2002 FORD ESCAPE Problems
Real NHTSA owner complaints for the 2002 Ford Escape. This model year has 1,079 NHTSA complaints — top issue: Engine Problems.
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This page shows the model year's reputation. The VIN tells you about the specific car — accidents, title issues, odometer rollbacks, and open recalls.
Worst 2002 Ford Escape Problems
Top 3 most-reported issues with average mileage at failure.
Engine Problems
Brake System
Hydraulic
Considering a 2002 Ford Escape?
This page shows the model year's reputation. The VIN tells you about this specific car — accidents, title issues, odometer fraud. Full report just $4.99 (vs. Carfax $44.99).
All Problems by Category
Every NHTSA complaint category for the 2002 Ford Escape. A single complaint may appear in multiple categories.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Avg Mileage | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine Problems | 334 | 5 | 39 | — | |
| Brake System | 200 | 13 | 51 | — | |
| Hydraulic | 152 | 7 | 39 | — | |
| Electrical Faults | 125 | — | 32 | — | |
| Transmission / Drivetrain | 115 | 5 | 2 | — | |
| Unintended Acceleration | 103 | 26 | 10 | — | |
| Structural Problems | 91 | 3 | 1 | — | |
| Suspension Failures | 90 | 3 | 1 | — | |
| Airbag Malfunctions | 83 | 25 | — | — | |
| Steering Defects | 71 | 7 | — | — | |
| Uncategorized Issues | 35 | — | 5 | — | |
| Visibility | 35 | — | — | — | |
| Fuel System | 23 | 2 | 2 | — | |
| Door Lock Issues | 21 | 1 | — | — | |
| Gasoline | 20 | 2 | 2 | — | |
| Equipment | 17 | — | — | — | |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 16 | — | — | — | |
| Seat Belt Issues | 15 | 3 | — | — | |
| Tire Issues | 14 | 1 | 1 | — | |
| Headlight/Taillight Failures | 12 | — | 1 | — | |
| Wheel Issues | 10 | 3 | — | — | |
| Electronic Stability Control (Esc) | 4 | — | — | — | |
| Electric | 4 | — | 3 | — | |
| Seat-Related Issues | 4 | — | — | — | |
| Visibility/Wiper | 3 | — | — | — | |
| Other | 3 | — | — | — | |
| Air | 3 | — | 1 | — | |
| Equipment Adaptive/Mobility | 2 | — | 1 | — | |
| Child Seat | 2 | — | — | — | |
| Interior Lighting | 1 | — | 1 | — | |
| Electronic Stability Control | 1 | — | — | — | |
| Parking-Brake Issues | 1 | — | — | — |
Source: NHTSA Complaints Database. Complaint counts may exceed total complaints because one report can span multiple categories.
Search Owner Complaints
Read what owners actually reported to NHTSA for the 2002 Ford Escape. Type a keyword (e.g. “transmission”, “stalling”, “brakes”) to filter.
Showing 400 most recent complaints of 1,079 total. View all on NHTSA ↗
I bought a vehicle that has recalls on it. I contacted a dealer. Im told the car is to old to fix the recalled abs relay. Now I have a vehicle thats on the road a fire hazard. The ford dealership have left me my with and kids and grand kids in danger
The contact owns a 2002 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while shifted in park(P), the key failed to release while the engine was running. The contact drove to a local O'Reilly's where one of the employees was able to remove the key from the ignition. The failure had gotten p…
I have had to replace my engine/transmission several times and the problem keeps repeating itself. The engine will just die for no reason which is an extremely severe safety risk.
The contact owns a 2002 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made an abnormal sound and started drifting to the left. The vehicle was towed to the residence. An independent mechanic diagnosed the vehicle with a rusted subframe. T…
The contact owns a 2002 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH and depressing forcefully on the accelerator pedal, the accelerator pedal got stuck. The contact was unable to disengage the accelerator pedal. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The co…
Vehicle was manufactured 04/2002 recalls state that from oct99 to jan04 multiple states had issues with rusting with suspension causing the car to crash. My vehicle was made in one of the states and has alot of underbody rusting. Back hatch latch gets stuck often and will not ope…
The contact owns a 2002 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was at the dealer, he was informed that the subframe was severely corroded. The vehicle was repaired under NHTSA campaign number 14V165000 (Structure) however, the remedy failed to fix the vehicle. The…
The passenger side flashes with the Air bag symbol and has the seat belt too. Sometimes the symbol just stays on the dash board.
