Ford Escape / 2003
2003 Ford Escape problems
Owners have filed 736 complaints about the 2003 Ford Escape with NHTSA. Structure accounts for 16.7% of them — narrowly the most common, ahead of suspension at 12.5%.
Complaints736
Crashes55
Fires35
Injuries41
Deaths0
What owners report breaking
Structure 16.7% · 123
Suspension 12.5% · 92
Vehicle speed control 12.4% · 91
Air bags 8.4% · 62
Power train 7.5% · 55
Engine and engine cooling 6.7% · 49
Service brakes, hydraulic 6.5% · 48
Steering 6.0% · 44
Severity
Of those complaints, 55 describe a crash, 35 describe a fire and 41 report an injury.
Reading the numbers
Across the 24 model years of the Ford Escape in this data, 2003 sits 16th by complaint volume. 2013 draws the most.
Filings have fallen off, 6 in the last three years against 26 in the three before. That is normal as a generation leaves the road.
The median odometer reading at the time of complaint was 94,160 miles.
In owners' own words
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. Structure · reported at 167,000 miles
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. Structure · reported at 131,000 miles
The contact owns a 2003 Ford Escape. While driving various speeds, the subframe would rub against the body of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to ricart Ford (4255 s hamilton rd, groveport, oh 43125, (614) 836-6260) where it was diagnosed that the subframe was corroded. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 195,000. The vin was unknown. Structure · reported at 195,000 miles
Verbatim from NHTSA filings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.
Safety recalls
Checking NHTSA for open recalls…