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Ford Escape Seats
huskerrfan
Member Posts: 1
I have to say I am impressed with this suv but the seats seem really uncomfortable. They are really hard. Does anyone else have this issue?
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The wife loves it and it does go straight in the snow which is handy when you live in Chicago. Ford could have done better IMHO! Just my $0.02
FredB
Mark.
The CD only pops half way out so it doesn't fall on the floor and if you don't take it out in 5 seconds or so it will go back in....
I thought I was going NUTS watching my tan seats acquire every little stain. I don't eat in my Escape, I don't drink in my Escape, and yet the seats (17,xxx miles in) are all stained up!
I had the dealer clean them when I bought it 7,xxx miles ago but they look bad again.
Has anyone had any good luck with any particular cleaning products?
I love my truck, but this is unacceptable!
I am now looking at an Escape, but with leather seats. The cloth seats nowadays are these sensitive, fine materials....they look horrible within a year. I was not inpressed with the Escape cloth seats either. My cloth seat experience with my Volvo is the primary reason I am selling it...
If you can afford it, look into getting seats reupholstered. I know leather can be pricey, but with a 2008 Ford Escape, I would not be in a hurry to sell.
I did have my cloth seats cleaned by the dealer, and the stains do come out, but who wants to do that every 9 to 12 months???
Good luck everyone...
i meant put on the sctochguard before you get them wet.
i'm going to keep an eye out re staining, based on yr post and others. i don't like the recycled fabric. it obviously doesn't repel stains. i plan to spray scotchguard on all the seats.
i previously owned an '03 mini cooper with black cloth seats. they stained easily and were hard to clean. they also faded. i don't think the escape's seats could be any worse.
I have leather seats in my '09 and they are the cheapest quality leather I have had in a vehicle...they are more like vinyl. Additionally, the vehicle is about 7 months old and I've had to replace the seat track on the drivers side.
I just don't understand dollar-for-dollar why the "Big 3" don't produce better quality vehicles like the imports. I've had the vehicle for 7 months and if I keep it a year from now that will be pushing it. Too bad, because I like the looks and size....just another disposable Bic lighter!
both have better leather than my '02 explorer, although the wear is mostly with the driver's seat.
Newbob
thanks
So much for your "Way to go, Ford". You may want to call that Senior Executive again and get an update.
I have had good luck cleaning the seats with my little carpeting steam cleaner that is for quick cleaning spills and spots. When you use it though, it produces all sorts of dark brown dirty water, which is why I thought it had been cleaned incorrectly by the dealer. I am not sure the stains go away, I just think it sort of stains it evenly so it looks better.
I'm at 53,000 miles (I drive 50 miles a day back and forth to work) and I just had to replace the front brake pads and pay over $600 to replace some coolant coil thing. That doesn't seem right to me! I'm wondering if I should get rid of this car now, but it suits our needs so perfectly, I have no idea what else I would buy. That is why I bought a second one. My first one was yellow with the big plastic bumpers and leather seats. That thing looked new even though it was horribly abused and had 130,000 miles I wish I had paid to have the axle fixed instead of getting a new one! I am pretty sure that the gas tank and axle were ruined by the giant gravel on my country road I drove on for 2 years while they were getting ready to resurface it.
The worst part is, that already no one is going to get a decent trade in on these vehicles and it is really embarrasing at work when I have to give someone a ride or pick up a visitor.
