Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!

Ford Escape Mazda Tribute Maintenance and Repair

1525355575880

Comments

  • snowmansnowman Member Posts: 540
    CA 4303
  • pdc2pdc2 Member Posts: 15
    I have a 02 Escape V6 AWD since new and have had 40,000 km, mainly city driving in Calgary, Canada. There was one engine stall, CDs stuck in the 6 CD exchanger,a sticky gas pedal, plus may be 4-5 minor recalls.

    Road and wind noise seem to be loud, otherwise I have no complaints and just bought an extended warranty.

    You might wish to look at the 05 Hyundai tucson and Kia Sportage both of which offer amount others great safty features at a low price; the new owners seem full of praise for the Tucson (Sportage just came on the market).
  • galaxygalaxy Member Posts: 1
    I also have a 02 Madza Tribute 2WD with 68,000 miles. Last October I took the SUV in for a routine tune-up. They ended up keeping the car for over a month - the #6 cylinder kept misfiring. It had to have a total value job done. They honored the warranty as a pre-existing condition ( engine light was on and they never found out why). Now the transmission is slipping. I know what the dealership is going to say.Its out of warrenty. Most give you 100,000 miles for drive/power train. Not Madza. Price of a new transmission starts at $1500.
    Is there any recourse to this? I can't afford to put out the kind of money, but what chose do I have?
  • mikebc780mikebc780 Member Posts: 6
    Re: the error code, I did not ask...it's apart now waiting inspection from warranty guy to ok repair. They are talking head replacement. TBC.
  • wijocowijoco Member Posts: 462
    Stay away from the 01/02 model years.
    Test drive on the freeway and make sure she gets through all four gears both under heavy throttle and part throttle. If there's any shuddering, walk away.
  • rcinmdrcinmd Member Posts: 139
    I have an 05 Tribute, 4 cyl, 5 speed, AWD. When I accelerate in the lower gears, i.e., 1st-3rd, I hear what sounds like a bird warbling, or chirping, coming from the engine compartment. It lasts for a second or two, and stops, possibly once reaching a certain rpm, or maybe drowned out by other noises. It's kind of cute, but I know it can't be normal. I have not taken it to a dealer for diagnosis, but wonder if any others with that engine have noticed something similar.
  • wijocowijoco Member Posts: 462
    Sounds like a belt squeal? Hard to say, may as well let the dealer worry about it under warranty.
  • rcinmdrcinmd Member Posts: 139
    Don't think it is a belt. Just not that typw of sound. Thinking air of some sort. But I'll admit to not yet popping the hood, and blipping the throttle to see if I can hear it that way. I am still in the babying stage, not yet taken it above 3000 rpm. Not my style, but I can control myself for the first 1000 miles.
  • nattannattan Member Posts: 4
    i brought my escape to the dealership where i bought it for a problem with the transmission at45000 kms it was shuddering when i let out the clutch they couldnt find anything wrong with it during a road test at 54000 i brought it back with same problem they checked it out and said nothing wrong,a third time i brought it back under extended warranty at 63000 kms and they road tested it and said nothing wrong i told them it only does it when still cold,so at 86000kms i brought it to an independent mechanic for same problem and he found the rear seal leaking causing clutch to shudder they fixed seal and had to replace clutch and machine flywheel now problem completely gone do you think i should ask dealership to pay bill since they obviously didnt do more than road test for the problem on one bill it shows dealership only spent 6 minutes on road test to try and find problem?if they checked the rear seal in first place i could have avoided killing clutch?
  • nattannattan Member Posts: 4
    does anyone know if there is a recall for loose steering wheels on the 01 escape and howlong should tie rods be replaced i had to replace mine at 62000 kms
  • ryan41ryan41 Member Posts: 21
    I am on my second Tribute. Had a 02 Tribute 6cyl,no problems except an annoying ticking noise in engine after the car was at operating temp. Traded it in at the end of the warranty for an 05 Tribute. Now after 3 months of driving, this one has the same tick/tappet noise after the car is at operating temp. The car runs flawlessly, I read that there was some TSB regarding the noise. Other than that the car seems much improved from the 02. Does anyone else have this tick/tappet noise? Should I just leave it alone? It didn't seem to affect the last one.
  • krstoflethkrstofleth Member Posts: 2
    I just recently traded off my 2001 tribute. Transmission needed replacing at 61,000 miles. That was the last straw for me!! It's no fun trying to trade a car that has to be towed to the dealership either. They wanted $3000 bucks to fix it. No thank you.
  • caperscapers Member Posts: 8
    I keep reading the stories about tribute/escape transmissions going out after 60,000 miles. It amazes me that Ford can just say the transmission is bad and people believe it. Short of a transmission pump going there are replaceable parts in the transmission. Most automatic transmissions go for 100,000 - 160,000 miles before needing rebuilt. This sounds like a recall issue to me!! I own a 2003 escape with 30,000 miles and am very concerned that there is a large bill waiting for me soon!

