2006 Ford Escape

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH, SHE HEARD A LOUD NOISE AS GREY SMOKE STARTED TO EMIT FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENGINE WAS DEFECTIVE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 74,500.

THE FIRST INCIDENT OCCURRED WHILE I WAS DRIVING 65 MPH ON THE EXPRESSWAY. I WENT TO CHANGE LANES AND HIT THE ACCELERATOR AND THE CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE AND WAS SHUDDERING. I HAD PULL OFF THE EXPRESSWAY AND TURN THE CAR OFF. I TRIED RESTARTING AND IT JUST SHUDDERED AGAIN. I WAITED FIVE MINUTES AND TRIED AGAIN AND FINALLY IT STARTED AND WAS ABLE TO SHIFT. TWO DAYS AGO I WAS GETTING OFF THE EXPRESSWAY AND MAKING A LEFT TURN WHEN THE CAR DIED AND I LOST STEERING POWER. I WAS ABLE TO FORTUNATELY GET TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND PUT IT INTO PARK. I TRIED RESTARTING THE CAR AND IT WOULD NOT START. I WAITED 3 MINS AND WAS ABLE TO FINALLY GET IT GOING. BOTH TIMES THERE WAS NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. I HAD THE ESCAPE READ BY A CODE READER DEVICE MULTIPLE TIMES AND THERE ARE NO ERROR CODES DISPLAYED FROM THE COMPUTER. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS AND POTENTIALLY LIFE THREATENING ISSUE, AND WOULD LIKE FORD TO ACT UPON IT FOR ITS CUSTOMERS IMMEDIATELY. I AM FILING THIS BECAUSE I HAVE READ THAT THE ISSUE IS WITH A DEFECTIVE THROTTLE BODY, AND THERE IS ALREADY AN INVESTIGATION INTO FORD ON THIS ISSUE (PE13-003). I WOULD LIKE MY VEHICLE TO BE ADDED TO THIS INVESTIGATION FOR MY FAMILIES SAFETY AND ALL OTHERS EXPERIENCING THE PROBLEM. *TR

THIS MOSTLY HAPPENS IN COOLER WEATHER, I HAD STARTED EXPERIENCING MY ACCELERATOR PEDAL STICKING WITH THE THROTTLE CLOSED. IT WAS MAINLY A NUISANCE AT FIRST BUT IT STARTED TO GET TO THE POINT WHERE I COULD PUT MY ENTIRE WEIGHT ON THE PEDAL WITHOUT IT BUDGING. AT MY SOONEST CONVENIENCE AND MOSTLY BECAUSE I HAD A WARRANTY ON THE VEHICLE SINCE IT WAS STILL RELATIVELY NEW TO ME, I DROVE TO THE DEALER I PURCHASED IT FROM AND THEY TOLD ME IT WAS THE THROTTLE BODY AND THAT IT HAD TO DO WITH THE DIFFERING METALS OF THE THROTTLE BODY AND THE AMBIENT TEMPERATURE, SO THEY ENDED UP REPLACING IT... IT ONLY COST ME $100 AT THE TIME DUE TO THE WARRANTY. HERE I AM ABOUT THREE YEARS LATER AND I AM EXPERIENCING THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. I DON'T HAVE A WARRANTY SO I INVESTIGATED THE ISSUE MYSELF AND DISCOVERED THE THROTTLE BODY IS MOSTLY PLASTIC WITH AN ALUMINUM BUTTERFLY... I ALSO DISCOVERED A TAR-LIKE RESIDUE ON THE EDGES OF THE BUTTERFLY. I PROCEEDED TO CLEAN THE ASSEMBLY, THEN REINSTALLED IT AND THERE WAS A MAJOR IMPROVEMENT... MY ACCELERATOR FEELS VERY DIFFERENT, IN A VERY GOOD WAY. I'M TIRED OF LARGE COMPANIES HIDING ISSUES LIKE THIS. IT GETS OLD AND CAUSES GOOD PRODUCTS TO CONTINUE TO GET CHEAPER. MY MONEY COULD BE PUT TO BETTER USE THAN REPLACING A PART THAT OBVIOUSLY NEEDED MORE ENGINEERING ATTENTION BEFORE BECOMING PRODUCTION. *TR

I HAVE TAKEN VERY GOOD CARE OF MY 2006 FORD ESCAPE WITH FREQUENT OIL CHANGES EVERY 2K. I HAVE ALSO HAD A TRANSMISSION REBUILD THAT WAS COMPLETED DURING WARRANTY IN 2010. NO MY CAR IS IN A SHOP WITH DIAGNOSIS THAT THE ENGINE IS BURNED OUT AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. $4500 FOR A USED ENGINE REPLACEMENT. I WAS DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY WITH A CAR FILLED WITH CHILDREN AND WITH NO INDICATION LIGHTS COMING ON THE MOTOR COMPLETELY DIED WHILE I WAS MOVING 65 MPH. I WAS VERY FORTUNATE TO PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITHOUT A CRASH. THE INDICATION LIGHTS ONLY CAME ON AS THE MOTOR WAS DYING. I TRIED TO RESTART THE ENGINE AND IT WOULD START BUT THEN STARTED TO SMOKE IMMEDIATELY. WHEN I HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO A MECHANIC HE SAID THAT THERE WAS VERY LITTLE OIL IN THE ENGINE. I HAD JUST ADDED 2 QUARTS OF OIL ABOUT 400 MILES BEFORE THIS INCIDENT AND SAW NO LEAKAGE. *TR

DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE I FOUND THAT THE VEHICLE WAS LOSING POWER. THERE WERE NO SERVICE ENGINE LIGHTS OR ANY INDICATOR WARNING LIGHTS OF ANY KIND THAT WERE ON PREVIOUS TO THE INCIDENT OR THAT LIT UP DURING OR AFTER THE EPISODE. I HAD TO PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE ACCELERATOR SEEMED TO STOP WORKING AND THERE WAS NO POWER TO THE ENGINE. I RESTARTED WITH NO ISSUE AND CONTINUED TO DRIVE. THE VEHICLE DID THIS A SECOND TIME. THERE WERE ADDITIONAL INCIDENTS AT LOWER SPEEDS DRIVING AROUND TOWN. *TR

MY VEHICLE DIES WHEN THE TRUCK IS WARMED UP AND I PUT IT IN GEAR WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE. IT DIES AT STOP LIGHTS AND STOP SIGNS AND IN REVERSE. ANOTHER TECHNICIAN TOLD ME I WOULD HAVE TO RIDE AROUND WITH THAT PROBLEM BECAUSE IT WAS NOT THROWING A CODE. AFTER A WEEK, I TOOK IT BACK TO THE FORD DEALER IN CLEVELAND, MS, AND THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT MANAGER TOLD ME IT WAS PROBABLY THE THROTTLE BODY ACTUATOR. BUT, THAT IT WAS ON NATIONAL BACK ORDER. I LEFT THE CAR WITH THE FORD DEALER, AND THEY SAID THEY REPLACED THE THROTTLE VALVE AT A COST OF $900. THE TRUCK DIED ON THE WAY HOME FROM THE DEALER WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR

I WAS DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH ( 40-65 MPH INTERVALS BETWEEN HIGHWAYS) FOR ABOUT 20 MINUTES WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN MY CAR IS LOOSING POWER, SO I STEPPED ON THE GASOLINE PEDAL A LITTLE MORE TO KEEP THE SPEED. THE SAD PART IS THAT THERE WASN'T ANY LIGHT THAT CAME ON TO TELL OR WARN ME THAT SOMETHING IS SERIOUSLY WRONG AND THAT MY CAR NEEDED TO BE CHECKED. I DROVE A TOTAL OF ONE HOUR THAT DAY AT 40-65 MPH INTERVALS. WHEN I STARTED THE CAR THE NEXT DAY, AFTER ABOUT 3 MINUTES OF THE ENGINE RUNNING, IT STARTED MAKING THIS REALLY LOUD NOISE AND MY CAR WILL NOT GO FASTER THAN 2 MPH. *TR

WIFE WAS DRIVING HER 2003 FORD ESCAPE 2.3L XLS (FWD, 5-SPD MANUAL) AT 65MPH, PRACTICALLY COASTING DOWN A HILL. 26 MINUTES AFTER ENGINE START SHE HEARD A LOUD BANG AND SUBSEQUENT POPPING SOUNDS. THIS WAS FOLLOWED IMMEDIATELY BY SEVERE POWER LOSS FROM THE ENGINE. SHE DROVE IT TO THE NEXT BEST OFF-RAMP, AN ADDITIONAL 2 MILES. WHEN SHE GOT OFF THE FREEWAY SHE SAYS SHE HAD TO REV IT UP QUITE A BIT TO MAKE AN INTERSECTION TO GET TO THE GAS STATION WHERE THE CAR ROLLED TO A STOP. THAT LOUD BANG TURNED UP TO BE THE NBR 3 CYLINDER BLOWING ITS SPARK PLUG CLEAN OFF THE SPARK PLUG BORE. THE SPARK PLUG BORE WAS COMPLETELY THREADLESS. THE SUBSEQUENT POPPING SOUNDS WERE DUE TO THE SPARK PLUG NOT BEING ON THE NBR 3 CYLINDER AS THE FUEL THAT CONTINUED TO SPRAY INTO THE CYLINDER WAS BURNING OFF. THE IMMEDIATE POWER LOSS IS A DIRECT RESULT OF THE ENGINE LOOSING 25% OF ITS CHUGGA-CHUGGA AND THE LOSS OF THE CHT SENSOR SIGNAL WHICH BOTH THEN CAUSED THE PCM (POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE) TO GO INTO LIMP MODE AND FURTHER REDUCE ENGINE POWER. FIRST THING I DID WAS PLUG IN MY OBDII SCANNER AND CHECK FOR CODES. I FOUND THE FOLLOWING THREE: P0303 - CYLINDER 3 THREE MISFIRE. P0353 - IGNITION COIL 'C' PRIMARY/SECONDARY CIRCUIT. P1289 - CYLINDER HEAD TEMP SENSOR HIGH INPUT. I THEN PERFORMED A KOEO (KEY-ON/ENGINE-OFF) CHECK WITH MY OBDII SCANNER AND FOUND THE FOLLOWING TWO CODES: P0119 - ENGINE COOLANT TEMPERATURE CIRCUIT INTERMITTENT/ERRATIC. P1289 - CYLINDER HEAD TEMP SENSOR HIGH INPUT. THE CHT PROBE (CYLINDER HEAD TEMPERATURE) COVER/BOOT WAS POPPED OFF THE ENGINE CAMSHAFT COVER AND THE WIRES WERE BROKEN OFF THE CHT PROBE ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR. THE SPARK PLUG TERMINAL BROKE OFF. THE IGNITION COIL PACK WAS SEVERELY DAMAGED (LOOKED LIKE AN EXPLODED CIGAR, CARTOON STYLE). *TR