2001 Ford Escape Heating & air conditioning Problems

SUBMISSION FROM RE FORD ESCAPE 2001 SAFETY RECALL NOTICE 11S24 *TGW THE CONSUMER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE IN JAN 2012. THE NOTICE INDICATED SHE WOULD BE INFORMED WHEN THE PARTS REQUIRED TO COMPLETE THE SAFETY RECALL WOULD BECOME AVAILABLE, WHICH WOULDN'T BE UNTIL THE SECOND QUARTER. THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE WHILE PARKED, WHICH WAS PRIOR TO THE RECALL, BUT WAS QUICKLY EXTINGUISHED. SHORTLY AFTER THE FIRE, THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. SEVERAL MONTHS LATER, THE CONSUMER WAS PARTLY COMPENSATED BY FORD IN THE FORM OF A CHECK FOR $1900 ACCOMPANIED BY A DOCUMENT WHICH STATED BY ACCEPTING THE COMPENSATION, SHE WOULD ALSO BE SIGNING OFF ON ANY OTHER CLAIMS. THE CONSUMER ALSO STATED THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER, EXHAUST MANIFOLD, MASTER CYLINDER, WIRING HARNESS, ABS, BRAKE LINE BOOSTER, POWER STEERING RACK AND PINION, TIE RODS, INTAKE MANIFOLD AS WELL AS THE AIR BAG WERE ALL REPLACED. THE STEERING COLUMN WOULD FREEZE, THE REAR PASSENGER DOOR HANDLE FELL OFF, RENDERING THE DOOR UNSTABLE, THE COOLANT LIGHT ILLUMINATED, THE OIL PAN NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, THE AIR CONDITION STOPPED WORKING AND THE REAR SHOCK WERE LEAKING. *JB

NHTSA ID

10461520

Incident

Jun 1, 2012

WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONSUMER RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND PULLED OVER. THE CONSUMER DROVE THE VEHICLE TO THE AUTO SERVICE FOR INSPECTION AND THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. *AK THERE WAS GRINDING AND A ROUND METAL OBJECT SNAPPED AND BROKE OFF OF THE AC COMPRESSOR. THERE WERE ALSO PROBLEM WITH THE AIR BAG AND THE STEERING. *SC *JB

NHTSA ID

10080083

Incident

Jun 28, 2004

Mileage

41,500 mi

WHILE DRIVING ONLY AT LOW SPEEDS, STEERING COLUMN WILL MAKE A LOUD NOISE AND IT COULD CAUSE FUTURE STEERING PROBLEMS. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK THE COVER ON THE BOTTOM OF THE STEERING WHEEL WAS BROKEN. THE VEHICLE SHIMMYS WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES. THE BRAKES WERE INSPECTED AND THE FRONT ROTOR WAS MACHINED AND THE FRONT PADS CLEANED. CONSUMER STATES THERE IS A PECKING NOISE IN THE ENGINE. CONSUMER STATES THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL IS HARD TO PUSH BECAUSE THE THROTTLE BODY NEEDED REPLACING. THE AIR CONDITIONER STOPS WHILE AT IDLE. ALSO, WHEN COMING TO A STOP, THE HEATER IS NOT WARM. *JG

NHTSA ID

8018094

Incident

Aug 9, 2002

VEHICLE HAS STALLED 3 TIMES AT 35-40 MPH DOWN AN INCLINE. DEALER HAS RECALIBRATED COMPUTER.*AK DEALER PUT ON NEW EEC AND NEW IDLE AIR CONTROL. A/C FAILED AND WAS REPLACED. *YH

NHTSA ID

8011506

Incident

Dec 15, 2001

FOUL ODOR COMING FROM AIRCONDITIONING VENTS. TOOK IT TO THE SHOP THE FIRST TIME, AND THEY STATED THAT THERE WAS A MOISTURE BUILD UP IN THE AIRCONDITIONING VENTS AND ALL THEY COULD DO WAS DISENFECT THE AIRCONDITIONING VENTS WITH A SPRAY. I TOOK IT BACK A SECOND TIME AND THEY STATED THEY COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM.*AK