    I say we should document exactly what percentage of transmissions are going bad at what miles.

    How can this be done? Seems like the auto makers avoid these recalls unless there is an obvious safety issue. Without a threat of a lawsuit they don't do ANYTHING!

    Maybe a class action lawsuit will force ford to do the right thing here.

    The discrepancy between the stamped mercon V on the dipstick and what the owners manual says could be just what a lawsuit needs to show negligence on Fords part.

    I have friend who has an explorer with 250,000 on the original transmission. He swears that the longevity is due to his installing a oversized trans cooler and switching to synthetic trans fluid.

    From what I hear the escape transmission is a car transmission in an SUV. I smell a rat here.
  • snowmansnowman Member Posts: 540
    My personal opinion is that there is massive trolling going on here since January. Looks like winter months are "national transmission gone bad" months for some fictitious escape owners. Any one can see how stories are constructed and much more similarities between posts...Some of them are legit though...At least this is what I think.

    It is a fact that early (01-02)escapes experienced transmission failures but these problems are not eligible for recall. Such transmission problems are not good to issue a recall unless there is safety related issue.

    I don't know about switching to syn.trans. oil but not every car's tranny is compatible with syn. oil. However, longevity depends on frequent flushes along with filter change (if applicable).

    "From what I hear the escape transmission is a car transmission in an SUV."

    I believe, important thing is HP and torque that tranny is mating. I have been reading articles that Escape tranmissions are modifed to handle weight and torque but early failures are related to heat damage. This is addressed on 05s (dunno about early production like 04 -03) that tranny is getting cooled down by secondary radiator (cooler)...
  • scape2scape2 Member Posts: 4,123
    This is funny here folks.. How do we know if any of these people serviced their transmissions? What their driving habits were? To say all Tributes/Escapes are going to have or do have bad transmissions is ridiculous.
    Snowman says "It is a fact that early (01-02)escapes experienced transmission failures but these problems are not eligible for recall. Such transmission problems are not good to issue a recall unless there is safety related issue".
    Please show me where it is a "fact" I have an 01 Escape V6 XLT 4WD with just over 50,000 trouble free miles. I have repeatedly towed my two watercraft, hauled, pulled and my transmission is fine. Granted, I have also kept on my vehicle maintenance. I have flushed my transmission 2x... I also know at least a half dozen other Escape/Tribute owners that have NOT had transmission issues.. Lets stop the hype....
  • bri66bri66 Member Posts: 220
    As always some forget why there is a problem board under the Escape title. Some of us have had problems with their Escapes and not all of us beat on our vehicles as some would like to think. I have had quite a lot of trouble with my 01 transmission and I too have had it serviced regularly. Some would like us all to stop posting problems and go away. I find it amazing that some that have had no problems at all with their Escapes, why do they view such a board for problems? And lastly why would some go so far as to question driving habits and maintenance responsibilities of anyone that posts a problem here in this forum???
  • wijocowijoco Member Posts: 462
    Maybe an injector noise? My 97 Taurus has the same engine and I've never noticed it, so it may have something to do with engine placement and insulation.
  • wijocowijoco Member Posts: 462
    The early Escapes did have problems with torque converter shudder and failure. Torque converter clutch plates were not strong enough to handle the V-6s torque. With some, fluid flushes eliminated the shudder, sometimes not, sometimes only prolonging the failure. So the problem DID exist.