The contact owns a 2002 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the contact heard a loud noise coming from the suspension of the vehicle. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was di…
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE FAILED TO START. THE BRAKE WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THERE WAS WATER IN THE FUSE BOX. THE CONTACT CALLED FRIENDLY FORD (2800 N TELEGRAPH RD, MONROE, MI 48162, (734) 243-6000) HOW…
VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN HEARD A LOUD BANG WHEN HITTING A BUMP. STEERING BECAME ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE BUT WAS ABLE TO SAFELY GET OFF THE HIGHWAY AND TO A SHOP. UPON INSPECTION, THE SUB-FRAME ON THE PASSENGER SIDE HAD BROKEN AND WAS HANGING 6 INCHES LOWER THAN IT SHOU…
GEARS IS HARD TO SHIFT TO THE RIGHT GEAR AND LIGHTS WENT OUT EARLY LIKE A DRAIN IN ELECTRICAL AND MY STEARING IS BECOMING HARD TO TURN ON STREETS AND OUT MY DRIVE WAY
WHEN I DRIVE, THERE IS A LOUD ALMOST LIKE GRINDING NOISE. IT STARTED MAKING THAT NOISE, FOUR DAYS AFTER I BOUGHT IT. AS SOON AS I HEARD THE NOISE, I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OFF THE ROAD, CALLED AND HAD A FLATBED COME PICK MY VEHICLE UP TOO TAKE IT BACK HOME. IV REPLACED THE FRONT DRIV…
BREAKS MAKE SCRAP SOUND LIKE METAL GRINDING AND IT'S HARD TO BREAK I ALMOST HAVE TO PUSH THE BREAKS ALL THE WAY DOWN AND YOU FEEL IT IN THE PEDDLE IF YOU DRIVE AROUND 40 MPH AND GO TO PUT ON THE BREAKS THE SCRAPING SOUND HAPPENS AND SOMETIMES THE PEDDLE TRY'S TO LOCK UP. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 2002 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE REVERSING OF THE PARKING LOT, THE PASSENGER'S SIDE WHEEL TURNED INTO THE WHEEL WELL. THE CONTACT TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE AFTER HEARING AN ABNORMAL NOISE. THE CONTACT STATED NO WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICL…
MY CAR JERKS, AND SWERVES BECAUSE OF THE LOWER CONTROL ARM ON THE DRIVERS SIDE. IT AND THE SUBRALFRAME ARE MESSED UP. IT WILL COST ME TOO MUCH MONEY TO FIX AND NO ONE WANTS TO TOUCH IT. I DONT WANT TO SELL IT TO ANYONE BE CAUSE OF THE SAFETY OF THE VEHICLE. IT JERKS AT LOW SPEE…
I HAD JUST PURCHASED USED A 2002 FORD ESCAPE NOV 27 2019 DECIDING TO TAKE THE KIDS AND GO TO GROCERY STORE THAT I DID BUT ON THE WAY HOME THE VEHICLES STEERING LOCKED UP WHEN I REALISED IT I MASHED THE BRAKES THEY WOULDNT WORK SO I SLAMED IT IN PARK THERE WERE NO DASH WARNING LIG…
ON 12/20/2013 I HAD THE LOWER CONTROL ARMS REPLACED, AND HAD TO PAY 1,279.79. IN APRIL 2014 YOU ANNOUNCED A RECALL FOR THIS SAME ITEM. FOR SOME TREASON YOU EXCLUDED MY CAR. CONSIDERING MY CAR REQUIRED THE EXACT ITEM REPLACED ONLY 4 MONTHS PRIOR, I AM REQUESTING TO BE REIMB…
WHILE IN MOTION, THE LOWER CONTROL ARM SEPARATED FROM THE SUBFRAME DUE TO CORROSION. I LOST STEERING BUT WAS ABLE TO SKID TO THE SHOULDER. THE SAME ISSUE AS RECALL 14S02 BUT MY VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED.
THE MOUNTS THAT THE ENGINE SITS ON RUSTED AWAY, CAUSING THE ENGINE TO DROP ONTO THE STEERING SYSTEM WHILE DRIVING.
Source: NHTSA Complaints Database. Real owner reports for the 2002 Ford Escape.
Recalls for 2002 Ford Escape
10 campaignsNHTSA recall campaigns for the 2002 Ford Escape. Recalls are free to fix at any authorized dealer. Run a VIN check below to see if your specific vehicle has open recalls.
2002 Ford Escape — FAQ
Answers based on real NHTSA complaint and recall data for this specific model year.
Is the 2002 Ford Escape reliable?▾
Severe Issues. The 2002 Ford Escape has 1,079 NHTSA owner complaints, 68 crash-related, and 10 recall campaigns. The most reported issue is Engine Problems (334 complaints). Source: NHTSA via VinSpector AI.
What are the most common problems with the 2002 Ford Escape?▾
#1: Engine Problems (334 complaints). #2: Brake System (200 complaints). #3: Hydraulic (152 complaints)
At what mileage do problems start on the 2002 Ford Escape?▾
Mileage data is not available or insufficient for this model year.
How safe is the 2002 Ford Escape?▾
The 2002 Ford Escape has 68 crash-related complaints and 108 fire reports out of 1,079 total NHTSA complaints. 45 injuries were reported. For NCAP lab crash test star ratings, visit nhtsa.gov/ratings.
Does the 2002 Ford Escape have any recalls?▾
Yes — 10 NHTSA recall campaigns affect the 2002 Ford Escape. The largest issue: POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:LEVER AND LINKAGE:FLOOR SHIFT. Check nhtsa.gov/recalls or run a VIN check to see if your specific vehicle has open recalls.
Should I buy a 2002 Ford Escape?▾
The 2002 Ford Escape has severe issues — review the top problems before buying. Pay particular attention to Engine Problems issues. Always run a VIN check on the specific car you're considering to check for accident history, open recalls, and title brands.
Source: NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) complaint and recall databases, aggregated by VinSpector AI.
Wider context: See the full Ford Escape reliability report with year-by-year comparison.
Check Your Specific 2002 Ford Escape
Real owner complaints tell you about the model. The VIN tells you about your specific car — accidents, title issues, odometer fraud. Full report just $4.99.