What 1,312 owners told NHTSA about the 2011 Ford Escape Gas

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FORD ESCAPE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, THE SERVICE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED AND THE SERVICE AND CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 68,000.

NHTSA ODI 10632645

DRIVING DOWN FREEWAY AT 85 MILES PER HOUR. VEHICLE STALLS AND RPMS OR MPH WON'T MOVE. PULL OVER PUT IN PARK, VEHICLE SHAKES REAL BAD AND WRENCH COMES ON. TURN OFF AND RESTART, WRENCH DROPS OFF. 50 MILES DOWN THE ROAD SAME INSTANCE, EXCEPT AFTER RESTARTING WRENCH DROPS AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON. BRING TO DEALERSHIP. THROTTLE ACTUATOR CONTROL SYSTEM STUCK OPEN AND THEY SAY POSSIBLE RECALL. WEEK LATER GOING 65 DOWN HIGHWAY AND SAME INSTANCE HAPPENS. TAKE IT TO DIFFERENT DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAY WE HAVE THROTTLE BODY RECALL, THEY RECALIBRATE THE RECALL. NOW VEHICLE DOESN'T ALWAYS SWITCH RPMS WHEN IT'S SUPPOSED TO. IT'LL JERK BEFORE SHIFTING AND THEN WRENCH AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES BACK ON. BACK TO DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAY THROTTLE ACTUATOR CONTROL AND POSSIBLE NEW THROTTLE BODY DOWN THE ROAD. SPENT ALMOST 1000 DOLLARS ON RECALL IN LAST COUPLE MONTHS AND NOW THEY TELLING US THE RECALL WAS JUST A RECALIBRATION AND BUT MIGHT NEED A NEW THROTTLE BODY?? WHAT WAS THE RECALL FOR. FRUSTRATED WITH FORD. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10630882

I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY GOING APPROX. 70 MPH AND WITHOUT WARNING LOST ALL ACCELERATION. I HAD TO MANEUVER ACROSS 4 LANES OF TRAFFIC TO GET ON THE SHOULDER. I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND WAS PREPARING TO CALL A TOW TRUCK WHEN I STARTED THE CAR AGAIN AND HAD LIMITED ACCELERATION. I WAS ABLE TO "LIMP" THE CAR HOME AND TO A REPAIR SHOP. THE REPAIR SHOP SAID THE THROTTLE BODY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10621387

SIGNS OF ISSUE DURING THE OCCURRENCE: -CAR STOP RUNNING -THROTTLE ALARM SHOWED UP -TRANSMISSION ALARM SHOWED UP -THE ISSUE HAPPENS APPROX. 3 TO 4 TIMES A MONTH YOU WILL NEED TO STOP AND TURN OFF YOUR ENGINE FOR A WHILE BEFORE YOU CAN START DRIVING THE CAR AGAIN, THE THROTTLE ALARM WILL GO AWAY BUT THE TRANSMISSION STAYS SOMETIME APPROXIMATELY AFTER 12 HOURS. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10621180

DRIVING DOWN ROAD AND JUST QUIT RUNNING. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10617839

THE FORD ESCAPE HAS BEEN RANDOMLY STALLING AT TIMES WHILE DRIVING. I AM FORCED TO EITHER PULL OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD OR QUICKLY TURN OFF MY CAR AND TURN IT BACK ON AGAIN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. *JS

NHTSA ODI 10608885

SHORTLY AFTER PURCHASING THE ESCAPE THE ENGINE SEEMED TO QUIT WHEN MAKING A TURN. TURNING OFF THE KEY AND RESTARTING THE ENGINE WORKED. NOTHING FOR MONTHS AND THEN IT HAPPENED AGAIN. MY WIFE THOUGHT THE ENGINE WAS QUITTING SO I ASKED THE DEALER IF THEY WERE AWARE OF SIMILAR ISSUES. ALL SERVICING WAS PERFORMED AT FORD UNTIL THE WARRANTY WAS OUT. NEVER A MENTION OF ANY PROBLEMS FROM THE DEALER.THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO HAVE INTERMITTENT ISSUES AND ONE DAY IT HAPPENED WHEN I WAS DRIVING. I DETERMINED THE ENGINE WAS NOT QUITTING BUT WOULD DROP TO ABOUT 1000 RPM WITH NO THROTTLE RESPONSE. IF YOU KEPT THE TRANSMISSION IN DRIVE THE VEHICLE WOULD DECELERATE QUICKLY AND SOMETIMES WOULD NOT ALLOW MOVING TO A SAFE LOCATION. RESTARTING THE ENGINE TWICE ALWAYS RESETS THE PROBLEM AND IT RANDOMLY HAPPENS AT A LATER DATE. IT IS VERY INTERMITTENT AND ALWAYS HAPPENS WITHOUT WARNING. IT'S GETTING WORSE WITH AGE. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10607629