    And I'm curious about Edmunds policy as applied to a poster who continually, regardless of how politely or indirectly, calls other members liars for posting experiences different from his?
  • snowmansnowman Member Posts: 540
    Check your oil filter and make sure whoever did your last oil change used original Mazda/Ford oil filter.
    Sounds like top portion of your engine is not getting enough lubrication. If they used after market oil filter that doesn't have built-in anti-drain valve. Mazdas are very sensitive for this that I know from my 97 626.
  • ryan41ryan41 Member Posts: 21
    The car has only had one oil change, 3500 miles on it, it was done at Mazda. Mazda issued a TSB in Dec 03, it states that a cap on the camshaft has to be adjusted. I am hesitant because you would have to take off the valve cover to make the adjustment, although the repair seems simple. I know that I can't be the only one who has had this problem because both of my cars have the same noise and there is a TSB.
  • escapenutescapenut Member Posts: 117
    A friend who's a mechanic checked my Escape's record using my VIN#. He pulled everything up that Ford has done to it for warranty repair, four (4) things. He did give me a 'head's-up'
    that there will be a new PCM upgrade for my '01
    Escape V6 coming-out soon. I don't know, nor did he tell me, if it'll covered in a campaign or recall. I'm just wondering if this has anything
    to do with seemingly recurring engine stalls and
    gas-mileage, which for me went down 2-MPG when they re-flashed the PCM the first-time ? He seemed to think that this may be the case, but he's not totally sure.

    Still running Mobil-1 synthetic ATF in my tranny since ~55K. No problems as of yet have surfaced.
    Previous posts are correct in that if a transmission does fail, then a lot of the failed components can be replaced at substantially less
    than a completely rebuilt transmission. Unfortunately, as we all know there are still a lot of bad repair shops, including dealer service.
  • snowmansnowman Member Posts: 540
    As you suspect the procedure is simple, I would try to be on top of this. Tapping is not good for an engine, it may create bigger problems in future.
    Mine has 1500 miles, haven't heard anything yet.
  • Karen_SKaren_S Member Posts: 5,092
    As with any post on any message board, its validity can always be questioned as there is frequently no way to verify each claim. It is up to the individual to use their own judgement to believe it or not. As for statements of "facts", it is usually best to provide the source of this information so the statement will not be repudiated.

    If you have any further questions, please address them to me in an email.
  • latinomiamiguylatinomiamiguy Member Posts: 2
    I and my dad recently bought a Mazda Tribute. Approximately three weeks ago and at first the noise was not heard at all but a week later when releasing my brakes lightly and when pressing them a loud clonking type noise can be heard. I took my Tribute to Mazda for inspection and they found nothing wrong with it and the manager of the shop simply told me the brakes are fine, and that's just a noise that they can't make go away and a noise most of their cars make. I was told the brake disks are just pressing tight and thus make the noise. They allowed me to test a Tribute that was on display and the noise wasn't heard until I drove it some more and you could hear the same clonking noise when applying the brakes.

    Now I'm no car expert and this does not make sense to me as my brother bought a Mazda 3 and no noise has ever been heard when he uses his brakes so is this a common problem with the Tribute? My dad is thinking of taking it back to Mazda to have it looked at again but I'm positive they'll tell him and I the same thing "there's nothing we can do about the noise".

