• Welcome to For Trucks Only !

    We are a community of American Brand Pickup Truck and SUV owners. Join now! Its Free!

Whats the best Escape ever made and why?

wizwrath

Active Member
Joined
Jun 20, 2011
Messages
27
Reaction score
0
Hi Guys,
Just wanted to start a interesting tread and the main reason is I was thinking on getting one myself. And please dont hesitate if you think any of them shouldnt have even been made but please give a justifyable and credible reason why.
 
How about a little funny then...I think the best one made would of had an escape hatch on the floor incase you ever rolled it over do to those bad tires they were putting on them....:pound:
 
Hmmmmmmm..... I think you must be confused with the Exployer when they were made with the Firestone tires way back then, unless I missed something about the tires with the Escapes, im sure Ford wouldnt screw up again, and ive been keeping up with the Excapes as much as possible.
 
Hmmmmmmm..... I think you must be confused with the Exployer when they were made with the Firestone tires way back then, unless I missed something about the tires with the Escapes, im sure Ford wouldnt screw up again, and ive been keeping up with the Excapes as much as possible.
I stand corrected sir...it was the Exploder...would have been a good option for them though..
 
Last edited:
Not a problem my friend...:dance: LOL......
So, Anyone else doesnt have anything good, bad or stories to share?
 
My son had a Explorer at that time, his firestone tires showed lots of ware. He wound up with brand new tires at no cost to him.
 
escapes or mazda tributes are ok suvs.... i would get the 6 cyl with all wheel drive and a newer yr model. they go trough front rotors and oil pan gaskets... some hat cat converter issues...(pre cats) but the cats usually failed under the 8/80k warranty. even though they are the same suv i always thought the steering was tighter on the tributes.

FWIW the exploder debacle was a combination of under inflated tire spec(IMO) under a top heavy vehicle. i have seen more problems with sears branded michellin scr's and yokohamas.

my $0.02

good luck with your purchase :)
 
Thanks for the feedback guys : ) Yea, still thinking about it, and I realize the newer models have anti-roll over assistance and the interiors look alot better. Not sure about going to all wheel or even 4X4 since they then to consume more gas then just regular front wheel drive. It's to bad Ford didnt put the Ecoboost into these things this year, it would be FUN FUN FUN.....lol. And even though the Mazda's are basically the same vehicle, I try to stay away from Asian vehicles, my thoughts are, I rather push a American Vehicle then drive a Asian one..lol
 
Thanks for the feedback guys : ) Yea, still thinking about it, and I realize the newer models have anti-roll over assistance and the interiors look alot better. Not sure about going to all wheel or even 4X4 since they then to consume more gas then just regular front wheel drive. It's to bad Ford didnt put the Ecoboost into these things this year, it would be FUN FUN FUN.....lol. And even though the Mazda's are basically the same vehicle, I try to stay away from Asian vehicles, my thoughts are, I rather push a American Vehicle then drive a Asian one..lol


they are both built in the same plant...lol the only thing asian about mazdas are rx8s and possibly miatas.
 
Thats true, but as long as the thing has some kind of Asian decal, stamping, badge, etc. I aint buying or even driving it....but then again, you are right that the Asian vehicles are being built here in America and providing Americans with jobs, etc. I guess im over reacting, but I like knowing my vehicle's have the American name on them....Especially FORD!!! lol.....
 
I know a few people who Own Escapes of various model years. Everyone seems to like and enjoy them.

My wife is presently considering an Escape as one of the 3 or 4 vehicles (all SUV's ) that she's looking at as her next daily driver.
We test drove a few 2011's and 2012's , and the only complaint we both had about it was that the A/C sucked. It was fine in the front seat, though not the coldest I've ever experienced, but the air in the back seat sucked, unless you were sitting in the center, and there were a couple of vents pointing at you.

To be fair, it was during a string of 99º-100º days here in Georgia, but the A/C in by trucks and in her 2006 Saturn Ion3 had no problems handling the day. All 4 of the Escapes did have the same issue.
btw, my sister in law has a Mazda 6, she live just north of Atlanta, and she says her AC sucks, too. When she brought it back to the Mazda dealer, she was told that that's just the nature of the beast.
The A/C in my Ford van is ice cold, so was the A/C in my old Crown Vic. So, I'm guessing it's just a Mazda trait. My son, who owns a Miata tends to agree.
 
and I realize the newer models have anti-roll over assistance

The anti-rollover assistance is a Trunk Monkey which deploys whenever the driver gets too aggressive with steering wheel input. Yank the wheel, and the Trunk Monkey pops out, bops you on the head, then assumes control of the vehicle...