I WAS TRAVELING NORTHWEST ON I 26 WHEN I HEARD A POP AND LOST SPEED AND CONTROL. I EASED OVER TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY AND TRIED TO STOP. AT THIS TIME, THE CAR STARTED TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY. EVENTUALLY THE CAR STOPPED AND WOULD NOT START AGAIN. I HAD TO BE TOWED TO NEWBERRY AND LEFT THE CAR AT A GARAGE AND RENTED A CAR TO CONTINUE MY TRIP TO PICK MY GRANDDAUGHTER AND RETURN TO CHARLESTON. I HAD TO PAY 85.00 TO THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER, 385.00 FOR THE CAR RENTAL AND 486.36 TO THE GARAGE FOR THE THROTTLE BODY REPLACEMENT. NOW I FIND OUT THIS HAS HAD A RECALL. IF I HAD BEEN NOTIFIED, I WOULD NOT BE OUT NEARLY $1000.00, NOT TO MENTION THE SAFETY ASPECT OF THIS WHOLE INCIDENT. I COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10606726

VEHICLE BUCKED VIOLENTLY AND STALLED. CALLED FORD TO HAVE IT TOWED. BEFORE TOW TRUCK ARRIVED, VEHICLE RESTARTED AND DROVE 2 MILES TO NEAREST FORD DEALER. THROTTLE BODY WAS FOUND TO BE FAULTY AND REPLACED. I HAD MADE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT POOR SHIFTING, BUCKING, BAD MILEAGE, ETC. AND DEALERSHIP ALWAYS TOLD ME IT WAS NOT BROKEN IN YET, AND NOTHING COULD BE DONE UNLESS IT "THREW A CODE". WELL IT THREW ONE THIS TIME. SINCE THE REPLACEMENT, SOFTWARE UPDATES HAVE BEEN MADE, A WARRANTY EXTENSION ISSUED, AND THE PROBLEMS WITH ROUGH SHIFTING, BAD MILEAGE AND AN OCCASIONAL FEELING LIKE I HAVE BEEN REAR ENDED (WHEN NO ONE IS AROUND) HAVE CONTINUED. I HAVE JUST GOTTEN A CASE NUMBER FROM FORD. WE'LL SEE WHERE THIS GOES. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10606190

VEHICLE STALLED DURING MILD ACCELERATION AFTER AN ABRUPT AND JERKY SHIFT TRANSITION. LOST ENGINE POWER BUT ACCESORIES REMAINED ON AND THE WRENCH INDICATOR LAMP TURNED ON. NORMAL OPERATION OF VEHICLE WAS RESTORED AFTER TURNING IGNITION KEY OFF AND RESTARTING THE VEHICLE. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10597315

THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED QUICKLY FROM A STOPPED POSITION UPON STARTING IN THE MORNING. I HAVE TO PUT MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE TO KEEP IT FROM SURGING FORWARD EVEN THOUGH I HAVE NOT PRESSED THE GAS PEDDLE AT ALL. VEHICLE JOLTS FORWARD SUDDENLY DURING DRIVING AT SLOW SPEEDS AND OFTEN WHEN STARTING FROM A STOP. ALSO SOMETIMES INCREASES ACCELERATION WHEN COASTING AT A MEDIUM SPEED WHEN NO GAS HAS BEEN APPLIED. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10593314

UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE IT OPERATES AS IT SHOULD, ONCE THE RPM SLOW TO AN IDLE THE VEHICLE WILL SURGE AND STALL AT IDLE. AT SLOW SPEEDS (10-20 MPH) THE VEHICLE WILL SURGE AND STALL WHEN THE THROTTLE IS APPLIED. THE VEHICLE SHUTS DOWN AND STEERING AND BRAKING ABILITIES ARE MINIMAL, THE VEHICLE WILL SURGE AT SPEEDS OF 45MPH HOWEVER IT DOES NOT STALL AT THIS SPEED. ON THE HIGHWAY AT A SPEED OF 70 MPH THE VEHICLE WILL SURGE SLIGHTLY, HOWEVER IT IS NOT AS NOTICEABLE OF AN EVENT AS AT SLOWER SPEEDS. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10592863

