good looks are deceiving....

ROLLOVER and CRUSHED ROOF! DANGEROUS STALLING!

Initially, I liked the looks of the Escape. I lived in Japan and came to trust Japanese engineering. I swore I would never buy a Ford because of reliability problems. I was mistaken to purchase the Escape. First, the battery light stayed on for nearly the first year. Upon the 3rd or 4th oil change it magically went out. My sister's 2001 escape's emissions light came on in the first two months of ownership for no apparent reason. Secondly, THE CAR STALLED ON THE HIGHWAY. If we had been in the center lane we might have been killed! Next, The wind noise is excessive. Lastly, I'm concerned about a potential rollover. A TV news magazine profiled the minimal standards employed by the automotive industry to the rollover issue. That report led me to research pictures and litigation on the web illustrating the ROLLOVER/ROOF-CRUSh potential. I am sufficently scared. With 30k miles, I am going to sell this Escape as quickly as possible, and pray its new owner has a safe ride.

Nice looking car. The gas mileage is okay. It fits my needs as far as room for the kids and everything else.

hard seats, needs to be fixed too often.

I love my Ford Escape except it has been in the shop too many times for 1 year of ownership. I have had to replace 2 switches on the radio and air conditioner waiting for the 3rd to fall off. I had the noise in the back hatch but was fixed by Ford on a recall. I had to have extensive work on the clutch. The break pedal squeeks, the seats are hard. Right now i'm getting the front wheel bearings fixed, yes the car is in the shop again. They know me personally at the Ford shop. They see me about once month. Replaced all 4 tires already. Air bad had to be fixed and a few sensors replaced.

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none

Ride, seat shape, power, room, styling

Hard seat, gear selector position

I am impressed with the SUV. The V6 is strong and the ride is supple although the seats are too hard for my wife. They are contoured for lower back support so I can drive it all day and not be sore or stiff. Its the first car I had that I did not have to return it to the dealer the next day for some fault. I did take it back later because the rear door seal was loose and they replaced it (I was just going to glue it). I also noticed that the gas gauge does not jump to full when I top off the tank from 3/4, it just moves up slowly. Having the sensor replaced and gauge checked. Ordinarily I would not have bothered but I had a '89 Ford 150 pickup that had a similar symptom and it eventually failed altogether (of course after the warranty). For the money this is the best SUV. Got 6 CD changer, power seat, V6, 4 wheel drive, alloy wheels all for under 25K

None

STALLING STALLING CAUSED US TO ROLLOVER PLEASE HELP ME IN SAVING THE LIVES OF OTHER INNOCENT PEOPLE. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME IMMEDIATELY. IF I COULD I WOULD RATE THIS CAR 0-5

Ever since I bought my Ford Escape in September, I had to take it to the shop every month due to stalling and electrical problems. They always told me there was nothing wrong with it. Only July 15th 2002 I called Jim Click to tell them if I could take my car over to get fixed because it was stalling very frequently. They told me to take it in on thursday but that same day, when I was driving in the freeway the car stalled and caused us to rollover, and severly injured my five family members which almost died.

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TOYOTA TACOMA- No Comparison

HPW, handling, interior space

Location of the shift, no armrests, noisy A/C at max, poor design on the steering column cover, MPG to low

Great MPV, lots of room, I sold my old Sentra because it didn't have enough room for the child seat at the back, I was looking into the X-Terra and the Chevy Blazer, but the shape of the Escape plus all the features, convinced me to buy it. I recommend it to everyone. The only issue I had was the front bearings, some Buzz, but they change it for free as part of the bumper to bumper warranty and now it's great.

