Bite-sized content about all the recalls, lawsuits, and investigations surrounding the 2013-2019 Escape.
Ford has once again expanded a door handle recall, this time affecting 2.3 million vehicles.
It's likely NHTSA asked Ford to expand the recall because all affected vehicles weren't included in the August recall. That recall was for only certain areas of the country which Ford said had higher ambient temperatures. Vehicles outside those specific areas weren't included in the recall, but Ford said they could be included in a "customer satisfaction program.
The 2017 Escape has barely even rolled off dealer lots.
Well, you better roll it back because the popular CUV has been recalled with windows that close with too much gusto. The automaker provided very limited information but did say the power window system can exceed the "regulatory requirement for remote actuation closing force."
That's a really fancy way of saying the windows slam. Ford hasn't announced when the recall will begin.
d's pawl spring issues have had their doors blown wide open. Yes, I went there. Ford says a recall of 830,000 vehicles in North America is needed to fix doors that may open while driving, but only if those vehicles are in certain areas.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has closed their investigation into electronic throttle body (ETB) problems in Ford vehicles after Ford agreed to fix 1.6 million of their cars and SUVs.
Just don't call it a recall. Oh no, Ford has spun this one into a "customer satisfaction program." The program extends the warranty on the ETB for up to 10 years or 150,000 miles from the warranty start date of the vehicle and encourages owners to visit a Ford dealer to have their vehicle's software updated.
All vehicles are eligible for the program through January 31, 2015, regardless of mileage, according to the NHTSA.
"Owners of the affected vehicles will be contacted by mail to take their vehicle to a Ford dealer who will reprogram the powertrain control module to the latest calibration," said NHTSA in its summary of the investigation.
2010-2012: Owners report that their Ford and Mercury vehicles equipped with an ETB suddenly surge or stall, sending their vehicles into a limited “limp home mode” that keeps their cars moving but at drastically reduced speeds.
October, 2012: The North Carolina Consumers Council petitioned the government to investigate problems with the throttle body in 2005-12 Ford Escapes.
February, 2013: The NHTSA opened a preliminary evaluation of certain Ford vehicles for ETB problems, including the 2009-10 Escape and Escape Hybrid, the 2010-11 Fusion and the 2009-10 Mercury Mariner and Mariner Hybrid.
March, 2014: After reviewing over 10,000 consumer complaints, the NHTSA closed their investigation after Ford agreed to -recall- open a "customer satisfaction program" on the affected vehicles.
Owners should have received a letter from Ford, but if you didn’t, call them at 800–392–3673.
First, Ford said to stop driving your Escape until it could get repaired. Now they're saying that "repair" probably didn't work.
Ford is recalling 9,500 Escapes because a previous recall might not have fixed the problem. The affected vehicles were manufactured from October 5, 2011, through July 11, 2012. Ford says the engine compartment fuel line may have been installed incorrectly when repaired under the prior recall. The placement of the fuel line could cause irritation to the line and cause it to leak.
All affected vehicles, repaired or otherwise, need to be inspected.
The best way to find out what's wrong with a vehicle is from the people who drive them. Not only do owner complaints help us rank vehicles by reliability, but they're often used to spark class-action lawsuits and warranty extensions. Plus, they're a great way to vent.