DURING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC ON A BUSY HIGHWAY, MY 18 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WAS ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE FROM A LEGAL RIGHT TURN ON RED. WITH TRAFFIC APPROACHING THE GAS PEDAL BECOME UNRESPONSIVE, SHE BEGAN QUICKLY LOSING SPEED, SHE WAS IN THE RIGHT HAND LANE THANK GOD WITH A TURN LANE AND WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER BEFORE SLOWING TO A COMPLETE HALT. HAD SHE BEEN IN A CENTER LANE OR ON A STRETCH WITH NO SHOULDER, THERE COULD HAVE EASILY BEEN A SEVERE ACCIDENT. THE GAS PEDDLE JUST BECAME TOTALLY UNRESPONSIVE AS SHE CAME TO A STOP. WHEN SHE WAS COMPLETELY STOPPED NOTICED THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT, A RED BATTERY LIGHT AND WRENCH LIGHT ALL CAME ON. WAITED 10 MIN FOR ME TO GET TO HER. WE RESTARTED CAR SEEMED FINE. I TOOK TO FORD DEALER LAST NIGHT. FORD DEALER CALLED THIS MORNING AS ADVISED FUEL THROTTLE PROBLEM AND SAID NO PROBLEM WARRANTY EXTENDED ON THAT PROBLEM TO 150,000 MILES 10 YEARS, YOU WILL NOT HAVE TO PAY. CHRIST I'M NOT WORRIED ABOUT PAYING. I"M WORRIED ABOUT GETTING MY FAMILY OR SOMEONE ELSE'S FAMILY KILLED. SHAME ON FORD FOR NOT RECALLING AFTER ALL THE COMPLAINTS I HAVE SEEN NOW. SOMETHING MUST BE DONE NOW BEFORE MAJOR ACCIDENT WITH DEATHS INVOLVED!!!!! *TR

NHTSA ODI 10587002

VEHICLE HAS BEEN STALLING DAILY SINCE JULY 2013. VEHICLE WHEN IN FOR SERVICE 4-30-14 DO TO DRIVERS CONCERN OF VEHICLE CRASHING AT FREEWAY AND SURFACE STREET SPEEDS. ON 4-29-14 THE VEHICLE STALLED (5) TIMES AND SEEMS TO STALL DURING THROTTLE CHANGES FROM CLOSED TO TRAFFIC FLOW SPEEDS. THE "CHECK ENGINE LIGHT" AND "FILL CAP" LIGHT WERE ON. DEALER PULLED CODES P144A, P1450 AND P2196 AND REPLACED THE PURGEVALVE (9U5Z-9C915-H). THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN ALONG WITH THE VEHICLE EXCEEDING EMISSION. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10585836

ENGINE SUDDENLY LOST POWER SEVERAL COUNTLESS TIMES DURING A 300 MILE JOURNEY ON A HIGHWAY. I ALMOST CRASHED VEHICLE DURING THE EARLY OCCURRENCES. *JS

NHTSA ODI 10579478

LOSS OF POWER AT HIGHWAY SPEED, 70 MILES PER HOUR, DURING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. MY WIFE HAD TO PULL OVER TO BREAKDOWN LANE AND TURN OFF ENGINE, ON I-95 IN WEST PALM BEACH FL AREA. WRENCH LIGHT ILLUMINATED. VEHICLE RESTARTED, AFTER A FEW MINUTES WAITING AT SIDE OF VERY BUSY HIGHWAY. SECOND TIME THIS HAPPENED WITHIN TWO WEEKS. VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION!!!!!! 2011 FORD ESCAPE LTD 3 L V6. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10578152

DRIVING ON A WINDING, MOUNTAINOUS ROAD THE CAR SUDDENLY LOST POWER AND WAS NOT RESPONSIVE TO THE ACCELERATOR. THERE WAS NO SHOULDER, SO I KEPT GOING, VERY SLOWLY, AND THEN IT RESUMED NORMAL OPERATING RESPONSIVENESS, ONLY TO LOSE POWER AGAIN. THIS CONTINUED FOR THE 4 MILES IT TOOK FOR ME TO GET HOME. I HOPED IT WAS SOME BAD GAS AND WAS A ONE-TIME EVENT - UNTIL IT HAPPENED AGAIN, AND I WAS AGAIN ABLE TO GET HOME. I AM NOW AFRAID TO DRIVE IT. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10566810

WHEN PRESSING ON THE GAS THE CAR SHIFTS REALLY HARD. THEN IT SEEMS LIKE THERE IS NO GET UP AND GO AFTERWARDS. THE TRANSMISSION IS SHIFTING HARD. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10565845

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FORD ESCAPE . THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE JERKED VIOLENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 44,000.