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The power The looks The interior The dealership

The gas mileage- expected more. The location of the ignition for the key- it isn't easy to get key in. Once started it sometimes is very hard to get it in gear due to the child safety feature

I have never owned a Ford in my life before. My sons were amazed when I wanted to buy a Ford, but I had driven a Ford Escape in July as a rental and was amazed at the power, handling, and gas mileage for a SUV. I have been very impressed with my vehicle, and I have 2000 miles on it with no problems yet. It is fully loaded except for the leather seats and is the color True Blue. I have heard so many complaints on this review board about Escape's stalling etc. Mine has not yet, but I remain wary as I have not owned a Ford before. I did purchase the extended warranty for that very reason. It appears that most of the problems with the Escape occurred in the first year of it's production. As a person begins to look at the reviews most problems do not seem to be occurring after January of 2002. I have had more compliments on the looks of the SUV. It is by far the best looking of the compact SUV's and has been rated number one by various magazines. I looked at a Honda CRV, because of the high quality, but I didn't like the looks (looks cheap) and the 4 cylinder. I didn't like the front end looks of the Jeep Liberty (front end)and they have had a lot more problems with their quality. So far I have been very impressed, but I am still concerned about the problems they have had. People seem to be very picky about their complaints. Believe me I am very picky ,but complaining about the brake film on front wheels, or the noise. All vehicles I have ever owned have brake film on the front wheels, and I don't know of one SUV that is quiet.

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Chevy Blazer Honda CRV Jeep Liberty

Comfortable seats, split rear seat backs, steering wheel, cargo cover, cargo net, nice wheels, killer sound system.

Paint is peeling off, flimsy interior trim, shift handle location, radio is loose in dash, poor gas milage.

I love the size of the Escape. My two guitars and amps go in the back without putting down the seat. Its easy to park and turns on a dime. My two daughters( ages 6 and 7 ) love it too, they can open and close the back doors by themselves.

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Land Rover Freelander, Land Rover Discovery, Ford Explorer.

Styling, options, standard features, incredible space, I am 6'1 250 lbs. Very roomy compared to the cherokees. Beautifully trimmed with two-toned leather seats. Six disc in-dash mach stereo system. Moon roof, the list is endless.

None.

Absolutely the best car I have owned, and I have owned a bunch. It rides like my Infinity I 30 did, as well as my brother's BMW, and Mother's '02 C 320. The indepentdent rear suspension is incredible. I have had three jeep cherokees, a limited grand cherokee 2000, and three mustang gt's. This thing is the best value and performance for the dollar.

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1993 Jeep cherokee/great suv. 1996 Jeep cherokee/great suv. 2000 Jeep cherokee/lemon. 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited/wow.

Torque

I agree, I don't need a hardrest to work the stereo system.

I hear a lot about engine stalls. I have 30k on my xls and have not had anything like that happen.

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chevy blazer(never having chevy again), ford aerostar(ford has some great products)

Exterior styling - Ford, don't change a thing. Features on the XLT Decent price for an SUV Power of the engine is remarkable - know where you're going before you step on the gas. Ford financing - great rates helped me buy this SUV Fits in my driveway and carport just fine Beats the snot out of the foreign Sport-utes.

Gas mileage - big downer for the Escape. It's not that it gets that bad of gas mileage it's just the size of the tank. C'mon Ford, help us out! Wind noise is a minus but it's nothing the 300 watt stereo can't fix OK, move the shifter, I don't really need a hand rest.

Maybe I'm just lucky. I've had my Escape for almost a year now (15000 miles) and have been trouble-free. I love it! It looks great, not foreign, and does everything I ask for. It pulls my pop-up camper over the mountains, hauls my friends and all their ski stuff up to the slopes and does everything else I want it to. I've read the 90+ reviews on this website and barely anyone has anything good to say about it. This stalling issue hasn't effected me, the mechanical problems have passed me by as well. Maybe, I just take care of her and in return she takes care of me. The interior is flawless for me. It's buttons and switches are easy to reach and problem-free. Okay, the shifter handle could be a little further away from the stereo controls but it can also be used as a hand rest while driving (what other vehicle offers that???). This SUV is a great entry level vehicle for me into the market. I've driven cars all my life and plan to use this for about 4 or 5 years and then upgrade to the Explorer or Expedition. I will remain a loyal Ford owner while my wife shops for the Hondas in car buying.

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Researched: GMC Envoy (too expensive) Chevy Trailblazer (too many gadgets) Toyota 4Runner (have to mortgage the home first)