2008 Ford Escape Fuel system Problems

Check engine light keeps flashing, car vibration, bad head gasket, oil and fluid leak

NHTSA ID

11721440

Incident

Mar 2, 2026

I have a constant issue with the power steering. This issue makes it hard for my vehicle to turn properly as well as when you go to turn a corner you have to be a body builder to get the car to even turn. At times I can't even drive my car because it gets so bad. Along with this issue I also have a wheel bearing issue in the front suspension. To me this issue feels like my whole car is going to rattle apart while I am driving it. To add to it, the propulsion system, it has a constant whine, tries to stall, and sometimes it will not get up to speed nor gain speed. There has been times when I am driving my car that I have to pull over to the side of the road very carefully because I feel like my car is going to die and then when I turn it off and then back on it acts like it has absolutely no power. I haven't gone anywhere to get my vehicle checked yet. But I have done extensive research on the issues that I am having with my vehicle and the three main issues are a recall for same year and same year make and model.

NHTSA ID

11661630

Incident

Sep 1, 2023

The vehicle frequently shuts down with a stop safely now light displaying on the dash. Gives maybe a 5-10 second warning before the vehicle is immobile. Has not caused an accident for us but has occurred abruptly on busy roads increasing the risk of one. However, it usually occurs when idling in a drive through or light etc. The vehicle also frequently does something that causes the clock and date to reset to 2004. This seems to always occur between drives overnight.

NHTSA ID

11637731

Incident

Nov 1, 2024

The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was initially taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the fuel sensor was defective; and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure returned soon after repair. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed and informed the contact that the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 219,000.

NHTSA ID

11528877

Incident

May 10, 2023

Mileage

219,000 mi

Car will run fine then, all of a sudden, goes into no drive mode. Will not go forward or reverse without a lot of gas pedal pushing ( like if the e brake is on then pop and lunges forward, but there is no brakes being applied, just gas.) Now car is sitting because mechanic pulled code P0A7C and said can't drive until fixed.

NHTSA ID

11428256

Incident

Aug 5, 2021

I HAVE HAD REPLACED STEERING UJOINT.AND NOW NO POWER STEERING IT DONT WORK AND THE GARGAGE CANT EVEN FIGURE IT OUT.RIGHT AFTER REPLACEING IT.

NHTSA ID

11373507

Incident

Jun 22, 2020

MY CAR HAS DISPLAYED THE ISSUES THIS MODEL WAS RECALLED FOR NUMEROUS TIMES AND NOW WILL NOT START AGAIN. IT STOPPED DRIVING UNEXPECTEDLY ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WHEN I HAVE BEEN DRIVING ON BOTH FREEWAYS AND RESIDENTIAL STREETS. WHEN IT HAPPENS IT BECOMES IMPOSSIBLE TO STEER, GAS AND BRAKE HAVE NO EFFECT, AND FLASHES A MESAGE THAT SAYS TO STOP SAFELY NOW (EVEN THOUGH YOU HAVE NO CONTROL OVER IT ANYWAY). IT SOUNDS EXACTLY LIKE WHAT HAPPENS IN THE ONE OF THE HANDFUL OF RECALLS I'VE READ ABOUT FOR THIS CAR, YET MY VIN NUMBER SAYS THERE ARE NONE ASSOCIATED WITH IT AND I THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE REEXAMINED.

NHTSA ID

11350143

Incident

Aug 16, 2019

Mileage

115,000 mi

WHEN I WILL DRIVE ON THE HIGHWAY FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME, I WILL GET MASTER VEHICLE ELECTRICAL HAZARD WARNING SIGN ON MY DASHBOARD, A "STOP SAFELY NOW" MESSAGE, AND MY VEHICLE ENGINE WILL INSTANTLY SHUT OFF. THIS HAPPENED TO ME TWICE- FIRST TIME, I WAS DRIVING FROM CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO TO ST. LOUIS, MO AND PULLED OFF FROM THE HIGHWAY AND STOPPED AT THE LIGHT WHEN THE ENGINE TURNED OFF, AND WON'T START BACK UP UNTIL A FEW HOURS LATER. THE SECOND TIME I WAS DRIVING FROM ST. LOUIS, MO TO CREVE COEUR, MO. DURING THAT TIME I WAS DRIVING DOWNHILL AND WAS BRAKING WHEN I GOT THE SAME WARNING LIGHT AND MESSAGE, AND MY CAR ENGINE JUST SHUT OFF. BOTH OF THESE INCIDENTS HAPPENED WITHIN THE SAME MONTH OF JULY OF 2019.

