2002 Ford Escape Structure Problems
Owners have filed 87 complaints with NHTSA about structure problems on the 2002 Ford Escape, 8% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 125,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “control arm” (28% of reports).
- 87structure complaints
- 125,000median miles at failure
- 3mention a crash
- 3mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- 14%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Control arm: mentioned in 24 of 87 complaints (28%)
- Sub frame: mentioned in 15 of 87 complaints (17%)
- Included structure: mentioned in 7 of 87 complaints (8%)
- Cross brace: mentioned in 5 of 87 complaints (6%)
At what mileage do structure problems happen?
Based on 77 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 87 complaints, 3 mention a crash, 1 a fire, 3 an injury.
Ford Escape structure complaints by model year
| Model year | Structure complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Escape | 2 | 8% | — |
| 2024 Escape | 2 | 3% | 9,062 |
| 2023 Escape | 5 | 5% | — |
| 2022 Escape | 20 | 9% | 10,000 |
| 2021 Escape | 92 | 26% | 41,500 |
| 2020 Escape | 670 | 42% | 45,000 |
| 2019 Escape | 12 | 2% | 36,200 |
| 2018 Escape | 20 | 1% | 22,000 |
| 2017 Escape | 62 | 2% | 40,000 |
| 2016 Escape | 21 | 2% | 29,902 |
| 2015 Escape | 36 | 3% | 47,000 |
| 2014 Escape | 84 | 4% | 40,000 |
| 2013 Escape | 87 | 3% | 39,306 |
| 2012 Escape | 68 | 11% | 57,000 |
| 2011 Escape | 43 | 3% | 48,000 |
| 2010 Escape | 84 | 4% | 65,500 |
| 2009 Escape | 32 | 2% | 72,000 |
| 2008 Escape | 41 | 2% | 80,000 |
| 2007 Escape | 18 | 7% | 115,000 |
| 2006 Escape | 63 | 14% | 128,400 |
| 2005 Escape | 434 | 31% | 120,000 |
| 2004 Escape | 138 | 28% | 120,000 |
| 2003 Escape | 121 | 22% | 109,000 |
| 2002 Escape | 87 | 8% | 125,000 |
| 2001 Escape | 54 | 5% | 132,800 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Structure:frame and members
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2001-2004 Escape vehicles manufactured October 22, 1999, through January 23, 2004, originally sold, or currently registered in, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia. These vehicles may experience excessive corrosion at the forward attachment of the lower control arm.
Risk: A separation of the lower control arm can result in a significant loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will install a newly designed reinforcement cross-brace, free of charge. The recall began on May 30, 2014. Owners may contact Ford at 1-800-392-3673. Ford's number for this recall is 14S02.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
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 open. Drums on the…
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 manufacturer was…
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 diagnosed with the…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2002 Ford Escapes have structure problems?
No. NHTSA has 87 owner complaints about structure for the 2002 Ford Escape (8% of the 1,027 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2002 Ford Escape structure?
Yes: 1 safety recall list structure. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do structure problems start?
The median reported mileage is 125,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about structure problems on the 2002 Ford Escape?
The most frequent phrase is “control arm”, in 24 of 87 complaints, followed by “sub frame” (15).
Other 2002 Ford Escape problems
See all 2002 Ford Escape problems or structure problems across all Escape years.