I purchased my 2001 Ford Escape a little over a year ago and up until now had no problems with it. Last month my "check engine" light illuminated so I brought it to my dealer. They felt it was a simple electrical problem. A month later while driving the light went on again and the car literally shut down while I was on an incline! No steering capabilities and no brakes! I brought it back to the dealer and they mentioned that Ford was aware of the problem. (Gee, wonder why there hasn't been a recall) and that they would perform a series of tests on it in hopes of finding an answer to the problem. In the meantime, I checked reviews from other Escape owners on-line and found that many people have experienced the problem and still have no answers. I have no intention of keeping the car and plan to unload it ASAP.

Looks, interior space, design, nice ride.

Don't care for the white dials in the instrument cluster.

No stalling yet. Have had 850 miles of fun so far. Bright yellow exterior with leather interior. Everyone that has ridden in it has been impressed. It may break down tomorrow but it has been fun while it lasted!

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Test drove them all.

V6, torque, towing, handling

interior needs some upgrading

13,000 trouble free miles! I tow my two jet skiis and haul 4 bikes. This vehicle has proven to be reliable and functional. Ford/Mazda did a great job!

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Jeep Liberty, CRV, VUE

A great car for the $. If they can fix the engine problem, I would have no complaints. Drives great, Looks great. Wonderful Stereo system (6 disc CD).

Engine Problem (obviously). Strange popping noise when sharp left turn is made.

Something must be done about this engine stalling problem! My Escape is in the shop now for this. They are giving the same song and dance that most everyone on this site has said, "only time they have heard of it" "can't find anything wrong" etc, etc. The large number of problems reported on just this site should be an indication of a problem. I am looking into the site recommended by a fellow reviewer (Escape-Central.com) and hope that I can find a solution as the dealerships seem to be unable to do. This is definately a life safety issue. There is no rhyme or reason as to the engine stalling. You can be going 30-40 mph or 60-70 mph. Fortunately, the two times (separated by 3 mos) that it has happened to me-I was where I could pull onto the shoulder and recrank without causing an accident. Next time, I may not be so lucky. This is a little more serious of a recall problem than recalling for mismounted windshield wiper.

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'97 Taurus

Below I rated it as avoid at all costs - this is only because of the stalling problem. Other than that, I was very happy with it.

My Escape stalled on me 5 days ago which almost caused me to be in a major accident. I took it to my dealer who said they had a problem with one other escape that they sold. They couldn't find anything wrong with either of them so they told us to take it home!! The dealer made it seem like it was a trivial problem and nothing to worry about. NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT!! I almost crashed because I lost my power steering and brakes - I had to pull on my emergency brake to get stopped in time. Luckily, no one was right behind me. After searching the internet I found this site where it seems MANY others have had the same problem. Please let me know how others are dealing with this problem, or if you have had any success in getting yours fixed. Warning to those who want to buy an Escape - DON'T! Until the problem is fixed. I actually loved this car, but am now afraid to drive it.

Looks, dependability, acceleration.

Wind noise, headliner dropped a bit in the rear, the gear shift lever is positioned poorly.

The Escape is a great vehicle. Have over 30,000 miles on mine and no stalling on descents, hiccups, or any engine problems. This car is strong, fast, and performs. Comfortable to drive, peppy, highly recommend it to anyone. Used to have a Subaru and the Escape is nicer.

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Subaru Wagon 4 x 4.

Performance, LOOKS, quality...no complaints.

Make: FORD TRUCK Model: ESCAPE Year: 2002 Service Bulletin Number: 15589 Bulletin Sequence Number: 630 NHTSA Item Number: 630146 Component: ENGINE Summary: SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT AN INTERMITTENT ENGINE QUIT CONDITION, USUALLY 1 TIME DURING CLOSED THROTTLE DECEL WITH NO DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES OR MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMPS. *TT (http://www.ford-trucks.com/recalls.html

I also want to take a minute and defend the Escape. I bought mine less then a month ago and have put 850 miles on it and every mile was problem free. I have read many reviews about Escapes stalling while on a decline. FYI, there is a website called Escape Central (http://www.escape-central.com/1forum/)and it has a lot of information out there on this issue. Turns out that Ford is aware of the problem but it is not detectable by Diagnostic tests. There is a Technical Service Bulletin posted on 6/11/02 on this issue as well. If your dealer denies the problem I suggest you refer to this TSB. It is fixable and as far as I know only occurs in 2001's and 2002's built prior to January.

Brakes, acceleration, and looks

Shift spot, cd player just okay.

Love the Escape, it's been a wonderful vehicle for me. No problems, super fast, great brakes, and minus a few annoyances a superb buy.

The V6 Duratec motor, great stock handling and looks. This compact SUV is capable of so much more than what Ford has given us in stock trim. With stock tires and brakes, this SUV can outbrake most cars on the road. Imagine what can be done with aftermarket parts. The DOHC motor is starving for more air and just wants to rev if given the chance. Again, a little dose of the aftermarket and voila. If anyone at FoMoCo is reading this, a 5 speed manual transmission would be nice in the V6 model.

The shifter location, but I've learned to live with it and so can you. Wind noise is noticeable, but I only paid $22,000 for this vehicle. If you want a whisper quiet ride, buy a $55,000 BMW or Lexus. But don't be surprised to see me flying by you in my little red Ford that could.

With all the negative reviews that I've been reading, I just had to add my honest comments about my Escape. And it's not a "trucklette", or a "truck" or any other annoying little description. My Escape now has approximately 10,000 miles on it and has never stalled or hiccupped or otherwise disappointed me. In fact, I enjoy my Escape so much that I've added 18 inch Moda rims complete with 255/55-18 speed rated Pirelli Scorpion ST's, H&R lowering sport springs, Magnaflow cat-back exhaust, a roof spoiler, and a few other mods that I cannot include in here as they may incriminate me in regards to the warranty. And I can tell you that I have effectively added the "Sport" in SUV and surprised many unsuspecting drivers of so called sports cars. I wouldn't give up this car for anything. I am a first time SUV buyer and all the other compacts looked too wimpy. The Escape fulfilled all of my requirements.

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None

Easy to handle. Sharp looking.

Stalling with out warning. I have had the car to the local dealer (Friendly Ford) twice and the Service Manager (Greg Haase) tells me they can't find anything wrong with my car.They also act as if my car is the only one with this problem. After reading the other reviews I know that is not true.When is Ford going to take care of this problem? This is an accident waiting to happen. Brand new car with less than 5,000 miles and I am afraid I will be rear-ended when it stalls for no reason.

I was so happy with my new car, now I am afraid to drive it.