2003 Ford Escape consumer reviews

Bought this vehicle used in January 2015 & have put 75,000 miles on it. Other than maintenance issues and quite a bit of rust it runs and drives straight down the road just like it did the day I purchased it.

I have had my 2003 Escape since 2005 and this is my daily commuter vehicle. Mileage is at 216,000 and it keeps on ticking. Excellent in the rough Michigan winter and have not been stuck with my 4WD. I feel safe in my Escape with my family and my next vehicle will definitely be another Escape!!!

96,000 miles and Transfer case goes out. I guess this is a normal case for the 2003 escape. Having to fix it and hoping to sell it as soon as possible.

This is by far the best vehicle I have owned. Just turned over 304,000 miles with no transmission issues. It is my daily driver. I am averaging 25.4 mpg on my commute. Besides the items that normally need to be replaced, I have replaced O2 sensors, tie rod ends, and some gaskets. That is all. One complaint, the Duratec motors are very expensive to work on due to the amount of labor involved. For example, it cost $265 in labor alone to replace the spark plugs. Overall, a great vehicle that will haul many larger items. I will purchase another one when this one goes.

I knew an Escape was a good choice as soon as I started looking in the market. I see at least 10 every day I am on the road, and they've been around a while, so I know people like them. There were only a few for sale, which told me people never want to return them. A family member of mine owns an Escape as well and loves it. I love it and can't wait to get a full life out of it. I full except to get another 10 years at least. Best model of SUV Ford has every produced.

I owned one of these. Although very reliable keep in mind: 1. Extremely poor gas mileage. Just its nature. Expect 15-17 mpg. Ford fixed that in 2004. 2. Very poor transmission. It has been an issue for years. Ford fixed the problem in 2004. It will not last much longer than 100K miles. After that, you are on borrowed time. 3. This was in response to "no rust" in one ad. These are rust buckets. Be wary of quickie rust fixups. 4. Finally, I saw this listed in June 2013 with 126K miles at $8K. This car books for $5K-$5.5K. IT IS NOT WORTH OVER 6K!

Most unreliable car I've owned. Three or four recalls, left me stranded on road twice, regular electrical system issues and electric hatch lock sticks locked when I need the back area the most. When the vehicle is working it is OK, just never seems to be working. Won't buy another Ford product.

This car gave me such excellent performance that I would not settle for any other car when it was wrecked and the insurance totalled it out!! I searched and searched for another like it and finally found one with the same mileage!! It is a great car!!

Clanking noise over bumps. Motor mounts broken,radio dead, auto door locks dead, hood coating peeling

I got this car as a hand-me-down from my dad when I went off to college. It served him well for the first 130k miles but when I got it things started going wrong. I have had the same problem 3 times where after starting the car up it immediately dies with no stuttering or anything. I've taken it in to 3 different repair shops and no one has been able to fix it. I'm not at 141k and thinking it's time go give it up. It has had a nice long life though. Worked well in the winter, off roads, and on the highway. The gas milage wasn't great though, only around 21 city/highway.