Ford Escape Noises and Sounds

bob5327bob5327 Member Posts: 2
My 2007 Ford Escape has a noise that seems to come from behind the instrument panel when driven over 40 mph.
Its sounds like a speedometer cable that needs to be lubed. Any ideas?
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Comments

  • ricky_1776ricky_1776 Member Posts: 3
    I dont think they even use speedometer cables anymore...they are all electric. What kind of noise is it?
  • bob5327bob5327 Member Posts: 2
    I found the noise. It was the ribbed anti-chafe cover on the left front wheel rotation sensor wire. It was vibrating against the wheel hub casting. I used a nylon wire tie to secure the cover and adjusted the wire mounting bracket. Thanks.
  • jaz7jaz7 Member Posts: 4
    I have a '04 XLT V6 with 73K miles. I've noticed a clicking noise that seems to be coming from the underside of the chassis. It's louder and more frequent when the car is cold. Does anyone have any ideas what this can be?
  • rgwrgw Member Posts: 6
    My vehicle is a 2009 Escape Limited, V6, front wheel drive, built in October of 2008. There is a mystery noise that a full day at the dealership could not resolve. It’s not a safety issue but it sure is annoying.
    The sound is like fingernails tapping on glass or a piece of plastic tapping on metal. I have tried every cure posted in this forum. Since most of the time I am in the car alone it has taken me some time to isolate its location. It appears to originate under the headliner on the driver’s side and gets louder when the moon roof inside cover is slid back.
    Has anyone else had this issue? Could it be a related to a wire run that powers the moon roof?
    Any input would be appreciated.
  • lstethemlstethem Member Posts: 1
    I purchased a new Ford Escape in Nov. 2009 I notice in Jan 2010 a chirping noise coming from the back end when I take off from a stopping position anyone else notice this with their 2010
  • tomp54tomp54 Member Posts: 6
    My 2005 Ford Escape with 94K miles has begun to make a constant rumbling noise. At first I thought tire noise because it began after putting on new front brake rotors and "rotating" rear tires to front (same side). Just after that I drove 1200 miles road trip and noise may have gotten slightly worse. Yeah, Escapes are ALWAYS noisy, but this rumble is new'ish. The noise is independent of engine speed, OD in/out, automatic tranny in gear or neutral. Noise depends only on road speed. Noise doesn't change "significantly" by veering left/right at speed.

    Question: Is this rumble likely caused by wheel bearings going bad (how to confirm) or is it something else? (how to confirm the "something else" possibilities?)

    I've read forum messages, but didn't see "how to confirm" info and am unclear about what else (other than wheel bearings) might cause such noise.
  • vg33e powervg33e power Member Posts: 314
    You mentioned replacing your front brake rotors...have you checked if the backing plate (metal dust shield bolted to the steering knuckle that sits behind the rotor) is not rubbing up against the rotors. Sometimes when replacing rotors one may accidentally pull this shield and since it is so flimsy it will bend a little just enough to make it contact the rotor. Try removing the wheels and push back the dust shield to make sure it is clearing the rotor, see if that fixes your noise.
  • tomp54tomp54 Member Posts: 6
    I haven't checked the metal dust shield...will do ASAP - - but I'd think it would make a racket / high-pitched squealing sound if rubbing the rotor. No such sound. The sound I hear is more of a low rumble that's speed dependent. Could be bearing(s) or tires (they're a hard rubber and have always been louder than my other vehicles).

    I will re-rotate the tires back to their original positions and listen for change / improvement.

    I'll post results of my investigations.

    Thanks for your message.

    TP
  • mgdg33mgdg33 Member Posts: 2
    I'm having same problem with a 2001. Same mileage.
    I'm watching to see what happens with your car.
    I notice my noise changes when make turns on high way.
  • tomp54tomp54 Member Posts: 6
    I've been told that if you hear a change when turning (while driving), then the problem is likely a wheel bearing. If it gets noisier when turning left (more load on right wheel) then it's the right wheel bearing. If noise turning right, then left wheel bearing.

    I'll be sure to post final results of my situation.
  • vg33e powervg33e power Member Posts: 314
    Also, since you rotated your tires, the tires themselves may be making the noise trying to adapt to the new position since they may have been worn specifically to the previous position.
  • mgdg33mgdg33 Member Posts: 2
    Thanks, that is what I was suspecting...
  • tomp54tomp54 Member Posts: 6
    In my case the "problem" had nothing to do with wheel bearings -- it was totally tire noise. As mentioned, I'd "rotated" tires just before I began noticing the noise. (I moved rear tires to front on same side ... and front to back on same side)

    After moving tires back to their original positions, the noise was gone. The tires have 70,000+ miles on them and haven't worn totally evenly -- and I've been horrible about rotating them over the miles...only rotated once or maybe twice.

