Ford Escape Reliability Problems

1. Most lug nuts are one piece of hardened steel, but Ford chose a design that puts an aluminum cap over a steel core.

   The cap is notorious for swelling and delaminating when it gets hot. It’s also a great place to trap moisture and encourage corrosion. The end result? A lug nut that’s either too big for a standard wrench or fused so tight you need a drill, welding torch, and 7 Hail Marys to remove it.

   A 2017 class-action lawsuit accused Ford of cost-cutting when switching to the two-piece design. It also said the automaker is aware of the problems, but won’t honor its warranty by denying any lug nut related claims.…

   keep reading article "The Swollen Lug Nuts Lawsuit Against Ford Has Been Dismissed"

2. Ford wants the lug nut lawsuit tossed because "the plaintiffs never allege the swollen lug nuts have ever caused physical injuries to any person or damage to any property."

   Ford also says the plaintiffs talk about swollen lug nuts as if the lug nuts should be indestructible and the warranties should last forever, then wrongly "attempt to cast their product-defect allegations as warranty, fraud and unjust-enrichment claims."

   Should lug nuts last forever? Of course not. But they also shouldn't fuse into something harder than a diamond after 10,000 miles on the road.…

   keep reading article "Lug Nut Lawsuit is Baseless According to Ford Attorneys"

3. Ford has been sued for switching to a 2-piece lug nut design that features an aluminum cap.

   When exposed to the elements, the cap swells in the heat, cracks and delaminates, and corrodes from moisture. This leaves owners and lessees who get flat tires often stranded on the roads without the ability for even tow truck drivers to remove the swollen lug nuts. This means a tow to the shop just to have the lug nuts removed and the tire replaced.

   The two-piece capped lug nuts are cheaper than a one-piece stainless plug, but they look nice because of the cap. Most owners never think twice about the lug nut when buying a vehicle, only to be met with this headache down the road.

   keep reading article "Ford Sued for Using Two-Piece Lug Nuts That Swell"

5. Ford has once again expanded a door handle recall, this time affecting 2.3 million vehicles.

   It's likely NHTSA asked Ford to expand the recall because all affected vehicles weren't included in the August recall. That recall was for only certain areas of the country which Ford said had higher ambient temperatures. Vehicles outside those specific areas weren't included in the recall, but Ford said they could be included in a "customer satisfaction program.

   So much for the "solar loading" defense.

   keep reading article "Goodbye Regional, Hello Nationwide Recall of Ford Door Handles"

6. The 2017 Escape has barely even rolled off dealer lots.

   Well, you better roll it back because the popular CUV has been recalled with windows that close with too much gusto. The automaker provided very limited information but did say the power window system can exceed the "regulatory requirement for remote actuation closing force."

   That's a really fancy way of saying the windows slam. Ford hasn't announced when the recall will begin.

   keep reading article "The 2017 Escape's Windows Close with Too Much Force"

7. Ford is having a problem keeping its vehicle's doors closed, prompting another massive recall.

   If they keep it up, they might have trouble keeping their doors open too. Ford says about 830,000 vehicles in North America need fixes to stop the doors from popping open while driving. This isn't the automaker's first time dealing with this problem. In 2015 they recalled nearly 550,000 vehicles for a similar issue.

   Unlike the previous recall, however, this one will only take place in what Ford is calling areas of "higher ambient temperature."…

   keep reading article "A Recall to Keep Doors Closed While Driving"

8. **Fo

   d's pawl spring issues have had their doors blown wide open. Yes, I went there. Ford says a recall of 830,000 vehicles in North America is needed to fix doors that may open while driving, but only if those vehicles are in certain areas.

   This comes after the feds opened an investigation into 400,000 Focus cars experiencing similar problems to a door latch recall from last year.…

   keep reading article "Regional Recall For Another 830,000 Vehicles with Busted Pawl Springs"

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