the recall work has already been done there is nothing more they can do. I think the NHTSA should investigate and make Ford actually fix this problem before someone gets seriously hurt. It was one of the scariest moments driving that I have ever had. Driving down the road with my 7 yr old son in the car and all of a sudden I lose steering almost all together. Thankfully I was one of the lucky ones that day. If this problem is not addressed then I'm afraid many people will be hurt.

The front frame of the car has corroded to the point that the control arm has come loose and the car is not drivable. There is a recall of this specific problem for this make/model/year but I am being told my VIN is not part of this recall. The control arm detached while I was driving. I was not in an accident but was able to pull over. I had the damage asses by a local mechaninc, who informed me of the recall.

The contact owns a 2003 Ford Escape. While driving approximately 5 mph, a crunching sound was present coming from the front passenger side and the vehicle suddenly could not be driven properly. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the lower control arm had fractured due to corrosion. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the vehicle was repaired in 2014 per NHTSA campaign number: 14v165000 (structure). The contact indicated that the vehicle later experienced the same failure listed in the recall. The local dealer was not notified. The failure mileage was 53,000.

The contact owns a 2003 Ford Escape. While the contact's spouse was driving 30 mph, a loud pop was heard and the steering wheel became extremely loose. The contact stated that the vehicle swerved to the right and the driver was able to stop the vehicle on the side of the roadway. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was towed to ourisman Ford & Lincoln of alexandria (6129 richmond hwy, alexandria, va 22303, (703) 660-9000) where it was diagnosed that the subframe was fractured and needed replacement. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle was serviced per NHTSA campaign number: 14v165000 (structure), but the remedy failed to repair the vehicle. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and opened a case. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000. The VIN was unavailable.

The contact owns a 2003 Ford Escape. While driving 35 mph, a loud noise was heard coming from the front passenger side of the vehicle and the vehicle swayed back and forth. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The contact was able to drive the vehicle home and, upon inspecting underneath the vehicle, noticed corrosion and separation of the lower control arm from the frame. The vehicle was not taken to an independent mechanic or dealer for diagnostic testing or repairs. The contact researched online and found NHTSA campaign number: 14v165000 (structure). The manufacturer confirmed that the VIN was not included in a recall. No further assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 153,207.

The contact owns a 2003 Ford Escape. While the vehicle was being inspected, the contact noticed that the subframe was completely fractured. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 134,000.

The contact owns a 2003 Ford Escape. While driving 45 mph, the steering failed and the subframe fractured. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and provided case number: 17653427. No further assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 172,907.

The contact owns a 2003 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign numbers: 12v353000 (engine and engine cooling, vehicle speed control) and 14v165000 (structure); however, the parts for the recall repairs were unavailable. The contact stated that the undercarriage of the vehicle, especially near the control arm, was corroded to the point that it failed inspection. Also, the vehicle's rpm monitor fluctuated between 0-5, failing to correctly indicate an increase in rpms. The failure caused the vehicle to rev up without the contact purposely causing an increase. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failures. The approximate failure mileage was 244,310. Parts distribution disconnect.

My vehicle was setting in my driveway on 4/14/2017 and the neighbor came pounding on my door stating my vehicle was on fire. He tried putting the fire out to avoid the fire from reaching the gas tank and also spraying the side of my house to try to keep it from catching the siding on fire. The front drivers side tire blew up so he dropped the hose and ran. When the fire dept got here it had already burned my vehicle all the way up and melted the siding on the house. The fire chief was unable to determine the cause of the fire because of the way everything was burned! nothing was left but the 2 rear tires and wheels and the 2 back tail light lens. I had drove it 2 1/2 hrs before the fire started so the motor was already cooled off! I've checked for recalls but none to be found on this yr model. I also filed a complaint with recall center and with Ford motor corporation. All they said was I would receive the report within the next 15 days. It's been 11 days now and still haven't received anything! complaint #: 10978773 (Ford corp) fire department incident #: 17-1703168. . . . Keith fitch. Fire chief. . .

My father took my Escape to have the brakes assessed and while it was up on the lift, the owner of the service station made mention to the excessive, abnormal rust in the chassis. He stated that the condition of the chassis is very dangerous and that the support arm, that was installed due to the recall #14v165000 and 14s02, is attached to rust and not supporting anything to make the truck safe. I have tried a number of times to ask for help from Ford customer relations and they are unwilling to assist in any way. This truck was well cared for and the engine and transmission are in great working order. I should be able to continue to drive this car, however, because of the rust issue, the truck is not safe to drive. Undertaking a new car payment would be a huge financial burden that I am unable to afford at this time. It is very disheartening that a large corporation such as Ford manufactured a substandard vehicle and they would rather its customer(s) drive an unsafe car than maintain responsibility and offer some kind of assistance.

The contact owns a 2003 Ford Escape. While driving 65 mph, a loud noise was heard coming from the front passenger side and the vehicle immediately veered to the side of road. The contact mentioned that the vehicle was serviced per NHTSA campaign number: 14v165000 (structure). The vehicle was towed home to a family member's home where it was inspected by an independent mechanic who diagnosed that a cracked subframe due to extreme corrosion was the cause of the failure. The manufacturer and dealer did not provide assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 113,000.

The contact owns a 2003 Ford Escape. While driving various speeds, the vehicle drove abnormally. The dealer confirmed that the vehicle was serviced per NHTSA campaign number: 14v165000 (structure) prior to being purchased. The contact stated that the frame of the vehicle had corroded where the support brackets were installed from the previous recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 170,000.

