Ford Escape Paint

garboo

I recently purchased a 2005 Ford Escape which does
have some bumper to bumper warranty left on it and I also bought the extended warranty.The body paint on the driver's door under the window near rubber seal has a bubble forming under the paint(rust! /corrosion)There is no other rust on the outer body.Will the dealer fix this under warranty?I know that the 5 year corrosion warranty
is for perforations only but the paint is warrantied for 3 years..I think.The spot is about the size of a pencil eraser tip.

mschmal

Paint is only warrantied for 3 years or 36,000 miles. Corrosion/perferation warranty refers to a hole completely through a panel.

Mark.

will61

I'd take it back ASAP to get the problem documented before the warranty expires. I've got an '03 that has peeling paint on about five places on the hood and a 6" spot on the right rear where the beltline is. Ford says they have no record of any paint problems. I spotted another one on the road with similar hood spots. Under Mazda Tribute on this site, another owner of an Escape complains of peeling paint. Mine is tan or gold which Ford wierdly calls gray. The one I saw on the road was the same color. What's yours?

cheapcanuck

A piece of paint just peeled off my 2003 Ford Escape, colour code C2.
They tell me they won't do anything since the warranty has expired and THERE IS NO RECORD OF ANYONE ELSE COMPLAINING. Well I've seen a few posts around the net about this exact problem. So I would love to hear from you if you have complained about this problem. And I don't care what the colour is.
Help me out folks!
Thanks

mschmal

Ford only covers the paint for 12 months or 12,000 miles, which ever comes first.

Only Ford and GM provide any paint warranty at all.

Mark.

sl1

Have you had any response yet from Ford? I will be complaining and seeing what I can do too with my 2003 Escape too. I have all kinds of peeling paint along the "seams" on my doors & around my tires, etc. When I phoned the dealership they also said there have been no paint problems.
Thanks

plwinteregg

We have a 2003 Escape, light gold/beige (grey?) color, same pealing problem. Ford didn't use the 'we've never heard about this' line as I told them that there were literally hundreds on complaints for the same issue to be found online. I told the cust rep that either Ford does something about this, or folks like us are going to force them.
I've filed a complaint with the FTC, and have already contacted several consumer advocate/attorneys with the complaint with the hope that enough will trigger a class action lawsuit. I suggest you do the same. Also, be sure to rate the vehicle with your experience on sites such as Edmunds to help others avoid the same problem.

am2edwards

On 8/3/03, I bought my long-desired 2003 Escape.
On 1/21/09, I became the owner of a Gold Ash Escape with paint missing. It's on the hatch to the right of the license plate holder. The part that has come off is about 6" X 4" and the bubble wants to continue upward.
On 1/22/08, I contacted the dealer and was told that since they no longer have a body shop I should contact one on my own. One of the techs at the recommended body shop said last night he'd speak with the dealer again in my stead as it was "clearly a defect since it's the adhesion of the paint to the primer that has failed." I'll keep you all posted, but suffice to say I'm not happy! Any advice will be appreciated.

cjh2

I have a white 2003 Ford Escape with paint peeling off under window on lift gate.Talked to dealership they checked for recall, no recall,we were given Ford number to call,called Ford they said warranty was over nothing they could do, the woman also said the dealership was going to talk to their supervisor and possibly fix it.They(dealership) never called back. Talked to Ford again yesterday, if everyone reports their problem to Ford they might check in to this and do a recall.Get the word out and get everyone to report their problem to Ford. 800-392-3673- Ford Customer Assistance.

vg33e power

I hate to burst your bubble there cjh2, but this peeling paint problem has been an on going issue in some Escapes and even Tributes. However, all customers that have contacted Ford have gotten the same run around (at least from what I have read here in the forums)....if in warranty it will be covered, if out of warranty your s.o.l

I don't think Ford will ever issue a recall because it is not a safety issue where they may get sued for an injury or death related to peeling paint. There may be a TSB but even that does not guarantee you a fix.....sorry!

cjh2

I understand its not a safety issue, but it is a consumer issue , and we the consumer have made Ford what it is today.It's not an isolated case, Ford needs to listen, and you the consumer need to let them know.

vg33e power

I totally agree with you cjh2, I am not trying to go against the grain on this issue with you. I also think Ford should step up and fix the issues that have a history of reoccuring like that of the peeling paint. However, from what I have read in this forum it seems like Ford is giving the consumers with this specific problem the run around. Good luck!

paintpeeling

I have the same problem with my 2003 ford escape, I have seen better 1970 cars with original paint job look better than my 2003 escape, I am ticked.

paintpeeling

I have a 2003 ford escape and the paint is peeling off easier than a ripe banana.

lakitydu

my escape is peeling around the back window and between sunroof and windshield. did anyone find help for this problem?

hesters

I filed a small claims lawsuit against the Ford Mortor Company and go to court on Friday. I'm surprised that they haven't offered to settle since I'm only asking for $1,800 (from the estimate) to paint the hood and back panel of my 2003 Escape. The paint started peeling in large sheets and I contacted Ford, the dealer, Ford again by e-mail and also by mail. All the responses I got were the same that it was out of warranty and there was nothing they would do about it..