NHTSA ID

11311230

Incident

Jul 12, 2019

Mileage

121 mi

THE GAS PEDAL STICKS AND WILL NOT ACCELERATE. WHEN IT FINALLY DOES ACCELERATE IT IS VERY QUICKLY WHICH CAN SEND YOU INTO TRAFFIC. THIS CAN HAPPEN ANY TIME WHILE DRIVING. IT CAN HAPPEN FROM A COMPLETE STOP AT AN INTERSECTION, IT CAN ALSO HAPPEN ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN YOU GO AGAIN TO PRESS THE GAS, NOTHING WILL HAPPEN. THE GAS PEDAL WILL THEN SUDDENLY PRESS DOWN VERY QUICKLY

NHTSA ID

11311094

Incident

Feb 12, 2020

Mileage

180,000 mi

TAKATA RECALL.. MY 2008 FORD ESCAPE WHEN IT SHIFTS TO 4TH GEAR IT GOES DOWN THEN SHAKES AND GOES UP A GEAR

NHTSA ID

11235216

Incident

Jul 20, 2019

Mileage

90,000 mi

WE BOUGHT OUR CAR USED IN 2008/2009. WE TOOK OUR CAR INTO A DEALERSHIP WHEN IT WAS UNDER WARRANTY BECAUSE OF EXHAUST FUMES. WE OFTEN ARE SMELLING EXHAUST BUT SINCE THE DEALERSHIP DISMISSED OUR PROBLEM WE HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH IT ALL THESE YEARS AS 'NORMAL'. I RECENTLY WAS HEARING OF POLICE OFFICERS WITH FORD VEHICLES PASSING OUT OR HAVING DAMAGE BECAUSE OF THE FUMES IN THEIR FORD SUV. I TOOK MY DAUGHTER TO THE DOCTOR A FEW YEARS AGO AFTER BEING ON A TRIP IN THE VEHICLE BECAUSE SHE WAS THROWING UP ON THE WAY THERE AND BACK. THE DOCTORS GAVE HER BACK X-RAYS AND SAID THAT IT WAS JUST MOTION SICKNESS.. SHE OFTEN COMPLAINS OF BEING SICK IN THE CAR. I ALSO DON'T LIKE THE FUMES, BUT JUST DRIVE IT. NOW I REALIZE IT MAY BE A PROBLEM THAT WAS IGNORED BY FORD TO BEGIN WITH. THE MORE I DRIVE IT THE MORE DIZZY SPELLS I HAVE DURING THE DAY. THE FUMES ARE ALMOST IMMEDIATELY WHEN WE RUN THE VEHICLE AND WHEN DRIVING. THIS IS BEEN RE-ACCURING SINCE WE BOUGHT THE VEHICLE WITH AROUND 50K, NOW IT HAS 212K MILES.

NHTSA ID

11097968

Incident

May 16, 2018

Mileage

60 mi

WHEN DRIVING CAR WILL SHUT DOWN WITH A WARNING PULL OVER AND TURN VEHICLE OFF VERY DANGEROUS NO TIME TO FIND EXITS DOES NOT MATTER WHERE YOU ARE AT!!

NHTSA ID

11094119

Incident

May 4, 2018

Mileage

56,000 mi

GAS PEDAL STICKS, I HAVE TO PRSS IT TO THE FLOOR IN ORDER FOR ACCELERATION, IT WON'T LET ME EXCELERATE OVER 5 MILES AND HOUR AND WILL COAST, IT HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES BUT THEN SEEMS TO RETURN TO NORMAL, HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES THIS WINTER.

NHTSA ID

11060949

Incident

Jan 4, 2018

Mileage

100,000 mi

SOMETIMES WHEN I PUSH ON THE GAS PEDAL...IT JUST WON'T DEPRESS AND I AM PUSHING ON THE PEDAL WITH MY FOOT - BUT I CAN'T MAKE THE CAR GO, AND THE PEDAL SEEMS 'STUCK'...IT HAS LED TO A FEW DANGEROUS SITUATIONS WHERE I TRIED TO MERGE ONTO A HIGHWAY AND PULLED OUT - BUT THEN COULD NOT GET THE GAS PEDAL TO DEPRESS! EVENTUALLY AFTER 3-10 SECONDS THE PEDAL WILL DEPRESS AND I CAN GET THE CAR TO MOVE BUT I NEVER REALLY KNOW WHEN IT WILL HAPPEN. SOMETIMES IT SEEMS TO BE 'STUCK' WORSE THAN OTHERS.... I CAN TELL IT HAPPENS MORE OFTEN AS THE AIR GETS COLDER - IT HAS HAPPENED WHILE THE CAR WAS IN MOTION AND I USED TO THINK IT WAS BECAUSE I HAD A FLOOR MAT THAT I WAS CERTAIN WAS CAUSING THE PROBLEM AND GETTING IN THE WAY- BUT WHEN I REMOVED THE FLOOR MAT THE ISSUE STILL PERSISTED. [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

