2002 Ford ZX2 (Escort)

RE: 2002, FORD ZX2 WE OWN A 2002 STANDARD MODEL FORD ZX2 THAT HAS ONLY 35,500 MILES ON IT. THERE ARE THREE NOTABLE PROBLEMS: 1.THE ENGINE IDLES VERY ROUGHLY 2.THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTS VERY HARD 3.THE FRONT DRIVER DOOR HAS SAGGED AND WON?T CLOSE COMPLETELY. ALL OF THESE ISSUES ARE THE RESULT OF POOR DESIGN AND ESPECIALLY POOR QUALITY PARTS. THIS CAR, I SAY AGAIN, ONLY HAS 35,500 MILES ON IT AND THE PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN APPARENT FOR SOME TIME. THE CAR STARTED VIBRATING ALMOST FROM DAY ONE. THE TRANSMISSION ISSUE I?M TOLD STEMS FROM THE MOTOR AND TRANSMISSION MOUNTS PROBLEMS. THE DOOR SUPPORTS ARE TOO CHEAPLY MADE TO HOLD UP THE DOOR. OUR FATHER TOOK THE CAR TO THE FORD SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND WAS TOLD THAT THIS WAS JUST A CHEAPLY MADE CAR AND TO JUST DEAL WITH IT. WE DID SOME RESEARCH ONLINE AND FOUND NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THESE ISSUES. WE SEE ONLINE THAT OTHERS HAVE ALSO HAD THIS RESPONSE FROM FORD DEALERS. WE THEN DECIDED TO CONTACT THE FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE NUMBER (800-392-3673) AND SPOKE WITH CHRIS. CHRIS TOLD US THAT THOUGH THEY RECOGNIZED THESE PROBLEMS THEY HAD AS YET NOT ESCALATED INTO A RECALL. FORD WOULD THEREFORE NOT BE WILLING TO ASSIST IN THE REPAIRS OF OUR ZX2. IT IS NOW OUR DECISION TO FILE COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ISSUE AND REQUEST THAT FORD RECONSIDER ITS DECISION. THE CAR WAS BOUGHT FROM TROY AIKMAN FORD. THERE IS NO HELP THERE SINCE THEY ARE NO LONGER IN BUSINESS. ACCORDING TO OTHER COMPLAINTS WE'VE FOUND THESE PROBLEMS WILL EVENTUALLY LEAD TO TRANSMISSION SLIPPAGE AND SHIFTING PROBLEMS WHICH COULD LEAD TO ACCIDENTS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD ESCORT ZX2. WHEN THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO USE THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELT, SHE NOTICED THAT IT WOULD NOT EXTEND OUTWARDS OR RETRACT TO ITS NORMAL POSITION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER. PRIOR TO THE FAILURE, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE SEAT BELT WAS HAVING MINOR RETRACTING ISSUES. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 79,350. UPDATED 02/02/09. *LJ UPDATED 02/03/09. *JB

IN MAY 2002, I PURCHASED A FORD ESCORT ZX2. SINCE THAT TIME I HAVE PUT 21,000 MILES ON THE CAR. RECENTLY, I STARTED EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WHERE THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION WOULD SLIP, ESPECIALLY WHEN GOING UP AN INCLINE. YESTERDAY, MY ENGINE LIGHT WENT ON AND I SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT WITH MILLER BROTHERS FORD IN ELLICOTT CITY, MD. THIS MORNING I RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE SERVICE ADVISOR STATING THAT ONE TRANSMISSION COOLING LINE HAD FAILED AND THE SECOND WAS ALSO ABOUT TO GO. BOTH NEEDED REPLACEMENT. THE ESTIMATE FOR REPAIRS IS $890.00. FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, THE TRANSMISSION COOLING LINES ARE BASICALLY WITHIN THE FRAME OF THE CAR AND DO NOT HANG UNDERNEATH THE CAR. THEREFORE, IT IS DOUBTFUL THAT I HAVE RUN OVER SOMETHING TO CAUSE THE DAMAGE. ALSO, HOW CAN BOTH COOLING LINES GO BAD AT THE SAME TIME? IS THIS NOT A DEFECT WITH THIS CAR? *JB