    So that's the end of this particular story...for those who might have a similar concern.

    Tom P.
  • maineiac4850maineiac4850 Member Posts: 4
    I also purchased a 2010 Ford Escape in November 2009. I have the same noise when I take off. The Ford dealership tried to locate the noise but came to the conclusion that all 2010 Ford Escapes make that noise so, in their opinion, it was OK. My next step is to e-mail the CEO of Ford to see what can be done. I assume you didn't get an acceptable solution from Ford either?
  • tomp54tomp54 Member Posts: 6
    I never went to Ford to solve this problem. I was considering replacing wheel bearings...but after putting tires back to original positions, the noise was gone.

    My vehicle is a 2005 Escape XLT. Since earlier posts, I've bought a 2009 Escape LTD with Michelin tires ... no noise problems at all. Overall much quieter than 2005. That could be Michelin tires (better than tires on 2005 Esc) or better noise dampening on newer model years or better on LTD vs XLT.

    Tom
  • fnamowiczfnamowicz Member Posts: 196
    There is no need to rotate your tires as this might cause drive ability problems.
    There are no studies or any proof that tire rotation extends tire life The tires will take a set but there is nothing wrong with this.
    I learned this by having rotated my tires many years ago and having problems I was
    told that I need new shocks, drive shaft wheel bearings etc.but all that was needed was to put the tires back in their original position. For about the last 40 yrs. I have not rotated the tires on any of my cars.
  • tomp54tomp54 Member Posts: 6
    Interesting re:non-rotation of tires. So are all the shops recommending / doing rotation just out go grab $$? (wouldn't surprise me). Balancing is a different story tho I'd think.
  • fnamowiczfnamowicz Member Posts: 196
    Yes balancing and wheel alignment is required for a smooth ride it has nothing to do with tire life in today's tires. Rotation is an urban myth that won't go away.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    edited July 2010
    The experts at TireRack don't agree with you.

    I don't enjoy rotating them either, and I've heard the urban legend claim (and would like to believe it since I don't enjoy car maintenance), but my personal experience on my minivan is that the fronts would wear out a lot faster than the rears if I didn't rotate them. And I prefer to buy tires in sets instead of pairs.

    Tread wear on an Escape would likely be more even than my FWD minivan, but check out the link.
  • davichodavicho Member Posts: 190
    Here is my $0.02 on the rotation topic.

    If you have a rear-wheel drive vehicle, rotation may not make a big difference in extending tire life. Since the rear wheels have the traction, the rear tires will take their share of wear from providing traction to move the vehicle forward and back. The front wheels provide the traction to change direction of the vehicle, hence, the front tires will take their share of wear from providing the traction needed to change direction of the vehicle.

    However...

