2001 Ford Escape Power Train

2001 FORD ESCAPE 33063 MILES VIN [XXX] COULD HAVE RESULTED IN CRASH. (1) NO WARNING (2) TRANSMISSION FAILURE (3) TRANSMISSION WAS REBUILT BY DEALER UNDER WARRANTY. *JB UPDATED 07/19/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

WE ARE A LEASING COMPANY AND HAVE HAD THREE (3) 2001 FORD ESCAPES TO DATE THAT HAVE HAD FAILED TRANSMISSIONS. FORD REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE OUR ATTEMPTS TO GET REIMBURSEMENT.

SUDDEN FAILURE OF AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, NECESSITATING REPLACEMENT WITH COMPLETE NEW TRANSMISSION AND COOLER. *AK

THE O/D LIGHT STARTED FLASHING .I DROVE THE VEHICLE ABOUT 5 MILES TO MY DRIVEWAY.WHEN I WENT TO MOVE THE CAR IT WOULDN'T GO IN REVERSE. CONTACTED DEALER WITH NO RESULTS. SENT CAR TO TRANSMISSION SHOP AND HAD A REBUILT TRANSMISSION PUT IN.

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION IS STARTING TO FAIL. THE GEAR SHIFTING IS BECOMING MORE AND MORE JERKY. GRINDING SOUNDS ARE NOW AUDIBLE DURING GEAR SHIFTS.

DT: THE CONSUMER OWNS A 2001 FORD ESCAPE THAT EXPERIENCED A TRANSMISSION FAILURE. WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 55 MPH THE OVERDRIVE LIGHT FLASHED. THE CONSUMER EXITED THE HIGHWAY AND WAS STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT. WHEN THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN THE VEHICLE REVVED, BUT WOULD NOT MOVE FORWARD. THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT SHIFT. THE CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO ENGAGE SECOND GEAR AND DRIVE 10 MILES HOME. THE VEHICLE WAS SHAKING OR LURCHING BACK AND FORTH ON THE DRIVE HOME. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALERSHIP WHERE A DIAGNOSTIC CHECK WAS PERFORMED AND SUGGESTED A NEW TRANSMISSION. THE DEALER COULD OFFER NO EXPLANATION OTHER THAN IT MAY BE THE TORQUE CONVERTER. THIS HAPPENED AT 71,000 MILES. THIS WAS THE SECOND TRANSMISSION. THE EXACT SAME THING HAD HAPPENED AT 49, 000 MILES. THE CONSUMER SPLIT THE COST WITH FORD WITH THE FIRST TRANSMISSION. THE SECOND TRANSMISSION HAS NOT BEEN REPLACED. THE CONSUMER WAS NEGOTIATING WITH FORD ABOUT THE PROBLEM. *AK

2001 FORD ESCAPE, 61,000 MILES, CLUTCH FAILURE, CLUTCH PEDAL WENT TO FLOOR, WOULD NOT DISENGAGE. WAS ON ENTRANCE RAMP TO INTERSTATE HIGHWAY, IN SLOW MOVING TRAFFIC, OTHERWISE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. INVESTIGATED ON INTERNET AND FOUND THAT THIS PROBLEM IS DESCRIBED IN FORD TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN 1-24-1, SO IS OBVIOUSLY A KNOWN ISSUE. ONE OF RELATIVELY FEW TSBS THAT COULD CAUSE A CATASTROPHIC ACCIDENT IF IT OCCURRED AT SPEED. MOST OF THE TSBS ARE FOR THINGS LIKE "WHINING/BUZZING IN AUDIO SYSTEM," "ENGINE OIL RECOMMENDATIONS/APPLICATIONS," "INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKETS--FUEL SMELL TO THE INTERIOR." WHILE SOME OF THESE MAY BE SIGNIFICANT, FEW OF THEM WOULD CAUSE A CATASTROPHIC PROBLEM IF THEY OCCURED AT SPEED. THE "GENERAL RECALL" AND "SAFETY RECALLS" CATEGORIES, WHICH INCLUDE THINGS LIKE "SPEED CONTROL CABLE DEFECT" AND "REAR DRIVESHAFT REPLACEMENT DIFFERENTIAL LEAK" SEEM TO ME MUCH MORE APPROPRIATE PLACES FOR THIS SERIOUS PROBLEM TO BE REPORTED. HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO FORD DEALER. CONVERSATION WITH THEM THIS MORNING. CONFIRMED THAT PROBLEM WAS WITH MASTER AND SLAVE CYLINDER WHICH THEY SAID NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. DENIED KNOWLEDGE OF A KNOWN PROBLEM OF THIS TYPE. SAID THAT THIS WAS NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. I TOLD THEM TO GO AHEAD AND REPLACE THE CYLINDERS.

