KnownCarProblems2003 Ford Escape Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 558 complaints with NHTSA about the 2003 Ford Escape, most often about the body and structure (22% of complaints, typically around 109,000 miles). It is 17th of 27 Escape model years by number of complaints and has 7 recalls.
Most common 2003 Ford Escape problems
Body and structure
121 complaints · 22%Half of these problems showed up before 109,000 miles. Parts named most often: body, frame and members.
The contact owns a 2003 Ford Escape. The contact stated that she noticed a leakage on her driveway. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and they informed her that the brake hose fractured and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer had not been notified. In addition, the contact…
The contact owns a 2003 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while having routine maintenance performed on the vehicle, the mechanic informed the contact that the sub frame was rusted. The vehicle was repaired and the manufacturer was not notified. The approximate failure mileage was 110,000.
Speed control
90 complaints · 16%Half of these problems showed up before 87,500 miles. Parts named most often: accelerator pedal, cables, cruise control.
I was traveling at approx 40 MPH in my 2003 Ford Escape, when my vehicle began to increase in speed. I took my foot off the gas & it went faster. I pressed hard on the brakes, but the acceleration continued. I panicked & put the vehicle into park, where we slammed to a stop but the engine continued to rev and the car…
The contact owns a 2003 Ford Escape. The contact stated that she received notification of NHTSA campaign id number 12v353000 (engine and engine cooling, vehicle speed control) and took the vehicle to the dealer for recall repairs. The contact stated that approximately six months after having the vehicle serviced under…
Suspension
90 complaints · 16%Half of these problems showed up before 121,000 miles. Parts named most often: front.
My wife's has a 2003 Ford Escape. We were driving luckily at a low speed when we heard a pop in the passenger front end and lost control of steering. The subframe on passenger side control arm popped and subframe is rotted. This should not happen to a vehicle that is only 10 years old. I saw that NHTSA did an…
The contact owns a 2003 Ford Escape. While driving approximately 40 MPH, a thumping noise was heard from the passenger side of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the subframe was severely rusted and fractured. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not…
Engine
70 complaints · 13%Half of these problems showed up before 80,000 miles. Parts named most often: engine, exhaust system, cooling system.
Tl contact owns a 2003 Ford Escape. Intermittently, the vehicle failed to accelerate while the contact was driving approximately 60 MPH up an incline. The vehicle would also suddenly accelerate without warning. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the gasket recirculator was repaired. The contact was informed to…
Dealership failed to notify me of current vehicle recalls regarding my 2003 Ford Escape limited, failed to identify mechanical problems during scheduled maintenance (oil change) as recommended by the Ford motor company, which states its technicians perform a "multi-point inspection" "with the most up-to-date training"…
Air bags
60 complaints · 11%Half of these problems showed up before 69,000 miles. Parts named most often: frontal.
2003 Ford Escape was involved in a collision, the front end received massive damage. My complaint is that the air bag did not deploy. My daughter was driving , hit her head. The police officer on the scene made the statement that the airbag should have deployed. The car is at the auto shop for estimate, as of 10-10-05…
Tl * the contact owns a 2003 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH, she heard a loud popping sound and lost control of the vehicle. The contact mentioned that the vehicle went across four lanes, rolled over twice, landed into incoming traffic and none of the air bags deployed. A police report was…
Brakes
56 complaints · 10%Half of these problems showed up before 71,000 miles. Parts named most often: foundation components, antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip, antilock, pedals and linkages.
: the contact stated while the vehicle was parked overnight, it erupted into flames along the left front hood area without warning. Bystanders extinguished the fire with a fire extinguisher. There was moderate fire damage. The police were not alerted. The vehicle was towed to the dealer who determined the hydraulic…
The contact owns a 2003 Ford Escape. The contact received recall notice # 07v156000 concerning service brakes, hydraulic:antilock:control unit/module, and was unhappy with the waiting time for the repairs . She stated that the only communication between her and the dealer was their inability to repair the vehicle in a…
Transmission
55 complaints · 10%Half of these problems showed up before 69,000 miles. Parts named most often: automatic transmission, driveline, clutch assembly.
About once a month, for the last four months, my 2003 Ford Escape will stall out. This has happened when the engine is cold and upon deceleration such as when entering or making a turn. The car restarts without hesitation. There was a safety recall issued about this problem, #04v165000, where the fix seems quite…
Tl contact owns a 2003 Ford Escape. While driving under 40 MPH, the engine failed. The failure has occurred on four different occasions. Safety recall # 04v165000 (power train:automatic transmission control module (TCM, PCM)) does not apply to the VIN. The purchase date and engine size were unknown. The current and…
Steering
44 complaints · 8%Half of these problems showed up before 103,000 miles. Parts named most often: hydraulic power assist system, hydraulic power assist.
Driving vehicle and heard a loud pop and sudden loss of steering. Limped the vehicle home and took to dealer who contacted Ford for further instructions. They installed a cross brace that does not fix the problem. Ford will not do anything to the subframe because it has not fully detached. There is no steering control…
The enclosed form with the things fixed should help. I was turning and the wheel almost fell off. I was in the parking lot so nothing was hit or hurt.