    If you have a front-wheel drive vehicle (as in our Escapes, even in 4WD trim the system is front-wheel drive biased) rotation of tires may indeed extend the life of your tires. Since the front wheels are providing both duties of providing traction to move the vehicle forward and back, as well as providing traction to change direction of the vehicle as well. It makes sense why front tires wearout a lot faster then rear tires. This is why it is important to rotate your tires every 5000 miles on a front-wheel drive car in order to obtain the longest possible tread life out of them. The only con of doing this, is that in some occasions it may generate tire noise since the tires are wearing out differently in the new location...but only until the tire aclimates to the new location.
  • nationwideskinationwideski Member Posts: 1
    My 2009 Ford Escape makes a noises like my window is open on my passenger side when traveling at 50 or 55 and above and also sounds like someone is gurgling from the passenger side when its raining, Any Help With This???
  • jan1213jan1213 Member Posts: 4
    I purchased a 2010 Ford Escape and have a "hoot" noise from a stopped take-off. They have replaced the snake chain and a complete new transmission. The repaired transmission and the new transmission have made the same noise. Ford says that it's a normal noise for the 2010 Ford Escapes. What's the best recourse for this problem?
  • maineiac4850maineiac4850 Member Posts: 4
    My Ford Escape does the same thing. Complained to the dealership but they said because all 2010 Ford Escapes made that noise, there was nothing they could do. Of course, I don't agree with that philosophy, but I guess it saves Ford a lot of money to ignore the problem. This will be the last time I buy a Ford product.
  • jan1213jan1213 Member Posts: 4
    I will be writing a letter to the CEO of Ford within the next week or two. The salesperson that sold me the vehicle and I have also talked. He has given me the name of a lawyer to contact for a possible class action suit against Ford. Sounds like a lot of work on my part, but I'm totally dissatisfied that Ford would accept this inferior quality in their products! Yes, I agree - I will never buy another Ford product after this experience.
  • 2hills2hills Member Posts: 10
    I tried out a 2009 Escape that had a hoot and told the dealer I wasn't interested in a vehicle that had a noise coming from what I thought was the rear end of the vehicle. I was told that yes Ford knew of the problem and had a "tweak" to fix the problem. I still sid no thanks and was assured if I waited for the 2010 the problem has been fixed. Gues what? I have the same noise as the 09. The dealer just had the car in and they pulled out the transmission and replaced a chain in the tranny, still hoots. I took the car back to the dealer and they said that Ford has no idea how to fix the problem, if the tsb didnt do the job too bad. Now I am experiencing trouble with the steering. Now they are replacing the steering rack. I traded a 2001 Escape in for this 2010, big mistake. My 2001 hatch didnt rattle until I had about 60,000 miles on it. The 2010 is rattling now at about 10,000 miles. The finish isn't as nice as my 01 XLT and the attitude of Ford techs is tough luck.
  • jan1213jan1213 Member Posts: 4
    Thanks for your reply - it only verifies what I now know about 2010 Ford Escapes. My letter is written to the CEO, I'm meeting with the dealership general manager this afternoon to get their support and will mail the letter within the week. I'm amazed that Ford would sell a product with a noise defect and not disclose that to their consumers/customers.
  • roc13roc13 Member Posts: 3
    Hello,
    I found this forum when searching for info on the "Hoot" noise. I live in Ontario Canada and purchased an Escape in March, before transferring to Saskatchewan for work. I bought something new as I wanted something dependable and did not want to worry about having to bring the vehicle in for fixing.
    I have now brought the vehicle in twice and it is in now having the chain replaced to eliminate the hoot noise. The dealer here in Saskatoon informed me that the fix does not always work and that after having the fix done, Ford will not pursue the problem any further. I contacted the dealer in Ontario and he advised me to have the fix done. He said that the dealers try to dissuade you from having the fix done as it is very expensive and time consuming, but that it should in fact rectify the problem. After reading the posts here I am not so confident that it will. I will post back in a day or two when I get the vehicle back.
    The hoot bulletin was issued to the dealers on Dec 7th of 2009. I bought my vehicle in March 2010 and was not made aware of the problem. The dealer said that they would not tell anyone as not every salesman would know about the problem. I asked .. . "If I came in today and wanted to buy an Escape, would they tell me about the noise?" Their reply "Like I said, the salesman don't necessarily know about the problem." That response kinda blew my mind. As the noise is not safety related, they seem to think it does not matter.
    I also brought the vehicle in for the following:
    - driver's side window closes "hard" and squeaks over bumps. They ordered a new molding, but now cannot find it
    - the fabric moonroof panel is lifting on the rear passenger corner
    - the molding on the driver's side of the windshield is warped and very loose. After I touched it and moved it, the remote start cable fell from the roof and was just hanging when I brought it in. It was a very poor installation job at the factory
    - i drove 15 km down a gravel road. Did not drive hard and there were no bumps. The hatchback will not stop squeaking now.
    - having the tires rotated, currently 9000 km on the vehicle
    - also brought in for the tranny recall to have it reset
    I take care of my vehicles and I am very disgusted in the service and quality of the vehicle. It looked like the remote start installation was rushed. I never the noticed the warped molding as I was never in the passanger seat before. I had a few days to buy a vehicle before I moved and was rushed and did not notice some of the defects.
    I would be interested in learning how others are dealing with the hoot problem and would like to offer any assistance that I may be able to provide. Whether it be details or a letter. I bought the vehicle in Ontario Canada which happens to be the only province without a "lemon law."