Sorry, just had to:high5:
 
Yea, I have to agree about the "selective" nature of the A/C systems in those things, because its true how some A/C systems can handle the heat and some just cant kep up, and I know first hand how it gets bad since im in Hawaii, I even thought about getting into a Fusion, but damn, some just was warm at best. Gosh, whats with Ford and the A/C systems? I have a bunch of mustangs and they are awesome, so why cant Ford get it right with the family cars where its most important? I wished Ford wouldve came out with rear mounted A/C options like the Exploder (Exployers) lol...because im sure they wouldve sold more of them if they at least had that option.
LOL, thats funny about the trunk monkey, dont you wish that the guys that drives like idiots would have them in the passenger compartment and then when they start driving stupid then, BAM, the Monkey nails them in the head and tells them to drive right?!?! lol....
I also have a Focus and like it, so since the Escapes have this A/C issue, I was leaning towards another Focus.....I just wanted to get a mix of Ford products in my stable.......
 
Hmmmmmmm..... I think you must be confused with the Exployer when they were made with the Firestone tires way back then, unless I missed something about the tires with the Escapes, im sure Ford wouldnt screw up again, and ive been keeping up with the Excapes as much as possible.

Yeah, you're thinking of the Explorer as the one with the tire issues.

But you're not wrong on the Escape having tire issues, either.

The Contitrac's they came with would cup, badly, within the first five-ten thousand miles. And it's not a tire issue, it's a design flaw in the suspension. Others tire brands will last longer, but cup just as badly. Get used to having square tires.

In my opinion they were named aptly. After having been forced to test drive a few, both before and after repairs I couldn't wait to escape from the damned little things.
 
wow, Thats the first time I heard about the Escapes tires doing that......maybe its the shocks that went bad then the tires go next since they cant control the occilations.....
 
I wouldn't say it was the shocks going bad or any other failed suspension component. I was asked by my service manager to take the time to figure it out. I'd written 4 TSBs at that point in my career and re-written about three others. All day with one, less than 10,000 miles and the sneakers it wore coming out of the factory needing replaced due to severe cupping.

Just for s*** and giggles we even rebalanced a set on a new Escape, something like 8 miles on it. Still cupped within the 5-10K period.

My educated guess was that Ford didn't spec the piston rate for the shocks/struts right. Sorry, no soup for you Mr. Owner. Tires were a push to warranty to begin with and no way in hell was Ford going to allow us to warranty out the suspension components with something other than genuine FoMoCo parts.

I don't know if an aftermarket vendor like KYB or Bilstein has stepped up to the plate to correct this or not. I doubt if Monroe or Gabe's has as they usually just copy the OEM specs and have done with it.
 
OMG.....this is really sad, I hope Ford did something about it, and I hope a good aftermarket shock company did something better then the OE specs, and to think the Escape is one of the top demand compact and listed mini SUV's out there, and the way the asian's has stepped up the plans for their line's, Ford better get on thier game. Gosh, I cant believe the Focus has again didnt place on the top (it placed somewhere like 5th) and the Hyunai's is on or near the top. I cant wait for the new RS focus to hit the streets. I hear the auto clutch (dual) in the Focus is already having smoothness issue's...Sorry, but I rather push a Ford
(or anything american) then have to buy a asian vehicle.
 
OMG.....this is really sad, I hope Ford did something about it, and I hope a good aftermarket shock company did something better then the OE specs, and to think the Escape is one of the top demand compact and listed mini SUV's out there, and the way the asian's has stepped up the plans for their line's, Ford better get on thier game. Gosh, I cant believe the Focus has again didnt place on the top (it placed somewhere like 5th) and the Hyunai's is on or near the top. I cant wait for the new RS focus to hit the streets. I hear the auto clutch (dual) in the Focus is already having smoothness issue's...Sorry, but I rather push a Ford
(or anything american) then have to buy a asian vehicle.

The Focus's reputation precedes it. I've dealt with a few Focus owners who have vowed never to own Ford again. Just as the spark plug situation with the 3V motors have turned some owners to GM and Dodge. Too many shops have broken the plugs in the 3V's and it's cost the owners some serious money to fix.

Which is too bad. I like the Fusion platform. A lot. Now if Ford would let SVT put the Ecoboost under the hood and all wheel drive it, they'd have a world beater in performance. Probably will never happen because the emphasis is on the Mustang.

I can't speak for the current generation on the Focus. I left Ford back in '09, I think it was, after having worked both in the body shop in one dealership and the service department in two others. I can tell you, with my experience from both areas of my career, I'd never own the older generations.

I understand you're feelings about the Hyundais being at the top on the list, but the one Ford shop I worked for was also a Hyundai dealership. When it came time to upgrade the wife to something newer than her whipped the crap out of '90 New Yorker this Ford certified tech was watching his wife drive home in a used Hyundai, not a Ford.

The American car companies are having issues competing with the 10/100 warranty. And when Hyundai says "warranty" they mean it. We were replacing headlight bulbs on Hyundais with 99K, free of charge to the customer. Because of that warranty Hyundai has built in a lot of quality. They've come along way since their introduction to the US and getting the rep as being little POS's. They're quick to move on warranty issues and customer satisfaction. They're quick to move on changes in the line, within the model year, that the customers give feed back about. The Big Three usually waits until they tool-up for the next redesign before they make changes the customers are looking for. The training program for techs is better than Ford's, I can say that. They support their dealerships from the top down, including training of management. The PDI's can only be done by Hyundai certified techs, not the wash bay guy, like the American car manufacturers allow, which allows a trained eye to catch the small things before they become customer issues.

