2004 Ford Escape XLT review from North America

My cruise control and radio went out around 21,000 miles. the Throttle body went out and had to be replaced.

Front left tire needed alignment at 21,000 miles as well.

I had the transmission flushed at 21,000 miles as well as previous transmission flush had the wrong fluid in it and had Mercon V and is supposed to have Mercon and the dealer corrected that at no charge.

The continental contrac tires are noisy.

The drivers side panel below the dash is loose as the plastic bolt that holds it down has broken off. I will have to get it replaced at the next servce interval at the dealership.

The car is responsive and quick and handles like a pro. The V6 duratec engine is a plus and is recommended over the 4 cylinder and the gas mileage for the V6 is a little less that the 4 cylinder model, but not enough to be significant and I much prefer the power over the slow model.

It very roomy vehicle and I have hauled tons of stuff in the back of the SUV without any trouble at all.

The seats are comfortable and the drivers seat is power adjustable and the lumbar support is good even though the seat belts are a little troublesome getting it hooked or connected.

It does have a very good paint job and has held up well so far and the transmission shifts very well and is timed well even though it does do some "hunting" when it can't decide what gear it wants to be in around 35 mph.

Speed control (cruise control) works excellent since it was repaired by the dealership at 21,000 miles when the throttle body went out.

Other than the throttle body being replaced, maintenance has been easy and seems to be prolong the life of the escape with oil and filter changes every 3,000 miles using motorcraft 5w-20 synthetic oil and the air filter changed once since new.