NHTSA ID

760009

Incident

Oct 3, 2001

THE AIR CONDITIONER FROM THE VERY BEGINNING HAS A VERY FOUL SMELL OF MILDEW AND MOLD. IF YOU USE THE AC FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME THE SMELL IS WORST THEN EVER. BOTH MY SON AND I ARE ALLERGIC TO MOLD AND MILDEW AND WHEN I TURN ON THE AC, WE BOTH BEGIN TO SNEEZE, COUGH, RUNNY NOSE AND EYES. I CANNOT NOT USE THE AC. I HAVE BROUGHT THE TRUCK BACK 3 TIMES FOR A TOTAL OF 12 DAYS AND NOW HAVE IT IN THE SHOP AGAIN. THERE IS ALSO A CONSTANT RATTLE ON THE DRIVERS DOOR SIDE AND THE REAR TAILGATE DOOR/WINDOW. THESE PROBLEMS WERE REPORTED ON THE FIRST VISIT ALSO. EACH TIME I WAS TOLD THE PROBLEM HAS BEEN TAKEN CARE OF, I DRIVE OFF AND THE PROBLEMS ARE STILL VERY EVIDENT. THE THIRD TIME AS I WAS PULLING OUT OF THERE DRIVEWAY AFTER HAVING JUST BEEN TOLD THE PROBLEMS WERE SOLVED. THESE HAVE BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEMS. MY CONCERN IS I HAVE BEEN BACK FOUR TIMES IN LESS THE 5 MONTHS FOR PROBLEMS, WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE TRUCK IS A YEAR OLD!!!!!!*AK

NHTSA ID

753709

Incident

May 1, 2001

THE BLOWER ON MY A/C WILL START BLOWING THRU THE DEFROST WHEN THE VEHICLE IS UNDER POWER. I LIVE IN A MOUNTAINOUS SUBURB, SO I'M CONSTANTLY CLIMBING HILLS. THE AIR WILL BLOW THRU THE DEFROST FOR ~10 SECONDS WHEN IT FIRST STARTED A WEEK AGO; NOW IT LASTS ~20 SECONDS. PHIL LONG HAS HAD MY TRUCK TWICE. THE FIRST TIME, THE VEHICLE ACTED UP FOR THEM AND THEY FOUND A CRIMPED VACUUM HOSE, YET THE 2ND TIME, THEY COULDN'T GET THE VEHICLE TO ACT UP FOR THEM. AS SOON AS I GOT TO MY SUBURB, IT STARTED CUTTING OUT ON ME.*AK

NHTSA ID

747520

TIRES MAKE A HUMMING NOISE. CONSUMER FEELS THAT THEY MAY BE LEAVING GROUND LIKE HYDROPLANING, AND AT 65 MPH VEHICLE WOBBLES, VEHICLE IS NOT STABLE AT HIGH SPEEDS WITH WINDOW DOWN. *AK THE VEHICLE HESITATES WHEN A/C UNIT IS IN OPERATION AND A/C MAKE A LOUD CYCLIC CLICKING SOUND. TRANSMISSION MAKES SOUND. THE VEHICLE WAS UNSTABLE AT 65 MPH WITH A SLIGHT WIND AND FRONT END MAKES TUMBLING SOUNDS ON ROUGH ROADS. THE ALTERNATOR LIGHT COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY. THE CRUISE CONTROL TURNS OFF AUTOMATICALY BY ITSELF. THE FRONT BRAKE HAS EXCESSIVE DUST. THE VEHICLE HAD NUMEROUS INTERIOR SYSTEM FAILURES AND MALFUNCTIONING. *YH

NHTSA ID

887352

Incident

May 1, 2001

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID

744822

CABIN FILLS WITH SMELL OF RAW FUEL WHEN CLIMATE CONTROL SYSTEM ON ..ALSO SMELL OF RAW FUEL UNDER HOOD . MFG INSPECTED VEHICLE AND DOES NOT KNOW WHERE PROBLEM ORIGINATES.VEHICLE IS NOW OUT OF SERVICE 36 DAYS WHILE ENGINEERING LOOKS FOR SOLUTION TO PROBLEM .VARIOUS PARTS HAVE BEEN CHANGED WITH NO RESOLUTION TO DATE .

NHTSA ID

738979

Incident

Oct 12, 2000

FUEL SMELL INSIDE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT COMING THROUGH AIR CONDITIONING VENTS

NHTSA ID

738939

Incident

Oct 4, 2000