    I would like feedback on Tribute owners and see if their car makes this noise and also any suggestions as what I can do. I don't think it is normal to accept that a car "simply makes that noise" and I have to live with it. This is a brand new car I bought and shouldn't do that in my opinion. Please any help would be appreciate. I work hard for my money as does everyone else.
  • innapickleinnapickle Member Posts: 5
    I am "in a Pickle". In Jan 05 I was in a flip over accident in my PT Cruiser. Loved that car and thought that I would replace it. It did not feel right, so the search began. Somehow I ended up with a Mazda 3sp. Cute car, but with 12 miles it is sitting in my driveway. It feels wrong, too. Maybe everything will feel wrong for awhile, but I had looked at the Tribute. Obviously this might give me a bargaining chip with the dealership, but I will go without wheels for now if I have to .
    I am very active, take my 80 pound golden in the car, transport 100 lb bags of deer feed, so an SUV is smarter. (What was I thinking)

    I would love to hear comments about safe feel of the Tribute.
  • snowmansnowman Member Posts: 540
    Your dealer is right about it. Not just Tributes do that but many other brands have the same sound. In my opinion nothing to worry about. Let your breaks worn little (like driving 1K ) and you'll hear less noise...
  • dc_driverdc_driver Member Posts: 712
    Personally, I think the Tribute is a safe car, but it is an SUV and has certain disadvantages over a car. From a safety perspective mine has, ABS, AWD, front and side curtain airbags, and has a cage that was built to withstand rollovers. If you go with the Tribute I highly recommend that you get one that has side curtain airbags.

    But, it sounds like you could also be happy with a wagon like the Mazda 6, or a Subaru Outback. I strongly recommend that you thouroughly drive a variety of different vehicles before you buy.
  • innapickleinnapickle Member Posts: 5
    I appreciate the knowledge and insight. Wish that I had spent more time here before jumping into a car. Took the Mazda 3sp for another drive today and it does handle well. Tribute ok but Mazda 3 was much tighter.
    Again, thank you for the insight.
    Sue
  • dc_driverdc_driver Member Posts: 712
    Sue,

    Too be honest, the Tribute and the Mazda3 are too completely different animals :) Out of all the SUV's I drove, the Tribute handled the best and is still somewhat quick with the V6. I love the cargo capacity of the Tribute and have extremely pleased with its ability to handle inclement weather (both rain and snow). Do you live in an area that has inclement weather? If so, the AWD comes in handy and certainly adds to the safety factor. The good news about the Mazda3 is that these cars are very hot right now, and you should have no problem selling it down the road if you find it does not meet your needs.
  • drurex99drurex99 Member Posts: 10
    You know, I think I've had enough. I have had 2 Mazdas... a 1988 626 that I traded in for a 2001 Tribute. I have had the usual stupid stuff happen in both vehicles but the only common repair has been the broken driver's side door latches. I have to open the driver's window and open the door from the outside. In 17 years they still haven't fixed this weakness in their basic design. Now it's a even more expensive repair, from what I understand, than it was in the past. In 1994 it was $275 and I think that it has to be $400ish now. I'm very frustrated....
  • packers4packers4 Member Posts: 1
    my escape front signal lights do not work and back signals blink vey fast. emergency flasshers work fine as do all othe lights. i assume i need to replace the front signal bulbs. however, the manual says to see my dealer. i have attempted to remove the head lamp assembly to no avail.
    is there a correct way to remove assembly so i can replace the signal bulbs????

    packers4
  • dc_driverdc_driver Member Posts: 712
    I monitor a number of different Tribute forums, and this is probably the first time I heard about this problem. Not that I am down playing your issue, but no matter what type of car you buy there are going to be similar types of repairs after five years. I just had to have my brakes done in my 2002 Nissan Altima that only has 28K miles. But I live in DC which is mostly just stop and go traffic (mostly stop) :) That said, I was not surprised when the dealer told me I needed brake work. I asked for a quote, and then drove down to the local Midas dealer down the street and they beat the price and gave me a lifetime warranty on the pads.

