2004 Ford Escape

Summary:

Great car, terrible transmission and bad service quality

Faults:

Transmission dies at 40k miles.

General Comments:

I loved my ford Escape... for the first 40k miles. Then the transmission died. Despite the fact that it was under the 3-year waranty, and just above the warranty on miles, Ford made no effort to help with the costs. They would not repair the transmission, only replace it with a "factory refurbished" transmission at a cost of $3700. I have only owned Fords for the last 25 years. I'll never buy another one, and am trading this one in for a BMW as soon as it's repaired.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 6th February, 2007

3rd Feb 2009, 10:00

BMW is a nightmare for parts and labour. As you will find out if you do trade. Get a Toyota or a Honda and save yourself the grief.

11th Mar 2009, 10:05

Lol, yeah if you're worried about parts and labor on a FORD, then you're in for a real treat when you purchase your BMW.

17th Jun 2010, 22:00

Buy a Honda or Toyota, hello people - let's get it together and start buying American cars instead of these terrible imports. And for the record, the reliability is no better on the imports, ever.

22nd Oct 2010, 10:43

I own a Honda that was built in Marysville, Ohio and a Toyota Tacoma pickup that was built in Normal, Illinois. They are American vehicles.

8th Nov 2010, 17:50

Last time I checked, Honda and Toyota are not based in the United states the money goes overseas. Those are foreign cars.

10th Sep 2011, 22:54

My 04 Ford Escape has gone 435k with no problems with the power train or transmission. My last vehicle was a Voyager, which needed 4 transmissions (I drove it 450k). The Escape has been the best vehicle I've ever owned... and I plan to buy a new one.

29th Jul 2018, 13:58

Did you ever check your trans fluid level? Most don’t as they have a sealed plug under the vehicle. If you went to a fast lube as an example, they don’t check it as they said it was sealed. I went to the dealer and had checked and topped up when necessary. I had one trans flush in 204,000 miles in a Ford Edge 6 cylinder (similar with more HP). My fluid was black still, no issues, but glad I caught in time. I do not like sealed plug trans and really the dipstick. If you think you will save money on a newer BMW on repairs, think again.

2004 Ford Escape xlt V6

Summary:

No more fords for me thanks

Faults:

Seat belt recall 3 times, weatherstripping between doors falling out after 1st day, throttle cable recall, but it still feels stickey in cold weather.

Now I went to check the cabin filter only to find ford dosent install a filter, but it has a place for one.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 17th September, 2006

2004 Ford Escape XLT 3.0 V6

Summary:

Escape indeed!

Faults:

Steering column has a heavy squeak when there is humidity & heat involved, has also made a grinding sound.

Drivers seat straps that hold the seat in place have broken. Dealer informed me I need to buy a new seat at around $300 instead of being able to replace the strap.

Fuel gauge would take 24 hours to show full - dealer replaced under warranty.

Trim screws have popped out on the passenger side molding.

Front brakes wore out after 10,000 miles. I replaced them at Midas instead of paying dealer price. It seems they give you a "starter pair".

Compressor went out at 27,000 miles, was covered under warranty.

General Comments:

This is a pretty mean little SUV. I am a Realtor in "the valley of the sun" aka Phoenix, and I pound the hell out of it every day.

So far, I have taken it up north by Flagstaff in Feb of 05. I have the upgraded XLT package with the Continental Cointrac tires and side step package; also I have side airbags, a sunroof 2WD, and the security package. Those tires handled like a dream when I was hauling through the icy roads.

My claim to fame was when we took it off-road to get to my wife’s grandparents cabin, and there was a huge snow drift in front. My wife asked if I should... but before she was done, I hit the gas and blew through a 3 foot drift left by a snow plow. From there, we had to trudge through 2 foot high snow to get to the front door, and there was little effort involved. Remember, this is a front wheel model!

Down in the valley though, I'm usually trudging around in 115 degrees in the middle of July to August. We also have a true desert monsoon here as well, where you get pelted with huge sandstorms and lots of debris. So far my paint has held up, but I also wax it every two months if possible.

I take clients to homes all over the valley, locations in Queen Creek, Apache Junction, Surprise, Phoenix, Glendale, Gold Canyon etc... And only had one issue where my compressor went out. The good news is, Ford allows you to turn the ac off and it's still drivable. Yes, it was hot that day... but driving with the windows down beats the hell out of walking...

My normal cruising speed is 80 MPH on the valley freeways, and I have tested my car up to 95 with the Overdrive on, and the engine cuts… if you turn the overdrive off, you can get a little over 100 out of it. Seems there is a limiting chip inside it.

I have also hauled quite a lot in the back, and most everything I have hauled has fit (sometimes you have to open the glass on the tail and leave the door closed). I’ve done 8’ couches to landscaping materials (like fertilizer, brick, and ladders). Everything seems to slide right in the back, and dropping the seats takes all of 2 minutes?

The gas mileage is about right – 32-35 highway, 29 city, beats the bigger SUV’s by a ton. I would recommend the bra for those long trips as my front end is getting quite dinged up. I also found out that every XLT has a wire on the left side of the cargo wall that allows you to put in an outlet which you can order from the parts department. I had it installed, bought an electric cooler at Target with a hotel adapter, and now I can carry foods for much longer distances with no ice. Just like a mini fridge!

The sunroof is an awesome plus when it’s Feb through April out here, and I also use it on trips to San Diego in August. The security package comes in well when I drop all my windows in CA by the beach and lock her up. If someone try’s to pop the locks without the remote, I know it.

All in all, this is the best vehicle I have ever owned up to this time, and as you can see… 60,000 miles in 2 years….

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 23rd February, 2006

29th Jul 2018, 03:11

I gave up when I read about 30 MPG in mixed driving - not even counting the 35 on the highway. I mean, those are hard to believe numbers even for a mid size sedan, but here's a 2 ton V6 flying brick at 80 mph that drinks gas with a straw. The rest of the review was fun to read, though.

2004 Ford Escape Limited 3.0L V6

Summary:

Great handling and performance for SUV

Faults:

Chipped paint on rear rocker area due to body design allowing debris from front tires to strike body in front of rear wheels.

General Comments:

Handling is great for a small vehicle.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 12th July, 2004