2002 Ford Escape Latches & Locks Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE LIFTGATE FAILED TO OPEN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER (CURRIE MOTORS FORD OF VALPO, 2052 W MORTHLAND DR., VALPARAISO, IN 46385, (219) 464-3523), BUT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND DID NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 88,000.

MY COMPLAINT IS ABOUT THE MASTER CYLINDER AND THE REAR DOOR LATCH. I CALLED THE FORD DEALER AND COMPLAINED ABOUT MY MASTER CYLINDER LEAKING, THEY TOLD ME THAT RECALL WAS ALREADY PERFORMED ON MY VEHICLE IN 2012. I WANTED TO KNOW WHY WOULD MY MASTER CYLINDER BE LEAKING AGAIN TWO YEARS LATER? I WONDER IF THIS JOB WAS EVER DONE. I DON'T FEEL THAT THE CUSTOMER SHOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR A JOB THAT WASN'T PERFORMED. MY OTHER COMPLAINT IS MY REAR DOOR LATCH. I WENT TO THE DEALER AND TOLD THEM THAT I WAS HAVING A PROBLEM WITH MY REAR DOOR LOCKING AND OPENING. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT TOLD ME I HAD TO PAY FOR THIS SERVICE. NOW I SEE THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE REAR DOOR LATCH BUT I WAS NOT INFORMED ABOUT THIS RECALL NOR DID I RECEIVE A RECALL LETTER. I WANT TO KNOW HOW I GO ABOUT HAVING THESE SERVICES COMPLETED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THE REAR LIFT-GATE LATCH WAS INOPERABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO STATED NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 04V602000 COMPONENT: LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES: DOORS: LATCH WAS RELATED, HOWEVER, THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE CONTACT WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR COST OF $85. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND STATED THE RECALL DID NOT INCLUDE HER VIN. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 140,000.

2002 FORD ESCAPE REAR DOOR AND WINDOW ARE JAMMED AND CANNOT BE OPENED ALSO REAR DRIVERS DOOR. *TR

I HAVE A 2002 FORD ESCAPE, AND THE REAR LIFTGATE WINDOW HINGES HAVE BROKEN 3 TIMES [ONE TWICE, THE OTHER ONCE] IN NORMAL OPERATION. THIS IS EXACTLY THE PROBLEM COVERED BY SAFETY RECALL 04S20, BUT FORD SAYS THAT ONLY APPLIES TO CARS BUILT IN DIFFERENT ASSEMBLY PLANTS, NOT MINE. *TR

I OWN A 2002 FORD ESCAPE XLT. SINCE I PURCHASED IT IN THE FALL OF 2003, AT DIFFERENT TIMES BOTH THE FRONT PASSENGER DOOR AND REAR PASSENGER DOOR HAVE GOTTEN STUCK WHERE I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO OPEN THEM FROM EITHER THE INSIDE OR OUTSIDE OF THE CAR. THE FIRST INCIDENT WAS THE FRONT PASSENGER DOOR, WHICH WAS FIXED WHEN I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE SECOND INCIDENT OCCURRED 4 DAYS AGO AND THE DEALER IS GOING TO CHARGE ME A $300 DIAGNOSTIC FEE TO FIGURE OUT THE PROBLEM. IN ADDITION, PERIODICALLY, MY TRUNK WILL NOT OPEN NO MATTER WHAT I TRY. THEN THE NEXT DAY, IT WILL. THIS HAS OCCURRED AT LEAST 15 TIMES SINCE THE FALL OF 2005. IN ALL OF THE INCIDENCES LISTED THE DOORS WERE UNLOCKED, ALTHOUGH WE TRIED TO LOCK AND UNLOCK THEM SEVERAL TIMES TO SEE IF IT WAS JUST STUCK. *NM

LEFT REAR DOOR IS JAMMED CLOSED. WILL NOT UNLOCK EITHER ELECTRICALLY OR MANUALLY. DOOR CANNOT BE OPENED FROM INSIDE OR OUTSIDE HANDLE. DEALER IS VERY HELPFUL BUT UNABLE TO REPAIR. NTSB LISTS SEVERAL OF SAME COMPLAINT BUT FORD HAS NO SOLUTION. ONLY ONE REMAINING EXIT FROM REAR AND LIKELY TO FAIL FROM SAME DESIGN AND TRAP PASSENGERS. *JB

REAR DRIVER SIDE PASSENGER DOOR LATCH FAILED AND DOOR WILL NOT OPEN. *JB

REAR PASSENGER DOOR WILL NOT OPEN FROM INSIDE OR OUTSIDE. SPOKE WITH FORD NUMEROUS TIMES, THEY WILL NOT PAY THE $400 TO BE FIXED. I AM ONLY 1,000 MILES OVER WARRANTY.*AK