    So, I would get a quote from the dealer and then drive over to a local shop and get another quote. You may end up saving $200 (or more)! Like I said, I understand your frustration, but which is better paying $200-400 for a door handle, or having a hefty car payment on a new car?
  • scape2scape2 Member Posts: 4,123
    The reason why I question so many transmission issues is because here at Edmunds they have noway to tell whether Ford haters are posting stories in order to create fear, or whether someone who is having problems is posting more than one story to create what looks like a problem. When I take my Escape to the dealer for service I make it a point to ask the service rep about how Escapes are doing in general. I asked about this so called major transmission failure on all Escapes... He said nothing of the sort. There are failures but not at the rate some would like to believe..
  • dc_driverdc_driver Member Posts: 712
    Scape,

    One of my good friends manages a service department at a very large combined dealership (Ford, Toyota, Nissan, Honda, Kia) and he bought an Escape for his wife last year. I asked him if they see an excessive number of failed transmissions on the Escape (2001-2005) and he told me that the number of transmission issues for Escapes is not a major issue, and no more than other manufacturers. I mean, he could have used his dealer discount to buy his wife a Honda, Toyota, or Nissan and he bought her the an Escape (ironically, they sold their problem plagued Honda to buy the Escape).

    I have no doubt that some of the people on this message board are having transmission problems. I can only assume that some of them are maintenance related, some of them are just the law of averages, and some of them are people who have general problems that the dealer should be responsible for. Go read the Honda Accord forums, they have just as many transmission problems as Escapes.

    People who visit these forums should not panic when they read these posts. For every Escape/Tribute owner who has problems, there are thousands that don't and do not post in these forums. C'mon, if the majority of Escape owners had failed transmissions after 50K miles, it would be all over the news. It is the same way in every other car forum. Every forum has posters who told their story about how horrible car x is, and that nobody should every buy one. I think some people have had some bad experiences, but it is unfair to claim that the majority of Escapes are going to have transmission problems. Go read some of the other Escape forums on the Internet. Yes, there are reports of failed transmissions, but it is certainly not an alarming rate, and no more than any other high selling car.
  • desertrat4desertrat4 Member Posts: 2
    The reason why questions were raised about driving habits and maintenance compliance WRT transmission problems is obvious: It is not possible to judge the individual situation without knowing these things. Anecdotal information is basically useless, and is completely useless without supporting facts. What's more, it is common practice to make up stories about cars on boards and newsgroups, it is done all the time. Trashmouthing each others' products is a game played by all levels of the car business. NHTSA reports are fabricated or ginned up in order to provide support for phony excuses about car accidents. "My car suddenly went to the right and hit a tree." That sort of thing. These forums are largely anonymous and the information is unverified. It is not only appropriate, it is essential, to ask questions and to take everything here with large grains of water softener salt. Nobody called anybody a "liar" that I can see, but to pretend that everything you read here is accurate and meaningful is just plain foolish.
  • desertrat4desertrat4 Member Posts: 2
    Let me add this: It's time that useful information be made available on the subject of car reliability. Consumer Reports publishes "surveys" of car owners which appear to be self-selected polls .... a form of polling that no good pollster takes seriously. So owners of Car X say their cars are more reliable than the owners of Car Y? Completely worthless information. Let's see the aggregate dealers' service report data and judge for ourselves. Only the manufacturers really know what is going on in the area of reliability with their products, and they keep the information to themselves. Anecdotal information is completely useless.
  • snowmansnowman Member Posts: 540
    "Only the manufacturers really know what is going on in the area of reliability with their products, and they keep the information to themselves. Anecdotal information is completely useless."

    Amen to that....
  • snowmansnowman Member Posts: 540
    "Nobody called anybody a "liar" that I can see, but to pretend that everything you read here is accurate and meaningful is just plain foolish. "