  • roc13roc13 Member Posts: 3
    Sorry I forgot to ask,
    Has anyone started the "Ford Product Resolution process found in the warranty?
    This is one step that needs to be followed before utilizing the CANVAP service in Canada.
  • maineiac4850maineiac4850 Member Posts: 4
    Apparently the Ford Motor Company don't use e-mail. We bought our Escape in November 2009. My dealership service dept sucks. I signed up for the VIP service which is a joke. The VIP service indicates you can have up to four free oil changes per year, but when I took it in for service they said I didn't need an oil change for two more months; which means I can only get two oil changes a year. My next complaint will be the driver's side window which makes a sound like there's gravel in the door. I also have the hoot sound when taking off. I also had a windshield wiper that was faulty; their first thought was I must have hit something with it. They fixed it, but their attitude is always negative. Never again a Ford product for me.
  • afa497afa497 Member Posts: 2
    Does anyone know how to change the parking light in the Frod Escape 2005 or others I suspect. Owner Manual says see Ford Technician...You cannot seemingly get to it from behind as it is part of the fender area. I MUST get it replaced......Please welcome Help
  • davichodavicho Member Posts: 190
    I take it you are trying to replace the front parking lamp/turn signal bulb. If so, you'll need to access the socket through the fender liner. Pull off a couple of clips holding the fender liner to the fender and push/bend the plastic liner back enough to give you access to squeeze "literally" your hand through the inside of the fender and unlock the socket counter clockwise to remove from the headlamp housing.
  • cannon3cannon3 Member Posts: 296
    Wife and I purchased a 2010 Ford Escape XLT in early spring. We are generally happy with the vehicle. Once in a while I also heard the "hoot" noise. Did any of you get a recall notice for a transmission re-programming? Took this in about 3 days ago. This is my wifes vehicle so this weekend I will drive it around and see if this "hoot" noise is gone. On other forums some Ford techs are saying the noise will not affect the reliability or longevity of the transmission. This is our second Escape, first was bullet proof up to 107,000 miles. We bought the 2.5 4cyl this time, we had no need for a V6. Took this vehicle on a summer vacation into Yellowstone/Grand Teton area. Drove fine, no problems, great MPG.
  • maineiac4850maineiac4850 Member Posts: 4
    Ref #34: Our 2010 Ford Escape XLT also makes that noise. We had the transmission re-programming recall; didn't help the noise problem. It has something to do with the differential in the transmission and Ford says that all 2010 Ford Escapes make that noise. I do not accept that answer but don't know what else to do. If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know. It's my wife's Escape and she can hardly stand the sound. My driver side window is being replaced because it scatches the window when opening and closing. It won't cost me anything but a new vehicle shouldn't have these problems.
  • wowwhatsthatwowwhatsthat Member Posts: 1
    There is a crazy hissing noise in my 2005 escape xls. It seems to be coming from the brake pedal. The idle seems to have dropped down really low too. Sometimes it runs really rough too. It goes away when I step on the brakes or above 2500 rpm. I have 74000 mile on it and It's a5 speed manual if this helps.
  • 2hills2hills Member Posts: 10
    Well I got a call from Ford regarding the satisfaction survey I completed after I had the 'hoot' removed, which of course it wasn't. They said they were quite concerned about my negative feedback regarding my experience with eliminating the problem. The person I spoke to, of course, is just phoning to see if they can get you to change your mind about how ticked off with Ford I am, but I don't see them doing anything to correct the problem. I told this lady that I would never buy a Ford again if this was how they solve customers problems and the dealerships need to stop telling customers that is all that can be done to fix the problem. I had the steering rack replaced but because they say the Escape uses a wishbone then the sticking of the steering when it is cranked over will continue. I wonder what all these problems will do to the resale price of these Escape's when it is time to dump them.
  • roc13roc13 Member Posts: 3
    I had the fix done for the "hoot". It seemed to be gone, but after a day or two is back in full force. Has anybody had any success in dealing with this issue? I read somewhere else that it was the bushings causing the noise and they just needed greasing. Is that possible?
  • cannon3cannon3 Member Posts: 296
    Well, the noise is still there. However, it doesn't happen every time. I am a bit concerned. This is our 3rd Escape and the other 2 were great vehicles. I am afraid at 36,000 miles I am going to have to have the transmission rebuilt after the warranty expires. I am going to have the dealership look into this for me also. I know one of the service guys too and will ask him next time I see him away from his work. Keep searching the net people, there is an answer to this. There is a Ford tech somewhere that knows the answer. If I find it I will definetly post it here at Edmunds.
  • jan1213jan1213 Member Posts: 4
    Yes, I wrote quite a professional, lengthy letter to the CEO of Ford explaining the difficulties with the "hoot" noise in the 2010 Ford Escapes. I requested that I be given the courtesy of an answer by mid November - today is November 20th. They had over a month to respond to my concern about their product. I was very explicit about letting them know that the dealership should have disclosed the "hoot" noise before a consumer purchases the vehicle. So.......NO response from Ford!! The next step is a class action suit against Ford, but I don't know if I have the time and energy to keep pursuing this outright known problem by Ford. Anyone else having any luck with getting the "hoot" noise fixed?
  • rockstangrockstang Member Posts: 1
    I just got my 2010 Ford Escape back from my Ford dealer who took 3 days to work on the Hoot noise. I believe that they replace a chain in the transmission or Transaxel ?.