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2003 Ford Escape recalls
Transmission: floor shift
Risk: If the shift lever disengages from the transmission, a driver may be unable to shift gear positions and the indicated shift position may not represent the gear position the vehicle is in. Should a disengagement occur while the vehicle is being driven, when the driver goes to stop and park the vehicle, the gear selection indicator may show that the transmission is in the "park" position, but the vehicle transmission may not actually be in the "park" gear position. If the vehicle is not in the "park" position there is a risk the vehicle will roll away as the driver and other occupants exit the v
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the transmissions and either tighten the manual shift lever bolt or replace the manual shift lever assembly. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on october 23, 2015. Owners may contact ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15s28.
Full defect summary
Ford motor company (ford) is recalling certain model year 2001-2008 ford escape and mercury mariner vehicles manufactured march 31, 2001, to september 1, 2009. The affected vehicles are equipped with either a 2.3l or 3.0l engine and have had their cd4e transmission replaced with remanufactured one that was rebuilt between june 11, 2015 through july 15, 2015. These service repair part transmissions have a shift lever bolt that may not be properly tightened. As a result, the shift control lever could disengage from the transmission without warning.
Body and structure: frame and members
Risk: A separation of the lower control arm can result in a significant loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will install a newly designed reinforcement cross-brace, free of charge. The recall began on may 30, 2014. Owners may contact ford at 1-800-392-3673. Ford's number for this recall is 14s02.
Full defect summary
Ford motor company (ford) is recalling certain model year 2001-2004 escape vehicles manufactured october 22, 1999, through january 23, 2004, originally sold, or currently registered in, connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin and the district of columbia. These vehicles may experience excessive corrosion at the forward attachment of the lower control arm.
Speed control: cables
Risk: A stuck throttle may result in very high vehicle speeds and make it difficult to stop or slow the vehicle, which could cause a crash, serious injury or death.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will repair the vehicles by increasing the engine cover clearance, free of charge. The safety recall began august 3, 2012. Remedy parts are expected to be available in mid-august 2012. Until then dealers will disconnect the speed control cable as an interim remedy, if parts are not available at the time of an owner's service appointment. Owners may contact ford at 1-866-436-7332.
Full defect summary
Ford motor company is recalling certain model year 2001 through 2004 escape vehicles equipped with 3.0l v6 engines and speed control manufactured from october 22, 1999, through january 23, 2004. Inadequate clearance between the engine cover and the speed control cable connector could result in a stuck throttle when the accelerator pedal is fully or almost-fully depressed. This risk exists regardless of whether or not speed control (cruise control) is used.
Brakes: control unit/module
Risk: An electrical short might cause an ABS malfunction that would illuminate the ABS warning light, and in some cases, the module may overheat resulting in burning odor, smoke, and/or fire. This condition could occur either when the vehicle ignition switch is in the off position or while the vehicle is being operated.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the wire harness connector to the ABS module for missing or dislodged wire seals, and repair or replace the harness connector as appropriate. The dealer will also inspect the connector on the ABS module and replace it if it is found to be corroded or damaged. The recall began on april 23, 2007. Owners may contact ford at 1-800-392-3673.
Full defect summary
On certain sport utility vehicles equipped with antilock brakes (ABS), the ABS module connector may have missing or dislodged wire seals. This condition could allow contamination to enter the module connector, creating a potential for an electrical short.
Doors and locks: latch
Risk: If the liftgate is left unlocked, there is the potential that it may open during a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the rear liftgate latch release rod, the release rod attachment clip and the door handle return spring. The recall began on march 31, 2005. Owners should contact ford at 1-800-392-3673.
Full defect summary
Certain 2004-2005 sport utility vehicles and certain 2001-2003 sport utiity vehicle having rear liftgate components serviced with 2004 equivalent components fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 206, 'door locks and door retention components.' the rear liftgate latching system does not meet the inertia load requirement in one direction.
Speed control: cables
Risk: An unexpected increase in engine idle speed may increase stopping distance and may result in a vehicle crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the accelerator cable. The recall began on january 10, 2005. Owners should contact ford at 1-866-436-7332.
Full defect summary
On certain sport utility vehicles built with 3.0l v6 engines, the accelerator cable may prevent the throttle from returning to the idle position.
Transmission: control module (tcm/pcm/tecm)
Risk: Should the engine stall, a vehicle crash could occur.
Fix: Dealers will reprogram the power control module (PCM) with the appropriate calibration. Owner notification began on april 21, 2004. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact ford at 1-800-392-3673.
Full defect summary
On certain sport utility vehicles equipped with 3.0l v6 engines, during deceleration, the engine can stall.