The contact owns a 2003 Ford Escape. Upon exiting a parking area, there was an abnormal suspension vibration near the front of the vehicle. The front subframe fractured and impacted the front passenger side tire. The contact and a mechanic inspected the fact that there had been premature rust and corrosion associated with the underbody, subframe, and the bar that was connected to the frame. The vehicle was unable to be driven and was towed by the mechanic. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and provided no solution other than for the contact to take the vehicle to the dealer. The VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign numbers: 14v165000 (structure) and 15e045000 (suspension). The failure mileage was not available.

The contact owns a 2003 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 14v165000 (structure). The vehicle was repaired. While driving approximately 5 to 10 mph, there was a grinding noise. The vehicle was coasted over to the side of the road and towed to a mechanic. It was diagnosed that the subframe was completely rusted. The manufacturer was notified. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 115,000.

The contact owns a 2003 Ford Escape. The contact was informed that the vehicle would not be repaired per NHTSA campaign number: 14v165000 (structure) due to excessive corrosion on the subframe. The vehicle was unsafe to drive. The frame needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.

While driving, the front right tire felt like it was going to fall off the vehicle. I took it to my mechanic who stated that the sub-frame was cracked and Ford had a recall in place. I had it towed to the nearest Ford dealership who stated that it would be covered under the recall. Instead, they put a cross-bar on the cracked sub frame because they determined it was "not broken" only "cracked". The sub frame had "rusted and corroded" due to Ford's own admittance of "faulty parts". I asked if the vehicle was safe and they stated "no". I asked if the vehicle would pass inspection and again they stated "no". I asked if this was a "bandaid" that they put on to make themselves feel better about the fact that anyone operating the vehicle could lose total control. I asked to speak to a manager, who told me there was nothing he could do. He did state he would makes some calls and called me a day or two later to say, that his manager said if I wanted the vehicle fixed, I could pay $1,200 for the part and an additional $600-$800 in labor to fix the vehicle, or I could trade it in. I am beyond frustrated that Ford will not back up their product. The vehicle has less than 65,000 miles on it!.

The contact owns a 2003 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the vehicle had a recall on the frame and was repaired. While driving 20 mph, the vehicle shook and the steering wheel wobbled. The front driver side wheel was straight while the front passenger side wheel faced outward. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the subframe was completely fractured and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 145,000.

The contact owns a 2003 Ford Escape. While driving approximately 10 mph, a loud thumping sound came from the front of the vehicle and the steering malfunctioned. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the subframe seperated due to severe rust and corrosion, which caused the lower control arm to fracture. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 167,000.

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. The contact stated that while driving at a high speed, the vehicle veered to the right as the vehicle 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 NHTSA campaign number: 14v165000 (structure) however, the local dealer stated that there was corrosion around where the attachment area was and that the sub frame needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 109,000. Oo.

Tl-the contact owns a 2003 Ford Escape. The contact stated that 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 had corroded and needed to be replaced. The contact stated that 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 had fractured. The contact was aware of NHTSA campaign number: 14v165000 (structure) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 90,470. Oo.

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.

0n Apr 22, 2015 while driving from shady spring wv to princeton wv on I-77 to a drs appt, my wife and I noticed a popping sound coming from the right front of the veh when veering or turning right. I had to work that day after I returned from the dr and had planned to take the veh to a mechanic after I got off to find out the problem. While driving home from work on pluto road in shady spring, I rounded a curve to the right at 20 mph and something broke causing the veh to come to a sudden stop. I had the veh towed to a&r service ctr in shady spring and was notified that afternoon that the sub frame broke/ lower cv joint had came loose and that there was excessive rust and corrosion covering the whole underneath of the veh. I notified kc preowned auto whom I had purchased the veh from in sept 2014. He went to the mech and looked at the vehicle and called me and stated the good news is there is a recall on the sub frame that had broken and could be taken to mountaineer auto in beckley wv for repair. The veh was taken on Apr 27 2015, and after being sent to a body shop for a rusted and broken bolt, a new sub frame was placed on the front. My wife picked it up on Jun 20 2015 and noticed driving home a vibration coming from the front right and a grinding sound coming from the middle of it. I took it back to mountaineer auto the next day and was told by the svc rep (j t) that Ford was not going to put anymore money in to this veh and there was nothing they would do. I notified the wv atty general for help and after trying to rectify the issue received a letter that nothing could be done. The veh sat in my driveway until Feb 3, 2016, when I saved up money to fix it myself. I took it back to mountaineer auto and was told the carriage bearing was broke, and nothing could be done due to excessive rust and corrosion. Took it to 2 brothers and received the attached statement.

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.

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.

The contact owns a 2003 Ford Escape. The contact received notification of NHTSA 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.

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 NHTSA campaign id number: 14v165000 (structure). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 57,600.

Tl-the contact owns a 2003 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 15 mph, the sub frame fractured. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the sub frame needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 122,000. Djr.

Tl- the contact owns a 2003 Ford Escape. The contact had received NHTSA campaign:14v165000. The contact had taken the vehicle to the dealer to service the vehicle under the recall. The mechanic were to install a newly designed reinforcement cross-brace which was performed,however,the mechanic could not complete a front end alignment because there was 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 of the problem and they informed the contact that there was nothing they would do. The contact had not experienced the failure,however,the steering was now affected due to the recall. Gb.

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.