NHTSA ODI 10565865

LOST THROTTLE CONTROL, PULLED OVER, TURNED ENGINE OFF, AND RESTARTED TO CORRECT PROBLEM. THIS HAPPENED THREE MORE TIMES OVER FOLLOWING MONTH AT 70MPH ON FREEWAY, 50MPH ON SURFACE STREET AND AN INTERSECTION AT A STOPLIGHT. EXACT SAME BEHAVIOR (LOSS OF ACCELERATOR, TURN ENGINE OFF, RESTART). DEALERSHIP REPLACED THROTTLE BODY. FIVE MONTHS (7,000 MILES) LATER PROBLEM OCCURRED AGAIN AT A BUSY INTERSECTION ALMOST RESULTING IN A SERIOUS TRAFFIC ACCIDENT. I TOOK IT BACK TO FORD, THEY PERFORMED TESTS, SAID THEY ALREADY REPLACED THE THROTTLE BODY WITH THE NEW ONE AND MADE NO REPAIR EVEN THOUGH I TOLD THEM THE CAR WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE WITH THE DEFECT. THERE WILL BE SERIOUS ACCIDENTS THAT RESULT FROM THIS DEFECT. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10564431

WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE STREET AT 40 MPH MY CAR STALLED AND STOPPED RUNNING. THERE WERE OTHER CARS BEHIND ME. I HAD TO COAST OFF THE ROAD AND RESTART MY VEHICLE. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10563528

PULLING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY OF MY HOME, THE CAR SURGED FORWARD ON ITS OWN AND NARROWLY MISSED THE NEIGHBOR. THIS SURGING OF THE ENGINE ON ITS OWN IS GOING TO CAUSE A DEATH ONE OF THESE DAYS. FORD REALLY NEEDS TO LOOK INTO THIS. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10562249

ACCELERATED FROM A STOP AND CAR LURCHED AND ENGINE SEEMED ABOUT TO QUIT, GOT "WRENCH LIGHT" AND WAS ABLE TO CREEP TO GET INTO PARKING LOT. TOOK CAR TO DEALER AND THEY RAN DIAGNOSTICS ON CAR AND SAID THE THROTTLE BODY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10561322

ON 1/10/14 UPON PULLING ONTO AN EXIT OFF OF A MAJOR INTERSTATE AS I SLOWED DOWN THE ENGINE SHUT OFF. THE VEHICLE HAD POWER BUT THE ENGINE SHUT OFF ON IT'S OWN. I PUT HAZARD LIGHTS ON, CAR IN PARK AND STARTED AGAIN FINE. AGAIN LATER THAT EVENING I WAS ON MY WAY HOME FROM WORK AND UPON PULLING OFF AN EXIT THE ENGINE STALLED AGAIN. 1/11/14 I DROVE HOME ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY, CAME TO STOP LIGHT AND ENGINE LOST POWER AGAIN. I WAS ABLE TO COAST TO A STOP AND PARK. ENGINE RESTARTED FINE AND VEHICLE PROCEEDED TO STALL AT THE NEXT INTERSECTION. THIS TO ME IS DANGEROUS LOSING ENGINE POWER. I AM AFRAID THIS COULD CAUSE ME TO BE REAR-ENDED IF THIS KEEPS UP. I AM SEEING THE DEALER FIRST THING NEXT WEEK. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10559446

DRIVING AT A SPEED OF 25 MPH AND CAR SUDDENLY LOST ENGINE POWER AND COASTED TO A STOP. TURNED CAR OFF FOR 5 MINUTES THEN STARTED CAR BACK UP AND IT RAN FINE. NEXT DAY DID SAME THING AT 45MPH WITH SAME RESULTS. WEEK LATER SAME THING ONLY THIS TIME ON THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY GOING 70 MPH. SAME RESULTS: COASTED TO STOP, LET CAR SIT FOR A FEW MINUTES THEN RESTARTED AND RAN FINE. NEXT DAY, SAME THING AT 50 MPH ENTERING THE HIGHWAY. NEXT DAY TOOK CAR TO DEALERSHIP. DEALERSHIP REPAIRED CAR. WE HAD TO PAY FOR REPAIR. SINCE THE REPAIR. NO ISSUES. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10558074