TRANSMISSION FAILURE RESULTING IN UNSAFE OPERATING CONDITIONS. VEHICLE DEVELOPED INTERMITTENT SHUDDER DURING ACCELERATIONS ALONG WITH INTERMITTENT LOSS AND SLIPPING OF FORWARD GEARS. HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS WHEN MERGING WITH TRAFFIC OR UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS SINCE CONDITION WAS UNPREDICTABLE AND VEHICLE DID NOT RESPOND TO DRIVER'S INPUT. APPEARED TO HAPPEN MOSTLY IN COLD WEATHER CONDITIONS. FAILURE ALSO RESULTED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH FMVSS REGULATIONS SINCE SHIFT LEVER DID NOT CORRESPOND ACCURATELY TO OPERATOR'S INTENDED VEHICLE DRIVING MODE (I.E NO FORWARD MOTION WHEN SHIFT SELECTOR WAS IN DRIVE POSITION). MULTIPLE TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS EXIST FOR THIS CD4E AUTO TRANSAXLE RELATING TO THIS FAILURE MODE IN FORD SYSTEM AND ALSO ON NHTSA WEBSITE, SO CONDITION IS KNOWN AND IS WIDESPREAD ON MANY VEHICLES. CREATED VERY HAZARDOUS DRIVING SITUATIONS BEFORE CATASTROPHIC FAILURE RESULTING IN INOPERATIVE VEHICLE.*AK

THE TRANSMISSION WOULD HESITATE BEFORE ACCELERATING IN REVERSE. THE DEALERSHIP REPAIRED THE PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION. *NM

TRANSMISSION FAILED AT 83,000 WHILE DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY AT SPEED OF 60MPH. WAS TOLD BY DEALER THIS WAS A LACK OF MAINTENANCE AND WOULD COST APPROXIMATELY $3,800 TO FIX. TOOK TO LOCAL MECHANIC WHO REPLACED TRANS. FOR $3,000. WHILE TAKING APART OLD TRANS FOUND THAT AN INTERNAL COMPONENT FELL APART CAUSING THE ENTIRE TRANSMISSION TO FAIL. SAID THIS WAS A DEFECT IN THE TRANSMISSION AND NOT FAULT OF 'LACK OF MAINTENANCE'. HAVE CONTACTED FORD SINCE AND THEY REFUSE TO REIMBURSE FOR EXPENSES.*AK

WAS STRUCK IN THE REAR END BY ANOTHER VEHICLE, EVIDENTLY, AFTER THAT THE TWO FRONT HUB BEARINGS WENT BAD. DEALERSHIP STATED IT WAS NOT DUE TO ACCIDENT.*AK

MYSELF AND A FRIEND, DEANE GRIGGS, HAVE HAD THE TRANSMISSION FAIL IN OUR 2001 FORD ESCAPE, SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT WARNING, AT APPROXIMATELY 60,000 MILES. *JB

ENGINE SURGE - FORD ESCAPE 2001 - TRANSMISSION FAILED AT 54,000MILES. IN RELATION TO INTERMIT PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION, THE VEHICLES (OFTEN WHEN PLACED IN PARK SETTING) ENGINE WOULD SURGE CAUSING THAT TACHOMETER TO RACE TO ABOUT 5 TO 6 THOUSAND REVOLUTIONS PER MINUTE. ON DECEMBER, 8, 2004 WHILE IN A PARKING LOT AND ATTEMPTING TO PARK THE VEHICLE WITH THE TRANSMISSION SET IN D, THE VEHICLE ENGINE SURGED IS THE SAME MANOR AS DESCRIBED ABOVE, AND CAUSED THE DRIVER TO HOLD THE BRAKE WITH FULL FORCE IN ORDER TO KEEP THE VEHICLE FROM HITTING A PARKED CAR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER (FREEDOM FORD, HAMPTON VA) WHEN THEY REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION. THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO REPRODUCE THE ENGINE SURGE.*AK