NHTSA ID

11045774

Incident

Nov 13, 2017

Mileage

145,000 mi

BRAKE PEDAL DROPPED TO FLOOR WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY AT 70 MILES PER HOUR. APPLIED BRAKES AND COASTED TO SIDE OF ROAD. THEN CAR LOST ALL ACCELERATION POWER. A TOW TRUCK WAS CALLED.

NHTSA ID

10967207

Incident

Mar 20, 2017

Mileage

133,000 mi

WHEN YOU ARE STOPPED AND IDLING THE CAR, IT STALLS OUT. IT STALLS WHEN IDLING IN GEAR, BUT NOT WHEN IN THE PARK POSITION. IF YOU SLOW DOWN AT A LIGHT OR FOR TRAFFIC OBSTACLES, IT SOMETIMES STALLS BEFORE YOU ACTUALLY STOP. AS LONG AS I HAVE NO STOP LIGHTS OR OTHER OBSTACLES TO SLOW ME DOWN I'M FINE. IT MOSTLY HAPPENS ON CITY STREETS. SOMETIMES BUT NOT ALWAYS IT SEEMS TO BUCK A LITTLE. I AM FEMALE AND KNOW LITTLE ABOUT CARS, MY HUSBAND TOOK CARE OF EVERYTHING, THIS WAS HIS VEHICLE, BUT HE PASSED AWAY LAST MONTH AFTER A LONG ILLNESS. I DID HOPE IT WAS THE FUEL FILTER, SO I HAD THAT REPLACED A FEW DAYS AGO. IT DID NOT HELP. WHEN THIS OCCURS NONE OF THE MANY WARNING LIGHTS ON THE DASH COME ON, NOR DO THEY COME ON OR STAY ON OTHER THAN WHEN YOU FIRST START THE CAR. THIS IS A SITUATION THAT SCARES ME, BUT AT PRESENT, IT IS MY ONLY TRANSPORTATION, AND THERE ARE MANY THINGS REQUIRED OF ME, RELATING TO MY HUSBAND"S DEATH. I'VE READ ALL THE ISSUES OF STALLING IN MANY FORDS BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER 2008, IN JUST ABOUT EVERY MODEL INCLUDING THE ESCAPE. I BELIEVE THEY HAVE A PROBLEM WITH MY CAR. NO DOCUMENTATION, NO ACCIDENTS YET.... THE STALLING HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR ALMOST A MONTH. MONTH.

NHTSA ID

10950070

Incident

Jan 16, 2017

Mileage

86,370 mi

TAKATA RECALL - VEHICLE TRANSMISSION SLIPS, ENGINE REVS AND DECELERATES WHILE DRIVING, IGNITION SWITCH WILL NOT START CAR EACH TIME. SOMETIMES IT TAKES TWENTY TRIES. I HAVE READ HUNDREDS OF THESE COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET.EV

NHTSA ID

10950056

Incident

Jun 1, 2016

Mileage

110,000 mi

IDLES VERY ROUGH AT STOPS . MUST HOLD BRAKE AND GAS AT SAME TIME TO KEEP ENGINE FROM DIEING .DANGER IS POSSIBLE HITTING SLIPPING OFF BRAKE AND HITTING GAS PEDAL CAUSING ACCIDENT. ..

NHTSA ID

10909812

Incident

Sep 23, 2016

Mileage

145,000 mi

IN COLD WEATHER THE GAS PEDAL STICKS, I HAVE TO PUSH IT TWICE, AFTER 50 KM WHEN THE ENGINE IS WARM IT IS NOT SO BAD. MY SON IS SCARED TO DRIVE THIS CAR SO I HAD TO BUY HIM ANOTHER ONE, I STILL DRIVE THE ESCAPE.