    The Hoot noise is still there ! ! !

    My main beef is that this problem was in the 2009 models and Ford just carried in to the 2010 models. Are the top car engineers unable to slove the problem or is it just to costly ? ?

    This should be a Lemon Law or Class Action.
  • phoneixphyrephoneixphyre Member Posts: 7
    so any news on what that squeaky noise from the windshield/dashboard is?
  • al_syracuseal_syracuse Member Posts: 2
    I purchased a 2011 Escape XLT 4WD and have the same hoot problem. Obvioulsy, Ford is doing nothing to resolve this issue. I am definitely not pleased.
  • sweetdreamr02sweetdreamr02 Member Posts: 2
    I own a 2001 Ford Escape V6 4WD, when I start my truck, my brake makes an air noise that wont stop unless you are pushing on the gas; holding the brake down all the way or if it is off. has anyone had this problem?
  • kav3kav3 Member Posts: 1
    Directive TBS 10-20-1 issued by Ford describes the problem and indicates it is in the transmission. There is no known solution. My 09 Escape V6 is having this problem.
  • 2hills2hills Member Posts: 10
    I see the commercials for the F150 and the talk about how great the Ford engineers are, but maybe they should go back to the donut eating focus groups to tell them how to solve the "hoot" problem because the engineers sure cant get. Chew on that Ford engineers.
  • nvbankernvbanker Member Posts: 7,239
    I'm not saying you're all wrong, but I have had a total of 7 Escapes, still have 5 of em, driven about 100,000 miles, never had this problem, or any other problems will all but 1 of them.
  • kersplashkersplash Member Posts: 1
    I have the same problem with the 2010 Escape I purchased in September 2009. Had it in the Ford garage and they couldn't figure out what was causing it, then they said they fixed it. They didn't. Still have the noise today.
  • al_syracuseal_syracuse Member Posts: 2
    My 2011 Escape has the "hoot" and it is getting progressively worse as each day goes by. Now I not only get the hoot when starting from a dead stop, but I get several "hoots" as I accelerate. My dealer says that Ford is promising a permanent fix by summer. But I am pretty disgusted that they have known about this problem for three years and still don't have a fix.

    I am a loyal Ford owner, and my Escape is my seventh Ford product. However, it will probably be my last.

    Ford says that the noise will not damage the transmission, but I find that difficult to believe, as I have readh hundreds of complaints in the Internet about transmission problems with the Escapes.

    Bye bye Ford. You have lost a loyal, long-time, customer because of your unwillingness to solve a known problem.
  • 2hills2hills Member Posts: 10
    Well I see the engineers at Ford in Europe in conjunction with a university in Germany have a car seat that can monitor the drivers heart....wonderful, now how about figuring out what the h^%$ that hoot is. This is absolutely rediculous that they can not fix this problem. I was going to buy a Hyundai but thought the Escape was a better product, boy was I wrong. I will never buy another Ford.
  • cannon3cannon3 Member Posts: 296
    My wife and I own a 2010 Escape XLT 2.5 automatic 4wd. We love this vehicle. Our recent trip netted us about 28MPG doing 70MPH+ per the computer. My wife normally drives the vehicle. I noticed a hard shift at times in lower gears. We had recall 10B15 done to this vehicle already. We also have the "hoot" noise I read about across the internet. I am bringing the vehicle back in to the dealership tomorrow for the hard shifting. As I read across the internet I see many are having transmission issues with the 09/10 Ford Escapes. I am not feeling all warm and fuzzy about this vehicle. It has about 15K on it and runs fine. However, can I trust it to make it another 80K? This is our 3rd Escape and the last 2 were flawless, reliable vehicles. I am not going to be a happy camper with Ford if they screw me on this known transmission issue. If I start reading in a few years about how these 6spd automatic transmissions were faulty and Ford does nothing... I am going to be jump ship and never buy a Ford again after owning Fords for over 25 years.. :lemon:
  • hackattack5hackattack5 Member Posts: 315
    I want to wish everyone wanting to punish Ford "good luck" and what exactly are you planning on purchasing? If you visit the other forums you will find issue's with every single one of them. You can look at Honda, Toyota, Goverment Motors. They all have problems people.
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