2003 Ford Escape Structure Problems
Owners have filed 121 complaints with NHTSA about structure problems on the 2003 Ford Escape, 22% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 109,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “control arm” (25% of reports).
- 121structure complaints
- 109,000median miles at failure
- 1mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- 8%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 30 of 121 complaints (25%)
- Paint peeling: mentioned in 19 of 121 complaints (16%)
- Sub frame: mentioned in 18 of 121 complaints (15%)
- Front passenger side: mentioned in 17 of 121 complaints (14%)
At what mileage do structure problems happen?
Based on 94 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 121 complaints, 1 mention a crash, 1 a fire.
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.
The contact owns a 2003 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the front wheel would extend outward while turning the vehicle, braking, or during acceleration, causing the vehicle to slightly veer to the right. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the front passengerâs…
Tl* the contact's mother owns a 2003 ford escape. The contact's mother received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 14v165000 (structure) the vehicle was repaired at hopkins ford of elgin inc. Located at (1045 e chicago st, elgin, il 60120) however, the failure was experienced. The contact…
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford escape. The contact heard a knocking sound coming from the vehicle. An independent mechanic discovered that the subframe was rusted and quoted a repair cost of $2,000 to have the frame replaced. Several unknown dealers were contacted and quoted repairs costs as high…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2003 Ford Escapes have structure problems?
No. NHTSA has 121 owner complaints about structure for the 2003 Ford Escape (22% of the 558 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 2003 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 109,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about structure problems on the 2003 Ford Escape?
The most frequent phrase is “control arm”, in 30 of 121 complaints, followed by “paint peeling” (19).
Other 2003 Ford Escape problems
See all 2003 Ford Escape problems or structure problems across all Escape years.