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
NHTSA defect investigations
Cruise control cable
Summary
On july 8, 2012, the center for auto safety has petitioned NHTSA to open defect investigations on model year (my) 2002 ? 2004 ford escape and mazda tribute vehicles with certain cruise control cables.the center for auto safety has also petitioned for a hearing to address whether ford motor company (ford) and mazda north american operations (mazda) met their obligations to notify owners and correct a defect in certain ford escape and mazda tribute vehicles.the petitions to open investigations are denied as unnecessary and the petitions to conduct hearingsare denied.odi ids referenced above are: 10109921, 10116267, 10116574,10121108, 10125928, 10128545, 10130133,10137520, 10153327, 10155295, 1
Stuck throttle
Summary
In a letter dated july 25, 2012 ford motor company (ford) submitted a defect information report (dir), NHTSA recall no. 12v-353 to NHTSA identifying a safety defect involving inadequate clearance between the engine cover and the speed control cable connector, which could result in a stuck throttle condition.the vehicles involved are model year (my) 2001 through my 2004 ford escape vehicles equipped with 3.0l v6 engines and speed (cruise) control.a redesigned engine cover was implemented in production beginning in my 2005, which provided additional clearance of the speed control cable to the engine cover.similarly on july 26, 2012 mazda north american operations (mazda) on behalf of mazda mot
Fleet vehicle recall completion audit
Summary
On november 18, 2010, NHTSA's recall management division (rmd) opened an audit query (aq10-001) to investigate recall remedy completion by rental car companies on safety recall campaigns.it was expected to provide the agency an indication of how completely and how quickly rental car fleets perform necessary recall-related remedies on the vehicles owned and then rented/leased for use on the roadways.rmd queried three (3) major motor vehicle manufacturers (ford, chrysler, and general motors) and requested data regarding completion figures for fifteen (15) discreet safety recalls.analysis of this data demonstrated that rental car recalls completion was neither complete nor consistent.the rental
Engine compartment fire
Summary
Ford and mazda recalled model year (my) 2001 through 2004 ford escape (07v-156) and mazda tribute (07v-157) vehicles due to non-crash fires or non-fire thermal events originating in the engine compartment at or near the ABS control module.approximately 545,700 vehicles were subject to the initial safety recalls and approximately 424,700 vehicles were serviced under those campaigns. The campaigns addressed potentially damaged, missing or misplaced seals in the ABS control module wiring harness electrical connector that could allow brake fluid to enter the connector, possibly resulting in corrosion, short-circuit, melting, smoke and/or fire.since the recall, the agency is aware of 260 subject
Engine compartment fire
Summary
In letters dated march 30, 2007, ford motor company (ford) and mazda north american operations (mazda) notified the agency that they will conduct recalls 07v-156 and 07v-157, respectively, to remedy a safety defect that may result in fire in a wiring connector used in certain model year (my) 2001-2004 ford escape and mazda tribute vehicles equipped with ABS.the recall campaign prescribes an inspection of the subject components, which shall be repaired or replaced only if necessary.if the subject vehicle passes the visual inspection then the recall instructs the technician to apply electrical grease (ford part number xg-12) to the ABS module connector and verify system operation.to date, appr
Engine compartment fire
Summary
The office of defects investigation (odi) received a defect petition dated march 5, 2009 alleging that the petitioner never received the recall remedy for 07v-156 and that, as a result, the petitioner's my2003 ford escape caught fire at the ABS control module.in response to odi follow-up, the manufacturer verified that the petitioner's vehicle had in fact received service related to safety recall 07v156 - a fact later corroborated by the petitioner.circumstances of the fire experienced in the petitioner's remedied vehicle indicate that the remedy was ineffective.additional review by odi identified an additional 6 similar (alleged to have originated in the engine compartment at or near the AB
Engine compartment fire
Summary
In letters dated march 30, 2007, ford and mazda notified NHTSA that they will conduct safety recalls to remedy a safety defect that may result in fire in a wiring connector used in certain model year (my) 2001-2004 ford escape and mazda tribute sport utility vehicles equipped with ABS.recall 07v-156 involves approximately 446,450 my 2001-2004 escape vehicles manufactured from october 22, 1999 through january 23, 2004.recall 07v-157 involves approximately 95,300 my 2001-2004 tribute vehicles manufactured from april 17, 2000 through december 19, 2003. According to the manufacturers, the electrical wiring connectors to the ABS electronic control module were manufactured with wire seals missing
Engine stalling
Summary
Summary:the petitioner alleges that after having the recall remedy performed on her model year (my) 2001 ford escape, it continued to exhibit an intermittent stall condition.consequently, she petitioned the agency to examine the adequacy of the recall remedy for safety recall 04v-165.on april 5, 2004, ford motor company (ford) notified the agency that it would conduct a recall of 321,903 my 2001 through 2002 and certain 2003 my escape vehicles equipped with 3.0l engines manufactured between january 21, 2000 and september 11, 2002 at the kansas city assembly plant.these vehicles exhibited an intermittent engine stall during decelerations at vehicle speeds below 40 MPH due to an excessively ri
Questions about the 2003 Ford Escape
- What are the most common problems with the 2003 Ford Escape?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: body and structure (121 complaints, typically around 109,000 miles); speed control (90 complaints, typically around 87,500 miles); suspension (90 complaints, typically around 121,000 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2003 Ford Escape have?
- 7 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from September 29, 2015 (transmission). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2003 a bad year for the Ford Escape?
- It is 17th of 27 Escape model years by number of complaints, with 558 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.