I found the proper legal language to use that addresses Ford saying that the defect is out of warranty. The "discovery rule" should apply in this case. The discovery rule is a legal concept that "tolls" (suspends) the statute of limitations as it would be impossible to discover the latent paint defect until the paint started peeling off your vehicle. Some judges may decide that the statute of limitations did not comemence running until you actually learned ot that the paint condition on your vehicle was a result of a concealed, latent manufacturing defect.

It's cost me $50 to file the small claims case and $10 to have Ford served. I'll post again once I go to Small Claims Court on Friday.

mtcarmelfox

Complaints have appeared on various blogs concerning the Escape.

Ford does have a Facebook page where paint issues have been expressed
on other models.

explorerx4

can you post some pictures?

hesters

I did go to court today and the Field Representative and also someone 'in pro terme' (someone authorized to represent Ford were present.) The case was postponed until December 15th. If anyone is interested, I am looking to get letters from people explaining the same paint peeling problem with their cars that I'm having with mine. I know this might be a hassle but if I can win my small claims suit against the Ford Motor Company then it would be helpful to others on how best to fight this and get Ford to pay for their paint defect.

hesters

Yes, I can post some pictures and will tomorrow. It's pretty unbelievable when you see the photos. The car is garaged and yet the paint is peeling off to bare metal.

mtcarmelfox

I did an internet search on the topic: "Automotive Paint Operations Outsourcing".

There was a press release on Vehicle Paint Quality Flaws associated with Outsourcing.

It described a study correlating factory data with paint failures.

Apparently there has been multiple newscasts throughout North America documenting automotive paint failures.

colochemist

My 2003 escape is also peeling around the left side of the back window and between the sunroof and the windshield. There was someone on vacation in our state form arizona that took a picture of ours about six months ago because they had identical peeling and were trying to get their Ford dealer to do something about it.

mtcarmelfox

My understanding is that the automakers use film thickness per coating layer as their main criteria to determine if a vehicle is a factory paint defect for paint durability. Has anyone requested that information to determine if the vehicles were painted to the correct specifications? If the data is in specifications, its not a defect.
If its out of specification, then it would be a factory paint defect.

disappointed68

I also have a light gold 2003 Ford Escape I bought 3 years ago. The paint on the roof near the windshield started peeling about nine months ago. Someone suggested I find out if there is a recall. After reading all of these complaints, I am surprised there is not one. Perhaps there will be soon.

barfeningjodi

I'm very interested in hearing your progress with your plight against Ford-- I have a 2003 Tribute Metallic Ash (gold color) and I have the same problem as you all with Fords.

Of course my issue is with Mazda-- a body shop here has told me that you can visibly see that the sealant coat is missing between the top coat & ecoat and it is a manufacturers defect. Large sections are just falling off-- when it first happened I thought is way a sheet of paper flying out the back of my car. They also let me know that painting even a portion of the car would (the cost is very high for a full strip/paint of the car). I have had both the Mazda dealership review it and a body shop-- but Mazda refuses to correct the situation. I am pleading my case with the dealership, but I'm very discouraged after seeing similar issues like these are widespread.

This issue seems very large and related as both the Escape and Tribute came off the same production lines in some cases -- I have to wonder if these issues aren't very related and if there is something a group of unhappy customers could do to change this situation if needed. Please see this thread discussion as well (here on Edmunds) link title

robnutt

I thought I was one of only a few people having this problem, but after reading this forum, I see there are many more people with the same issue. The paint on my 2003 Ford Escape started peeling a couple years ago between the sunroof and the windshield, and just recently I noticed two more spots around the back window and spots over the doors. I know some of the posts on here are a couple years old, but if anyone out there can tell me if they were able to get this resolved with Ford, I would greatly appreciate it.

gorgegirl

My 2003 Ford Escape has the same paint problems. On the sunroof between the sunroof and windshield and now on the carrier side of the sunroof as well as around the back hood window. I would really appreciate it if you found anyone who had this problem resolved as well.