PURCHASED ESCAPE NEW IN 2001. IN 2002, WITH 30,000 MILES, TRANSMISSION HAD A SEVERE SHUDDER, SO I TOOK INTO THE DEALER AND WAS CHARGES OVER $100 FOR A TRANSMISSION FLUSH. SHUDDER CAME BACK ABOUT 3 MONTHS LATER, WENT BACK TO DEALER AND THEY SAID THAT ANOTHER $100 TRANSMISSION FLUSH WAS NEEDED. I DID NOT AGREE AND LEFT. IN JUNE OF 2004, WITHOUT ANY WARNING, TRANSMISSION STARTED WHINNING AND WOULD NOT SHIFT. I WAS DRIVING IN THE CITY AT SLOW SPEEDS. MANAGED TO GET IT HOME(20 MILES IN ABOUT AN HOUR!) AND PARKED IT. AFTER THAT, IT WOULD NOT MOVE AT ALL. HAD IT TOWED TO TRANSMISSION SHOP(DEALER WANTED $120 JUST TO RUN A CHECK ON IT) AND THEY SAID IT NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION AT A COST OF $2600. DID NOT HAVE THE MONEY, SO IT HAS BEEN PARKED NOW FOR ALMOST SIX MONTHS. TRANSMISSION IS THE CD4E, A PROBLEM CHILD FOR FORD. I CONTACTED FORD AND THEY ACTED AS IF THEY HAD NEVER HEARD OF SUCH A PROBLEM, AND SAID THEY COULD NOT HELP ME. NOW, STILL MAKING PAYMENTS ON IT AND WITH ONLY 84,000 MILES ON IT, I HAVE NO RECOURSE BUT TO LET IT SIT UNTIL I CAN SAVE THE MONEY TO HAVE IT FIXED. *JB

VEHICLE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM DESCRIBED IN ENGINE STALLING RECALL 04V165000. BUT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. *AK

2001 FORD ESCAPE BEGAN HAVING TRANSMISSION SHUDDER DURING SHIFTING AT APPROXIMATELY 20,000 MILES. AT 30,000 MILES, DEALER PERFORMED TRANSMISSION FLUID FLUSH WHICH RESULTED IN THE SHUDDER GOING AWAY. RECENTLY THE SHUDDER HAS RETURNED. THE VEHICLE HAS APPROXIMATELY 56,000 MILES. THE TRANSMISSION FAILED WHILE TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS RESULTING IN A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER. THE RPMS SUDDENLY JUMPED UP TO BETWEEN 5000 AND 6000. THE VEHICLE IS NO LONGER DRIVEABLE. *AK

CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL 04V165000 CONCERNING ENGINE STALLING. VEHICLE STALLED INTERMITTENTLY WHEN SLOWING DOWN OR COMING TO A STOP POSITION. VEHICLE WAS STILL EXPERIENCING THIS PROBLEM, AND DEALER WAS UNABLE TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. HOWEVER, DEALER WAS S CHARGING THE CONSUMER FOR DIAGNOSTIC CHECK WHEN TAKING THE VEHICLE BACK IN FOR THE SAME PROBLEM, CONCERNING THIS RECALL.*AK

JUST DRIVING, CAME TO A SLOW ARE AND WHEN ACCELERATING IT FEELS AND SOUNDS LIKE THE TRANSMISSION WOULDN'T SHIFT GEARS OR IT WOULD STALL IN THE GEAR. TOOK IT TO THE DON KOTT FORD FOR SERVICE AND THEY CHARGED ME FOR A TRANSMISSION SERVICE.*AK I TOOK IT BACK AND AFTER ONE DAY IT HAD THE SAME SYMPTOMS. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN OCURRING SEVERAL TIMES. I'M JUST WAITING FOR IT TO FULLY BREAK DOWN BECAUSE I NEED THIS VEHICLE FOR TRANSPORTATION AND I DON'T HAVE THE TIME OR MONEY TO GET IT REPAIRED. I FEEL LIKE I GOT RIPPED OFF FOR A USELESS TRANSMISSION SERVICE. TO THIS DAY THE TRANSMISSION SEEMS TO FEEL LIKE IT HAS A PROBLEM. WHAT I'M DOING TO GET IT TO WORK IS STARTING THE ENGINE AND PUTTING IT IN DRIVE. I PRESS ON THE OVERDRIVE BUTTON THAT IS LOCATED AT THE END OF THE GEAR SHIFTER. THIS WILL GET ME GOING AS I START TO ACCELERATE. HOWEVER, IF I DIDN'T PRESS ON THE OVERDRIVE BUTTON TO GET GOING, THE ACCELERATION WOULD BE POOR AND SOMETIME NOT GO. THERE WERE SEVERAL SITUATIONS WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS PUT IN REVERSE TO BACK UP AND IF IT NEED SOME ACCELERATION TO GET GOING NOTHING WOULD HAPPEN WHEN I PRESSED ON THE GAS PEDAL. YOU COULD HEAR THE ENGINE REVING UP BUT NO ACCELERATION. ANOTHER TIME WAS WHEN I WAS MAKING A LEFT TURN AND UPON ACCELERATION THE GEARS DIDNT' SEEM TO KICK IN. THE VEHICLE MADE THE ONCOMING CARS EITHER STOP OR SLOW DOWN OR SWERVE. LUCKILY I'M USE TO KNOWING HOW THE VEHICLE OPERATES AND I MAKE SURE THAT I HAVE PLENTY OF TIME BEFORE TURNING. I BELIEVE THIS IS A FLAW IN DESIGN AND WORKMANSHIP AND THAT FORD SHOULD BE LOOKING INTO THIS AND EVEN COMPENSATING THOSE WHO HAVE THIS PROBLEM BEFORE SOMEONE GETS SERIOUSLY HURT AND A LAWSUIT ENSUES.