I WAS INVOLVED (ALONG W/ PASSENGER) IN A HIT AND RUN ACCIDENT. THE DRIVER OF THE OTHER CAR TURNED RIGHT. WHEN I SAW THAT THE CAR HAD SUCCESSFULLY TURNED I ACCELERATED TO 45-50 MPH. WHEN I CAME UPON THE ROAD, WHICH THE CAR HAD TURNED, THE OTHER CAR DID A COMPLETE "U TURN" AND CAME OUT ONTO THE MAIN ROAD GOING THE OPOSITE DIRECTION. I TRIED TO STOP BUT IT WAS TOO LATE. I HIT THE BACK PASSANGER DOOR ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. MY CAR CAME TO A COMPLETE HAULT. WHEN I STRUCK THE OTHER CAR, THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. UNFORTUNATELY, MY CAR WAS TOTALED. I COMPLAINED OF BACK AND PELVIC PAIN, PASSANGER HIT HEAD ON DASH BOARD. WE WERE TRANSPORTED TO HOSPITAL WHERE WE WERE TREATED AND RELEASED. LUCKILY NEITHER THE PASSENGER OR MYSELF WERE NOT SEVERLY INJURED. I HAD ORDERS FROM E.R DOCTOR TO STAY HOME FROM WORK FOR THREE DAYS.

CAR INTERMITTENTLY STALLS ON ACCELERATION (APPROX 17 TIMES) HAS STALLED ON HIGHWAY AT 60MPH,WILL NOT RESTART FOR APPROX 15-60 MINUTES AFTER STALL. CAR IS COVERED UNDER FORD EXTENDED WARRANTY PURCHASED AT TIME OF SALE. CAR WAS TAKEN BACK TO ORIG DEALER MULLINAX FORD EAST TWICE, BOTH TIMES ADVISED WAS REPAIRED BUT CAR STALLED W/I DAYS/HOURS OF REPAIR. CAR WAS TOWED TO JOHN LANCE FORD 11-15-04WHO CANT FIND ANY PROBLEMS THOUGH IT HAD TO BE PUSHED INTO SERVICE GARAGE.WE ADVISED SERVICE MANAGER CAR IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AND DANGER TO OURSELVES & OTHERS AND REQUESTD THEY CONTINUE TO SEARCH FOR PROBLEM, THEY ADVISED US THEY WILL CALL POLICE IF WE DO NOT RETURN THEIR (WARRENTY COVERED) LOANER CAR AND PICK UP THE UNREPAIRED CAR IMMEDIATELY. LOANER CAR WAS RETURNED IMMEDIATELY & NOW RENTING A CAR AT MY EXPENSE BECAUSE XZ2 IS UNSAFE UNRELIABLE. SPOKE WITH ATTORNEY WHO ADVISED HE RECEIVES MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT 2002 FORD ESCORT ZX2 & STALLING PROBLEMS BUT UNTILL SOMEONE GETS HURT OR DIES NOTHING WILL BE DONE BY FORD. MY NUMEROUS CONTACTS W/FORD SERVICE MGR'S IN ATTEMPTS TO RESOLVE ISSUE HAVE BEEN FRUITLESS I HAVE RECIEVED NO SATISFACTION FROM ORIGIONAL DEALER OR THE SECOND FORD DEALER SERVICE DEPT WHO FORCED US TO PICK UP AN UNREPAIRED CAR WHICH IS UNEXCUSABLE IF NOT CRIMINAL. IT IS NOT A QUESTION OF, IF CAR STALLS AGAIN WHILE DRIVING, BUT WHEN. WE RECD NO PROOF OF WORK ATTEMPTED TO RESOLVE PROBLEM PROVIDED IT APPEARS SUPERFICIAL WORK WAS DONE.*AK

CAR STALLS WHEN COASTING OR BRAKING AND COMING TO STOP. CAR ALSO STALLS WHEN ON FREEWAY IN HIGH TRAFFIC AREAS. CAR HAS BEEN TAKEN IN 5 SEPARATE TIMES FOR SAME PROBLEM WITHOUT ANY RESOLUTION. FORD ATTEMPTED TO REPLACE THE OXYGEN SENSOR, AND THE EMERGENCY FUEL SENSOR. THIS PROBLEM STARTED WHEN THE CAR ONLY HAD 2400 MILES ON IT AND HAS CONTINUED NOW, WHEN IT HAS BEEN OVER 2 YEARS AND NOW HAS 24000 MILES ON IT. *AK

MY SON, WHILE UPSET, HIT HIS HEAD AGAINST THE BACK OF THE SEAT. A POST OR SOME OTHER OBJECT MOUNTED WITHIN THE SEAT BACK STRUCK HIS HEAD, CAUSING A BLEEDING WOUND. WE WERE NOT IN AN ACCIDENT, BUT RATHER THIS HAPPENED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION. IT IS MY OPINION THAT HAD WE BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT, THE INJURY WOULD HAVE BEEN FATAL. I DO HAVE A DIGITAL PICTURE OF THE INJURY. *JB