    Thank you... It is nice to have forum members who can see the real value of some postings...
  • dc_driverdc_driver Member Posts: 712
    I completely agree. I truly hope that people who visit these forums really put things into perspective before they purchase a Tribute/Escape. Truth be told, these are wonderful vehicles and should definitely be on any short list when shopping for a new SUV. I would say small SUV, but I think the Tribute/Escape is anything but small. :)
  • jchandrajchandra Member Posts: 12
    Yesterday I took my 2005 Mazda Tribute GS V6 for it's 1st oil change to Erin Mills Mazda in Mississauga, Ont. Canada. I had made the appointment 2 days earlier; I wanted the oil from the 1 litre plastic jugs not the wholesale oil from the big drums. I was qouted a price of $50.94 CDN.
    I got to the dealership on time early in the morning, I told the Service Advisor that it was my 1st oil change and that I wanted the plastic bottles and the price which I was quoted. After waiting for almost an hour, I see a kid come out looking for my car. There was a van parked behind my car by one of those idiots who think that they can park their vehicles any where they desire. The kid starts my car; there is barely 2 feet of room on all sides; instead of moving the van he starts to back up almost hitting it. Then he starts to rock back and forth going over the snow bank in fornt of my car. At this point I dashed out of the showroom and screamed at the service technician to stop. I indicated that he should have the van moved before he backed out my car, he already had hit the snow bank twice and I was picturing big scrapes at the front end of my vehicle. Anyway after about 15 minutes of abusing my car, he finally backs out the car. All this time I am watching him real carefully.
    After about an hour when I got the car back the final bill was approx. $65 CDN. When I asked the Advisor why the price had jumped over $10, he said that they had used the plastic bottles etc and this is why it was higher. When I showed him the written e-mail from them showing $50.94, he did not have anything to say. There were a lot of people standing around so to make matters simple I paid up the full amount. On my way back home I was looking at the Invoice and it stated that they had used 7 litres of 5W20 oil. Now I am not an expert but I do know that the V6 engine does not take 7 litres. I called back the parts dept and asked them how much oil my car took. The man stated "I gave the kid 7 litres and that's what your car took". I turned around and went back and asked for the Service Manager. I then told him that I was charged for 7 litres; and my car only took 5.7 litres per the manual. My only concern at this point was that the kid had purposely over filled the crankcase because I had yelled at him when he was backing out my car. After a few minutes the Manager came back and said that yes the SUV only took 5.7 litres, that they had only used 6 bottles and I was inadvertently charged for an extra bottle. He gave me back approx $4 for 1 bottle in cash.
    I am left wondering how many customers they inadvertently overcharge every day. In my opinion an oil change is the simplest service on any car. I used to change my own oil when I was in college. Even though I got back the money for the overcharge, I just don't trust this dealership for any future service. I was already overcharged $10 from the original estimate. I don't know how many customers even look at their invoices to make sure that the charges are correct.
    I guess these days you cannot trust anyone; these are Mazda dealerships, all they do is Mazda vehicles. If they do not know how much oil to put in their vehicles, its a sad day.
    All I can say is that I am looking for another Mazda dealer in my area hopefully who knows how much oil my Tribute takes. Any one knows of a honest dealer in the GTA Toronto area, please let me know.
  • coquibreezecoquibreeze Member Posts: 2
    Front turn signal replacement requires removing retaining bolts, screws and nylon fasteners along the wheel well trim in order to gain access to the turn signal bulb receptacle. Removing the receptacle will require some patience and a bit of manual dexterity because a wire harness partially obscures access to the back side of the receptacle. You will need to twist the receptacle gently to detach it from the head lamp assembly. Total cost per side: $2.25, plus 45 minutes labor. I hope this helps.
  • coquibreezecoquibreeze Member Posts: 2
    There was a recall to remedy sudden power losses. The very same scenario occured to me. Please ask your local Ford Dealer to research applicable recalles based upon your VIN #. I cannot remember precisely the component that was replaced, but after paying for the repair, later that same year Ford issued a recall and refunded to cost of the repair.
  • wijocowijoco Member Posts: 462
    "Nobody called anybody a "liar" that I can see, but to pretend that everything you read here is accurate and meaningful is just plain foolish."

    Snowman's original post:
    "My personal opinion is that there is massive trolling going on here since January. Looks like winter months are "national transmission gone bad" months for some fictitious escape owners."
  • normkolnormkol Member Posts: 135
    My 2002 ES-V6 was in for the accelerator cable recall last week, so I had them do an oil change. When I left, I could smell burning oil, which I figured was from the oil hitting exhaust and them not wiping it up. When I opened the hood, I also found they had spilled oil on the engine when filling it, and had not wiped it up.