NHTSA ID

10907078

Incident

Sep 1, 2016

WHILE SITTING IN A DRIVE THRU THE GAS PEDAL WENT FLAT TO THE FLOOR. HAD TOWED TO DEALER AND WAS TOLD THROTTLE CABLE BROKE.NEEDED REPLACED AND THROTTLE BODY,INJECTORS CLEANED. COST APPROXIMATELY $800.00. LOOKED ON INTERNET AND FOUND IT TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM. CALLED DEALER AND NO HELP. CALLED FORD CORPORATE AND THEY TOOK INFORMATION BUT WOULD NOT OFFER ANY HELP. IF THIS HAD BROKE WHILE DRIVING WE AND OTHERS ON THE ROAD COULD OF BEEN INJURED OR KILLED. THIS VEHICLE SHOULD BE IMMEDIATELY RECALLED IN MY OPINION. ALSO THIS FIX IS NO GUARANTEE IT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN. NICE THOUGHT TO HAVE WHILE DRIVING IN TRAFFIC.

NHTSA ID

10850979

Incident

Mar 20, 2016

Mileage

83,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING MY CAR IT LUNGE FORWARD, WHICH IT HAVE NEVER DONE BEFORE. AFTER COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP AT A RED LIGHT, WHEN I PUSH ON THE GAS PEDDLE TO CONTINUE ON MY WAY THE CAR STALLED, THEN LUNGE FORWARD AGAIN. I WAS SCARED THAT THE CAR BEHIND ME WAS GOING TO HIT ME. PLEASE HELP ALL THE FORD ESCAPE OWNERS WITH THIS PROBLEM. MY CAR IS CURRENTLY AT THE FORD DEALER, HOPING THEY CAN RECTIFY THE PROBLEM. I HAVEN'T HAD MY VEHICLE FOR A YEAR YET, JUST BROUGHT IT LAST YEAR.

NHTSA ID

10838913

Incident

Feb 27, 2016

Mileage

135,000 mi

UPON EXITING MY VEHICLE IN A PARKING LOT AND APPROACHING THE REAR DRIVERS SIDE DOOR I OBSERVED A DRIPPING OF LIQUID COMING FROM THE AREA IN FRONT OF AND TOWARD THE INSIDE OF THE DRIVERS SIDE REAR TIRE. I FELT IT WAS GASOLINE AND IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED A LOCAL DEALER TO GET A DIAGNOSIS AND REPAIR. THE RESULT WAS THAT THE FUEL TANK ON MY 2008 FORD ESCAPE WAS LEAKING. AFTER THE DEALER SERVICE INVESTIGATION IT WAS REPORTED THAT IT CAME FROM AN AREA ON THE SIDE WALL OF THE TANK AND WAS RUST THROUGH. THE AREA DID NOT APPEAR TO HAVE PROPER COATING ON IT.

NHTSA ID

10787225

Incident

Oct 26, 2015

Mileage

115,724 mi

DRIVING THE VEHICLE ABOUT 40 MILES PER HOUR AND VEHICLE LOST ACCELERATION OR THROTTLE RESPONSE. VEHICLE COASTED TO A STOP AND ENGINE STOPPED. CAR RESTARTED WITHOUT INCIDENT. SEEMS TO BE VERY SIMILAR TO OTHER REPORTED ELECTRONIC THROTTLE BODY ISSUES WITH OTHER FORDS.

NHTSA ID

10746097

Incident

Aug 3, 2015

Mileage

98,000 mi

PURCHASED MY CAR IN AUGUST 2008, NOTICE IN OCT, 2008 GAS PEDAL KEPT STICKING. LITTLE HARD TO ACCELERATE, UNLESS YOU PRESS DOWN HARD. MY CAR WAS STILL UNDER MANUFACTURER WARRANTY, SO I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE REPLACED/ FIXED. THEN IN OCT 2013 MY GAS PEDAL BROKE, WENT STRAIGHT TO THE FLOOR (WITHOUT ACCELERATION) TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AGAIN. NOW IN FEB 2015, MY GAS PEDAL IS STICKING AGAIN, TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE FIX. THEY TOLD ME THAT MY ISSUES WITH THE GAS PEDAL WAS NOT RELATED. *TR

NHTSA ID

10691009

Incident

Sep 1, 2008

Mileage

1,200 mi

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE IT STOPPED ACCELERATING & LOST RPMS. THE SUV JOLTED FORWARD & BACK & DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH POWER TO ACCELERATE. IT MADE A REVVING SOUND EACH TIME THE GAS PEDAL WAS PRESSED. AT MOMENTS THE SUV WOULD ACCELERATE SLOWLY BUT THEN REPEAT THE PROCESS OVER. *TR

NHTSA ID

10678232

Incident

Jan 12, 2015

Mileage

123,290 mi