OVERDRIVE ON/OFF LIGHT FLASHING COINCIDENTALLY WITH THE ILLUMINATION OF THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AFTER DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT 60 MPH FOR 5 TO 10 MILES. WHILE OFF THE HIGHWAY THE TRANSMISSION SHUTTERED WHILE ACCELERATING FROM A STOP. DRIVER TOOK TRUCK TO DEALER AND WAS TOLD AN INTERNAL BUSHING ON THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. DEALER SAID THE TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AT A COST $3,000. VEHICLE IS 3.5 YEARS OLD WITH 63,000 MILES.*AK

WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH TRANSMISSION FAILED, AND VEHICLE POPPED OUT OF GEAR. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

TRANSMISSION FAILURE- WHILE DRIVING MY OD LIGHT STARTED FLASHING. WHEN I STARTED CAR AFTER 8 HOURS, COULD DRIVE APPROX. 100 YARDS. TRANSMISSION FLUID PUMP FAILED WITHOUT EXPLANATION, CAUSING TROQUE CONVERTER TO FAIL, CAUSING BURNOUT OF LOW GEAR. VEHICILE IS INOPERATIVE. NEEDS TRANS. REBUILD OR REPLACEMENT $3,000. - $3,500. SERVICE DEPT AT DEALER CAN'T OFFER AN EXPLANATION FOR PUMP FAILURE. VEHICLE HAS 60000 MILES. TO SOON FOR THIS KIND OF PROBLEM! *LA

EARLY FAILURE OF TRANSMISSION. FORD ESCAPE 2001 CD4E TRANSMISSION FAILED SHORTLY AFTER FORD RECALLED IT AND REPROGAMMED PCM. THIS HAD BEEN METICULOUSLY MAINTAINED AND THE PRODUCT FAILED EARLY. FORD SHOULD BEAR THE BURDEN TO REPAIR THIS AND THEY REFUSED.*AK POOR PRODUCT AND NUMEROUS DESIGN FLAWS ARE DOCUMENTED ON LINE.

THE VEHICLE IS STALLING MORE SINCE THE DEALERSHIP REPROGRAMMED THE POWER CONTROL MODULE AS STATED IN THE ENGINE STALLING RECALL 04V165000. DEALERSHIP SERVICED THE VEHICLE 3 MORE TIMES, BUT IT WAS UNABLE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM.*AK

STALLS WHEN SHIFTING GEARS TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP REPEATEDLY. PROBLEM CAN NOT BE FOUND, TAKE CAR HOME STILL STALLS! *AK

I OWN A 2001 ESCAPE XLS WITH V6, AUTO AND 4 WD. HAVE 29K MILES ON IT. MY TRANSMISSION IS COMPLETELY RUINED BECAUSE OF AN INTERNAL FAILURE WHICH BURNT OFF ALL THE TRANSMISSION FLUID. THIS TRANSMISSION (CD-4E) SEEMS TO HAVE A HISTORY OF PROBLEMS IN VARIOUS FORD AND MAZDA VEHICLES. IT IS RIDICULOUS THAT SOMETHING LIKE THIS IS HAPPENING FREQUENTLY. I WOULD LIKE SOMEBODY TO LOOK INTO THIS TRANSMISSION AND THE VARIOUS PROBLEMS IT HAS CREATED. *JB