    What slop, and from a Mazda dealer, yet.

    I've also had a similar experience after an oil change from a Honda dealer. Being a dealer doesn't mean your'e guaranteed high quality work.
  • rcinmdrcinmd Member Posts: 139
    I have always changed my own oil. In a rush before Christmas, I took my Accord to a Firestone dealer for a change, and sure enough, as I had expected, there was the smell of burning oil for a few days following the change. The Tribute with the 4 cyl is the perfect type, with the filter hanging vertically. I will be able to fill it before spinning it on. Read the message from a fella in Canada who had a dealer change his oil on his Tribute. Very expensive, exchange rate and all, and also sloppy work. Must be the school these guys have to attend...... There are some great mechanics out there, but in order to make big profits, they have to cut the little corners we don't when we do the work ourselves.
  • Karen_SKaren_S Member Posts: 5,092
    Let's steer away from making this a debate about others' honesty and personal accusations.

    I like to think the majority of our members are intelligent enough to weigh the pros/cons of each situation and decide for themselves.
  • cparkercparker Member Posts: 1
    I have a '02 Escape XLT 4WD with 39,000 mi. It's currently in the shop to have the torque converter replaced for the second time. First time went up at 21,000 mi. This vehicle has been nothing but problems. The bearings were replaced last week. I have had it serviced per Ford specifications. The following has been replaced...throttle sensor, manifold, some kind of modulator, rear wiper assembly, sunroof switch, and all recalls have been done. More has been done but I can't remember them all. The rear window still leaks from time to time and I have had problems with the starter. I only drive 11 mi. to work each day and have only needed 4WD to get out of my driveway on four occassions. I do not abuse my Escape. I actually pamper it. I have contacted the National Hghwy Trans. website to file a complaint about the torque converter. I was informed that that is how many recalls are initiated. My dealer also told me that the transmission dipstick has the wrong spec.'s on it regarding the type of fluid to be used. The dealer has been working with me to lessen the costs for these repairs because they have been the only mechanics to work on it.
  • ryan41ryan41 Member Posts: 21
    Jag:

    You are the only person who seems to have expierenced the same ticking/tappet noise that both of my Tributes have had. Traded in my 02 when the warranty was expiring because of the noise. Dealer kept telling me that it was normal. Bought the 05 after two months same exact noise when the engine was warmed up. Did some research and found the TSB that describes it exactly. I am bringing mine in next week along with the bulletin. I would like to keep this Tribute for a long time. Is that what they did for your car? Did it work?
  • escapenutescapenut Member Posts: 117
    You mean you actually got your dealer to admit that the dipstick label is wrong? I've asked my purchasing dealer about this and they disavow any knowledge of there being a problem. I've called
    Ford Quality Care, and been told the same thing.
    However, the person on the other end of the line didn't seem too knowledgeable anyway.

    If there was a mislabeled, misplaced, tranny dipsticks placed in the filler-tube on a bunch of
    Escapes or Tribs., then the truth will eventually come out, may take awhile but it will. But then again it could be a silent-type of admission, with no repecussions.

    As mentioned in previous posts, no problems at 67K
    miles on my '01 XLT V6. Currently running synthetic Mobil 1 ATF for the last 6K miles. Will continue to do so, unless otherwise notified. Shift points seem normal and functioning properly,
    with no skips, or hard-shifts. Will keep everyone posted if anything crops up.
  • akgirl1akgirl1 Member Posts: 1
    My car has only 30,000 miles but is almost four years old so I'm doubly mad about this problem and wondered if anyone else has it- the alarm system seems to be very touchy- opening the driver door just a little too quickly or too roughly triggers the alarm- it happens about twice a week- but never when it's at the repair shop! Today it went totally blotto and cannot be over-ridden with panic button or anything else- blasts repeatedly for five full minutes each time the doors are opened. I took it in and they said it's part the 3 year mark and it will cost $400!!! to fix. Has anyone else had this problem?
Sign In or Register to comment.