2007 Ford Escape — Known Issues & Recalls

Your 2007 Ford Escape's subframe has severe corrosion and needs to be replaced, according to an inspection by an independent mechanic. While Ford is aware of the issue and directed you to file this complaint, your vehicle's VIN was not included in the related recall (Campaign 14V165000). Fixing this will likely require removing and replacing the corroded subframe with a new one.

You're hearing a clunking noise from the rear passenger side of your vehicle while driving. A mechanic found that severe rust in the rear wheel well has allowed the shock absorber to puncture through the metal. This is causing the noise and structural damage to your vehicle. Fixing this will likely require replacing the rusted wheel well panel and possibly the shock absorber.

Your 2007 Ford Escape has developed significant rust underneath the rear of the vehicle, which was discovered during routine maintenance at an independent mechanic shop. The rust was noted but the vehicle has not been repaired. This issue typically develops over time due to exposure to road salt and moisture.

While driving, your 2007 Ford Escape Hybrid suddenly lost all engine power and wouldn't restart, with a "Service Engine Now" warning appearing on the dashboard. An independent mechanic confirmed the hybrid propulsion system had failed. This issue may be related to a known NHTSA recall affecting the hybrid system in your model year, though the problem was not repaired.

Your car's hybrid system occasionally fails to respond when you press the accelerator from a stop, requiring you to keep pressing harder until it engages—this has happened multiple times and nearly caused a crash. No warning light appears before this happens. Your dealer said your vehicle isn't covered under the related recall and didn't diagnose or repair the issue. Fixing this will likely require the dealer to diagnose the hybrid propulsion system and potentially replace or reprogram hybrid control components.

Your Escape's all-wheel-drive system may fail in slippery conditions like snow or ice, leaving only the front wheels with power while the rear wheels don't engage. You'll see warning messages on your display saying "AWD disabled" and later "Automatic AWD restored," but the rear wheels won't actually get power even after the message appears. A mechanic may diagnose this as a faulty transfer case caused by heat from the exhaust cooking the internal lubricant, which then leaks out and damages internal bearings. Fixing this typically requires replacing the transfer case, which can cost over $1,000 in parts and labor.

Your transmission's torque converter was failing, causing your car to shake and sometimes stall when shifting from Park to Drive or Reverse, or when stopping at traffic lights. This created a safety risk since your car could shut off unexpectedly while driving. Replacing the torque converter resolved the issue completely. The fix involves removing and replacing the torque converter unit in the transmission.

While driving, your Escape's engine suddenly shuts down with a red warning triangle appearing on the dashboard, forcing you to coast and brake to a stop. After waiting about 20 minutes for the engine to cool, you can restart and drive again, but the problem repeats—especially during extended freeway driving. This creates a serious safety risk since you lose the ability to accelerate and must carefully pull over in traffic. A dealer or mechanic hasn't been able to reproduce or inspect the issue yet, though a similar problem was addressed in a known Ford recall (campaign 14V526000) that involved the hybrid electronics system overheating and shutting down the powertrain.

Your brake pedal went all the way to the floor without stopping the vehicle while driving at 10 mph, even though no warning light appeared on your dashboard. A mechanic found that both front brake lines were severely corroded, and the passenger side brake line was leaking brake fluid, which caused the braking failure. Fixing this issue will require replacing the corroded brake lines and refilling the brake fluid system.

Your car's ABS warning light and brake light came on together, and immediately after this happened, your brakes lost their ability to stop the car effectively and keep it stopped. This resulted in a crash. Your brake system needs immediate professional diagnosis and repair.

Your ABS warning light comes on and off, and when it does, your brakes lose most of their stopping power — requiring over 300 feet to stop from 45 mph instead of the normal distance. You hear a grinding noise from the engine bay when braking, and the problem may persist even after the car is turned off and left overnight. This brake failure has caused at least two accidents, including one where you rear-ended another vehicle at a traffic light despite pressing the brake pedal hard, and another where you had to steer into a median at 65 mph to avoid a collision. The brake system likely needs a complete inspection and repair of the ABS module, pump, or related hydraulic components.

While driving at 60 MPH, your Escape unexpectedly downshifted and slowed to 40-45 MPH, and the check engine light came on. The gas pedal felt soft and went all the way to the floor without responding. After turning the car off and back on, it worked briefly, but the problem happened again when exiting the highway—the car wouldn't shift into Drive and wouldn't move even when you pressed the gas pedal. The transmission and engine computer system likely need diagnosis to determine why the vehicle is losing power and not engaging properly.

Your accelerator stuck multiple times in mid-December 2021, causing you to lose power while driving — a family member fixed it by lubricating the accelerator cable. Shortly after, your brake pedal went completely to the floor with no warning, noise, or visible leaks, and your brake warning light came on. You're concerned that either issue could be dangerous at higher speeds, and Ford told you there are no recalls and you couldn't get a service appointment for weeks.

Your brake system is making an abnormal grinding noise when you press the brake pedal, and your ABS warning light has turned on. You may also notice that your brake pedal is sinking all the way to the floor, which suggests your brakes aren't working properly. Even though the ABS module was replaced by a mechanic, the problem has returned, indicating a deeper issue with your brake system that needs professional diagnosis and repair.

Your 2007 Ford Escape Hybrid occasionally fails to accelerate normally when you press the gas pedal from a stop—instead, the car accelerates very slowly for about 5 seconds before responding normally. This happens unpredictably, ranging from once a week to once every three months, and started around 150,000 miles. No warning lights or messages appear before it happens, making it difficult for mechanics to diagnose. The issue likely involves the fuel system, transmission, or hybrid power delivery components and may require diagnostic scanning or replacement of fuel system parts.

Your car's rear frame rails are rusting from the inside out, which could eventually affect your suspension system. This is a structural issue that should be inspected and addressed to maintain safe handling. The repair will likely involve inspection of the frame damage and potentially welding or frame repair work.

When you accelerate, your car runs normally for a couple of minutes, then suddenly jerks and the RPM gauge drops to 0 before returning to the correct reading. This suggests an electrical or engine control issue causing the engine to hesitate during acceleration.

While driving, your power steering assist suddenly stopped working, making the steering wheel much harder to turn. Your transmission warning light came on at the same time. A mechanic determined that your power steering module had failed and needed to be replaced.

Your front tires are wearing out much faster than normal, developing a circular bald pattern. This happened twice — first set became bald within 4,000 miles, and the replacement set showed the same circular wear pattern after only 2,000 miles. This premature, uneven wear suggests a suspension or alignment problem is causing your tires to wear unevenly. The issue will likely require a wheel alignment check and possibly suspension component inspection or replacement.

Your car's theft alarm system goes off randomly without reason, and the theft warning light blinks when you turn the key to the run position. You're experiencing hard starting—sometimes there's no sound when you turn the key—and when the engine does start, it stalls unless you push the gas pedal almost to the floor. You also need to apply strong pressure on the brakes to stop the vehicle. You've already had the battery tested, the starter replaced, a new key purchased, and a new fob, but the problem persists.