Ford did reply to my letter with a form letter telling me they are "always concerned about their customer complaints" and that I should call. I called and talked with Cynthia in Customer Service. I explained the issues - much like yours - and she replied with the question, 'What do you want us to do to solve this problem?" I told her I wanted the fabric replaced. She put me on hold for about five minutes and returned to say my Escape is "past warranty" and that there is nothing they can do. I told her this isn't a warranty issue in my opinion, but a recall issue. They don't care. She also said that they "don't have any other complaints about the 2008 Escape fabric upholstery in their office". Uhhh... sure they don't. Well they do now since I went to google and printed off a bunch of blog complaints like yours (7 pages worth for starters) and wrote a letter to the Vice President of Customer Service at Ford Headquarters (mailed certified) and copies were sent to the GM's of both dealerships here in my area. I also emailed Channel 4, for the iTeam to have a look. I have no idea what will come of this, but Ford, like other auto makers are suffering huges losses and likely will not repair such a blatant manufacturing issue as the fabric seats unless someone sues them.
You are correct that the trade-in value of the 2008 Escape with fabric seats will be pitiful. We have suffered instant depreciation in excess of what automobiles usually experience as they gain mileage on them. Most of us have significant balances remaining on our auto loans and can't even trade them in to get something better - though I may try if this is not resolved. We'll see.
I hope more people like you continue to post their aggravation. Maybe something will get done. In the mean time I will continue to talk anyone and everyone out of buying a Ford vehicle.
Sure, I'll try that but I am not entertaining any "faith" that it won't make them even worse. Besides, just two weeks ago I had a big bowl of water, upholstry cleaner, Shout and whatever else I could think of and tried scrubbing the seats. What I have are gray, nasty looking dirty seats. The seats just cannot tolerate water or chemicals.
How old is your vehicle and how many times before have you attempted to clean them?
So were you able to get rid of the Escape's? Trade them in somewhere?
I just purchased the 2010 Ford Escape XLT with fabric seats 3 days ago. I had a 2002 Ford Explorer w/leather seats and loved it. So I didn't even question purchasing an Escape. I thought it was just a smaller version of the Explorer which I was very happy with. However, I did hesitate about buying a car with fabric seats but thought since the kids were grown, I wouldn't have a problem cleaning them once in awhile. Then I started researching reviews on the Escape and came upon this forum. Now I'm wishing I had read it before I made the purchase!
I brought the car back to the dealership after a slight chocolate stain and asked them what to use to clean it. A nice lady in the sales dept. offered to clean it for me. The stain came out, but then there was a dark mark left behind!
The next day I called the Salesman who sold me the car and told him about the stain. He suggested I bring it in and have someone in the Service Dept. clean it. So I brought the car in that afternoon.
I told them all about this forum, the complaints, how everyone HATES the fabric and how even water stains them. Everyone there sighed and said they knew all about the problems and felt awful.
After discussing the issue for awhile, a guy from the garage took my car and cleaned it. The dark discoloration was gone and it looked new and clean again. I asked what he used and how he cleaned it.
The Ford guy handed me a can of Sprayway Glass Cleaner! I was shocked to say the least that this would be used on fabric. But after reading the cloth is made out of waste from plastics, etc. I can understand now why the product worked. HOWEVER, he said you have to clean the ENTIRE seat to have continuity of color or else the spot where you cleaned would be darker than the rest and still look dirty.
Later that day I went to Walmart and purchased stretchy seat covers and will keep them on when out & about to protect the seats. However, after shelling out money for a brand NEW car, this shouldn't be !!!
I have printed out alot of the comments made here and may go back to the dealership to show them. Then I plan on getting an estimate to have all seats re-uphostered in leather and try and get the Dealership to pay for it. This is the 4th car I've purchased through them in the last 7 years and I am hoping that they'll eat the cost to keep me as a happy customer.
For those who can't afford to reupholster, at least you now know that Sprayway Glass Cleaner works and its necessary to clean the ENTIRE seat. Keep in mind that the seat you cleaned, won't look discolored or different from the rest of the seats. You or anyone else won't be able to tell that it was cleaned.
Maybe if enough of us go public, Ford will do a recall on the seats and replace with other fabric.
baylady
P.S. Other than the seat fabric/staining I LOVE my new Escape. I have a 6 cyliner, 3.0 liter engine and love the way it handles and drives. Like the looks of it too. Great little SUV!