Thanks.

gorgegirl

I have a 2003 Ford Escape and it is a tan or gold color with paint peeling problems. Let me know if you have found any solutions to this problem.

otiswinston

I am wondering what your outcome was in small claims court. In my case of peeling paint on a 2005 Escape Hybrid, Ford finally offered to pay 50% to do repairs on the back lift door and 4 doors whgere paint was peeling. However, they inflated the repair costs to $4,000 by saying they had to replace the entire back lift gate! I've given up on them and am having the work done in a body shop for $850.

gorgegirl

It appears to me that most Escape paint peeling is the gold color like my 2003 Escape. And, it appears most are peeling in the same area. This summer, the paint on the rack side of the sunroof began coming off in sheets. Of course, prior to that the area between the windshield and the sunroof was the first place and then around the back lift door. I had to spray it with some primer because I don't want it to begin to rust.

I have some of the sheets of paint that came off and pictures of it so I'm going to begin a writing campaign to Ford.

With the economy like it is, I can barely afford gas and insurance and a new paint job just isn't there.

norcalphotoguy

Hello. I have a 2003 Gold Ford Escape. I bought the car when it was three years old. I had no idea that peeling paint for that year and model were legendary. The comment that Ford claims they never heard of the problem if ludicrous. Do they live under a rock? That issue is a known and common factor. My dealer -- the largest one in my area of Northern California -- had me pay "half" for the repaint job -- somewhere between $700 and $1,000. I knew I was being reamed, because it was an inflated cost that let the dealer off the hook. This particular dealer has a history with me now of several attempts to rip me off, so I no longer deal with them. Any class action suit is so competely justifiable it isn't even funny. Ford should list the problem as a "Recall" item -- or at least a "Silent Recall" item. Main areas of peeling are top of vehicle, top front (between moon roof and windshield), and back door (especially immediately below the rear windshield). I had several patches that just washed off when the dealer did some minor service and offered to wash my car for free. That free car wash cost me hundreds of dollars. In my case it appeared that the clear coat sealer was never applied to protect the paint. It appeared to clearly be a defect. My understanding is that all 2003 Escapes were manufactured by Mazda. Apparently Mazda decided to cut corners and Ford ends up with the issue, but it is still ultimately Ford's responsibility and they should owe up to it. When a dealer outright lies to you (and they certainly do), it is a huge "red flag" that tells you to take your business elsewhere. Don't even bother to argue with them. If they are willing to lie to you, they are confessing their lack of integrity. Don't subject yourself to them. Let them lose the business that they don't deserve. Any class action suit should involve everyone that owns a 2003 Ford Escape and has had to pay for repaint since 2003 (barring all accidents and chemical damage -- and other unnatural and abnormal causes of paint failure) -- including those who had to pay several hundred dollars or more for "their share" of the dealer's cost. It is preposterous. If Ford isn't happy about being taken for a ride by Mazda they should sue Mazda, but they shouldn't just lie to their Ford owners. I mean really! Give me a break! This is no small issue. It is a breech of trust.

mtcarmelfox

The 2003 Escape was manufactured by Ford at their Kansas City Assembly Plant. Ford manufactured the Mazda Tribute in the same facility. I was personally in the facility many times. Numerous owners have been taking Ford to small claims court and winning on vehicles purchased new or pre-owned. The choice is up to the vehicle owner if they want to pursue their rights. Google: Ford/Mercury Paint Peeling Defects or Ford Factory Paint Defects. The information is out there.

nvbanker

Interesting my neighbor has a 2007 Honda Civic SI, dark Blue. The roof is peeling like a snake already. I think that's way to early, but an 03 isn't, IMO. It's 8 years old! Paint doesn't last forever. This is another case of where some people think cars are warranteed forever, and they're not, nor were we promised that when we bought them. You agreed to a warranty period, and that's all the coverage you should get.

gorgegirl

Most people like myself had the paint begin peeling long before now. In fact, the paint on the top of my 2003 is continuing to peel like a snakeskin. And, I'm going to have to get a new paint job. It started when it was 5 years old and that is too new to have paint peeling if it was painted correctly. It also appears that the paint problems begin in the same areas - around the rear door, the top between the sunroof and the windshield. Now, the entire top of my Escape is peeling. I can't afford a paint job, so I sprayed some undercoating on it to prevent it from rusting.

gorgegirl

I would love to provide pictures of it. It keeps getting worse - particularly on top of my vehicle next to the sunroof as well as by the back hatch door.
Where do I send (e-mail) them?