TWICE IN THE PAST YEAR DOOR LATCHES AND/OR ELECTRIC LOCKS HAVE FAILED SUCH THAT THE DOOR COULD NOT BE OPENED FROM INSIDE OR OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE. FIRST THE REAR PASSENGER DOOR FAILED AND WAS REPAIRED AT A COST OF $400.00 NOW THE FRONT PASSENGER DOOR IS EXPERIENCING THE SAME SYMPTOMS. THIS COULD BE A CONSIDERABLE SAFETY RISK IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY. *JB

PASSENGER REAR DOOR WAS LOCKED SHUT. WOULD NOT OPEN MANUALLY OR OTHERWISE. I HAD PROBLEM REPAIRED (STILL UNDER WARRANTY), BUT NOW I THINK THE OTHER REAR DOOR AND THE PASSENGER FRONT DOOR ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. IT IS STARTING TO NOT OPEN ON THE FIRST TRY AND THIS IS VERY FRUSTERATING AND UNSETTLING. *AK

FAILURE OF PASSENGER DOOR TO OPEN ON A 2002 FORD ESCAPE XLT SUV PREVENTING PASSENGER FROM BEING ABLE TO EXIT VEHICLE. NO KEYLOCK EXISTS AND THERE IS NO WAY TO OPEN THE DOOR FROM THE INSIDE OR FROM THE OUTSIDE . *AK

THE DOORS ON THE ESCAPE WILL LOCK THEMSELVES CLOSED. THEY WILL NOT OPEN FROM THE INSIDE OR OUTSIDE. THIS HAS HAPPENED 2 TIMES TO THIS CAR ON 2 DIFFERENT DOORS. WHAT IF THEY LOCKED IN AN EMERGENCY SITUATION AND WE COULD NOT GET OUT?*AK

PURCHASED 2002 MODEL IN 10/01. THREE WEEKS AFTER PURCHASE STEERING WHEEL WAS SHAKING AND LOOSE. TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER, THE BOLT IN THE STEERING WHEEL CAME UNSECURED. THIS WAS NOT DUE TO CUSTOMER ERROR. IN 2002 THE UPHOLSTERY OVER THE CARGO SPACE WAS HANGING DOWN FROM THE CEILING AND THE FOAM INSULATION AROUND THE DOOR (REAR PASSENGER SIDE) WAS NOT SECURE. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER. THE UPHOLSTERY WAS FIXED BUT THE INSULATION WAS NOT. AT THAT TIME I ALSO COMPLAINED ABOUT THE VEHICLE IDLING WHEN IN NEUTRAL. IT WAS ALSO VIBRATING AND SKIPPING WHEN IN NEUTRAL. THE VEHICLE WAS ALLEGEDLY CHECKED WITH NOT PROBLEMS. I TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO HAVE THE INSULATION REPAIRED AND THE IDLING/VIBRATION CHECKED. THE INSULATION WAS REPAIRED. THE MECHANIC STATED THE CAR WAS FINE. IDLING/VIBRATION AND SKIPPING STILLS CONTINUES TODAY. ALSO THE VEHICLE SLIPPED OUT OF GEAR AND CRASHED INTO A POLE. THE CAR WAS NOT ON AND THE DOORS WERE LOCKED. I TRIED TO UNLOCK IT WITH THE REMOTE KEY. IT CONTINUED TO MAKE A CLICKING SOUND BUT THE DOOR WOULD NOT OPEN. THE LOCKS WOULD SOMETIMES JAM. HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE NUMEROUS TIMES FOR THESE PROBLEMS. NOT CORRECTION. AT THIS TIME I AM COLLECTING ALL DOCUMENTATION AND SUBMITTING A LETTER TO FORD MOTOR COMPANY.

PASSENGER'S SIDE DOOR CANNOT BE OPENED MANUALLY. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

REAR DOOR IS JAMMED CLOSED. WILL NOT UNLOCK EITHER ELECTRICALLY OR MANUALLY. DOOR CANNOT BE OPENED FROM INSIDE OR OUTSIDE HANDLE. DEALER ADVISES "NO KNOWN FIX" AND WAS UNABLE TO REPAIR. DEALER ALSO ADVISES THAT OTHER REAR DOOR MAY FAIL AT ANY TIME, POTENTIALLY TRAPPING REAR SEAT PASSENGERS IN VEHICLE. DEALER REPORTS "FORD KNOWS THERE IS A PROBLEM AND IS WORKING ON A FIX" BUT CANNOT PROVIDE A TIMELINE FOR WHEN A REPAIR CAN BE MADE.*AK