They also look for customer satisfaction. We had cars towed in from over 3 hours way for our Gold certified guy to work on when other dealerships couldn't find the issue. All at the manufacturer's expense. The gimmicks the dealerships like to add on to pad the sale price, like the anti-rust things that wire to the battery or the magnets that you see wrapped around the coolant hoses will null and void the warranty. The pressure is on the dealership to sell the car honestly, not gimmick the car to pad the salesman's commission.

The Big Three could learn a lot from that Korean car manufacturer. Too bad they're learning the lesson the hard way, through sales, rather than following the example that's been set.
 
Last edited:
Yup, I couldnt agree with you more. Its really sad whats happening to America (from politics all the way down to the economy). And I think we both are touching on subjects that affect America as a whole, something has to be done to change things so we can get the American's back into American vehicles. Yes, alot has been mentioned about Asian vehicles are being built here and providing jobs and what not, but, geeze, what happened to the feeling of seeing that American emblem on your car and feeling proud that it is the best in every way possible without giving in to compromises, etc.?
I can say that Ford is trying hard with the Fusion and the Mustang, look at the Escapes, they are on the top of the list once again for the most demand, etc. for the compact SUV class. But they need to try harder though. I was shocked and disappointed the Eco-boost wasnt offered in the Exployer, Escapes and Focuses this pass year. Lincoln has them in the MKX's. I do look forward to seeing the Focus RS next year (its sad it wasnt this year too). At least the Mustang is kicking butt, but they need to bring back the Fox style (and the weight advantage) this coming year. Gosh, what happened to getting a kick butt car for much less?
I think the Asian guys have been slipping alot too, look at Toyota's recall lists recently. But yea, the Hyundais have stayed in it and they keep coming out with better cars year after year. Why cant America look at the competition and say: hey, we better do something better, and then bam, just do it better? It does get lame when I tell people: hey, I got a american car, and they think, well thats nice, but did you know that it came in the middle to the bottom of the list?
 
I think the Asian guys have been slipping alot too, look at Toyota's recall lists recently. But yea, the Hyundais have stayed in it and they keep coming out with better cars year after year. Why cant America look at the competition and say: hey, we better do something better, and then bam, just do it better? It does get lame when I tell people: hey, I got a american car, and they think, well thats nice, but did you know that it came in the middle to the bottom of the list?

Toyota's history of corporate malfeasance, to me, gives their reputation as a car brand a black eye that they've done a good job of covering up with make up.

But let's chat a little more about the whole scenario.

In my career with Ford the only time I'd ever seen the Ford reps were when the one dealership I worked for was putting in the Quick Lane. If you're unfamiliar with the Quick Lane, it's Ford's idea of competing with box stores like Midas, Monro, Goodyear, Firestone, etc. That's years working in the body shop and the service department. Never saw a rep. Whereas I saw the Hyundai rep weekly. Big difference. And the biggest complaint from the Ford reps, when they came in, was that since we weren't a Blue Oval shop, then we couldn't wear the Ford colors. That's the only change they wanted to see when there were some serious issues in the shop itself that they turned a blind eye to.

Hyundai was in on the planning of the Hyundai side of the shop, the showroom, the inventory to start with. They supplied the special tools needed to work on the cars, there was no guess work. On the other hand if you needed a special Rotunda tool that you didn't have it had to be ordered. Dealership support is one of the things that places the Asians above us. The Big Three continues with the idea that the dealerships can support themselves and the cars will sell on brand loyalty. If there's negative feedback from the customers about the dealerships then Ford makes a few criticizing phone calls and simply says, "do better." If we got a bad report from a Hyundai customer then the rep would make suggestions on how to do better, as she was touring every dealership in her area and bringing in ideas from others.

Training support was better. Tell me why, at the one dealership where I worked, the only Ford Master Certified guy was the operations manager and not a tech? Ford could have cared less that the guy with Master Cert's was management. Whereas Hyundai has a separate training for management and technicians and puts the emphasis on that. Hyundai wants to see at least two Silver Certified guys in every shop. If one goes Gold and gets an invitation to go Platinum (yes, Hyundai sends out invitations to go top tier, and by doing so, they keep on an eye on their techs to see who has the best reputation to get the invitation) then they want at least one more Silver guy to go along with the program.

Ford just wants someone in the shop to put the warranty claim in.

From what I'm being told GM and Chrysler are putting an emphasis on ASE's, not factory training.

As a result, if there's issues at the dealership level the Hyundai rep is there to nip it in the bud before it gets out of hand. The dealership is the face of the car company. And the emphasis lately, for the Big Three, is just simply let a dealership be that face, good or bad, as long as the dealership is making enough money to continue to flip inventory.
 
Back
Top