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#BS-2002-FORESC-7581

2002 Ford EscapeProblems, Recalls & Reliability

Based on reports from 1,397 owners and 10 recalls for this exact model.

Data updated ·checked October 21, 2026 · NHTSA complaints through October 19, 2026

Complaints
1,397
Crashes
96
Fires
147
Recalls
10
TSBs
109
🛑

Preliminary Verdict

Red Flag

Based on 1,397 complaints, 96 crashes, 147 fires, and 10 recalls. Complaint rate is 3.2x the class average.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Top reported problems

1

transmission failure

34 complaints • Severity 9.2/10

$X,XXX
2

air bag light on

14 complaints • Severity 6.1/10

$X,XXX
3

cd player eats cds

7 complaints • Severity 6.3/10

$X,XXX
4

spark plug ejected

7 complaints • Severity 8.3/10

$X,XXX
5

car vibrates at certain speeds

7 complaints • Severity 5.7/10

$X,XXX

Preview: What's in your full report

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasolineHIGH

135 owners reported engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline issues — failures commonly reported around 89K miles.

!Inspect the BrakesMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

Failure Timeline by Mileage

174
0–30K
131
30–60K
146
60–90K
142
90–120K
125
120–150K
175
150K+

Peak failure range: 150K+ miles (175 reports) • Median: 89K miles

Full report: which components fail at each mileageUnlock

30,000-Mile Cost Projection

Best Case

$X,XXX

Most Likely

$X,XXX

Worst Case

$X,XXX

Top cost driver: Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline (135 reports).

Includes fuel costs, common repairs, and recall riskUnlock

Also in your report

Owner Intelligence

AI-synthesized themes from real complaints

Buyer Lot Checklist

Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers

Negotiation Talking Points

Data-backed dollar deductions

Buy / Skip Verdict

Final recommendation with conditions

10 sections total in the full reportUnlock all

Where the complaints fall

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline135 (10%)
Brakes102 (7%)
Engine99 (7%)
Engine And Engine Cooling:engine76 (5%)
Speed Control74 (5%)
Electrical66 (5%)
Suspension62 (4%)
Airbags51 (4%)

2002 Ford Escape: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline Issues

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine:gasoline complaints account for 10% of all reports filed for the 2002 Ford Escape, with 135 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 89,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 89K-mile mark.

Brakes Issues

Brakes complaints account for 7% of all reports filed for the 2002 Ford Escape, with 102 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to brakes-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Engine Issues

Engine complaints account for 7% of all reports filed for the 2002 Ford Escape, with 99 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to engine-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine Issues

Engine And Engine Cooling:engine complaints account for 5% of all reports filed for the 2002 Ford Escape, with 76 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to engine and engine cooling:engine-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.

Complaint trend by year

24
01
246
02
150
03
139
04
68
05
55
06
56
07
49
08
37
09
51
10
62
11
111
12
51
13
84
14
71
15
34
16
32
17
33
18
18
19
8
20
8
21
4
22
1
23
1
24
1
25
3
26

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2002 Ford Escape. Recent trend: increasing.

Don't negotiate blind — know what this car costs to own

Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict

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Recall History (10 recalls)

04V165000Apr 2004

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM)

ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 3.0L V6 ENGINES, DURING DECELERATION, THE ENGINE CAN STALL.

04V574000Jan 2005

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CABLES

ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES BUILT WITH 3.0L V6 ENGINES, THE ACCELERATOR CABLE MAY PREVENT THE THROTTLE FROM RETURNING TO THE IDLE POSITION.

04V602000Mar 2005

LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH

CERTAIN 2004-2005 SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES AND CERTAIN 2001-2003 SPORT UTIITY VEHICLE HAVING REAR LIFTGATE COMPONENTS SERVICED WITH 2004 EQUIVALENT COMPONENTS FAIL TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 206, 'DOOR LOCKS AND DOOR RETENTION COMPONENTS.' THE REAR LIFTGATE LATCHING SYSTEM DOES NOT MEET THE INERTIA LOAD REQUIREMENT IN ONE DIRECTION.

07E023000Apr 2007

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER

CERTAIN CARDONE MASTER CYLINDERS WITH PART NUMBERS 10-2925, 10-2987, 10-2987MZA, 10-3083, 11-3015, 11-3042, 11-3044, 11-3045, 11-3047, 11-3064, AND 11-3156, AND WITH DATE CODES LOWER THAN DCA7078 SOLD AS REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT FOR USE ON THE VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. THE SEAL ON MASTER CYLINDER CAN FAIL AND LEAK BRAKE FLUID.

07V156000Apr 2007

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE

ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH ANTILOCK BRAKES (ABS), THE ABS MODULE CONNECTOR MAY HAVE MISSING OR DISLODGED WIRE SEALS. THIS CONDITION COULD ALLOW CONTAMINATION TO ENTER THE MODULE CONNECTOR, CREATING A POTENTIAL FOR AN ELECTRICAL SHORT.

+ 5 more recalls in the full report

Recall severity analysis & seller scripts

The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.

Unlock

NHTSA Defect Investigations (10)

All closed. Investigations are how NHTSA decides whether a defect needs a recall.

AQ10001ClosedOpened Nov 2010 · closed Dec 2015

Fleet Vehicle Recall Completion Audit

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

DP09003ClosedOpened Apr 2009 · closed Apr 2009

ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE

DP12005ClosedOpened Jul 2012 · closed Jul 2012

Cruise Control Cable

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL

EA02027ClosedOpened Sep 2002 · closed Apr 2004

ENGINE STALLING

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

EA10002ClosedOpened Jan 2010 · closed Feb 2012

Engine Compartment Fire

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE

+ 5 more in the full report

The worst model year for the Ford Escape is the 2014 — worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is transmission.

2002 Ford Escape vs. Class Average (Sport Utility Vehicle - 2WD)

This vehicle

1,397

Class avg

432

3.2x the class average — significantly more complaints than typical sport utility vehicle - 2wd vehicles.

Complaint counts correlate with sales volume — popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.

About this data

NHTSA Complaints

Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 1,397 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 10 recalls found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.

Last updated (checked October 21, 2026). NHTSA complaints received through October 19, 2026.

Other Ford Escape Model Years

202620252024202320222021202020192018201720162015201420132012201120102009200820072006200520042003200220012000
View all Ford Escape years →

2002 Ford Escape: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 2002 Ford Escape?
The most commonly reported issue with the 2002 Ford Escape is related to the engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline, with 135 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 2002 Ford Escape reliable?
The 2002 Ford Escape has 1,397 complaints, 96 crash reports, and 147 fire reports filed with NHTSA. This is 3.2x the class average — higher than typical for its segment.
How much does it cost to fix 2002 Ford Escape problems?
Repair costs vary by issue. The full BumperScan report includes detailed repair cost estimates (low/median/high) for every major issue, plus a 30,000-mile total cost of ownership projection.
Does the 2002 Ford Escape have any recalls?
Yes, the 2002 Ford Escape has 10 recalls on record. The full report includes recall severity analysis and scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
What mileage do Ford Escape problems start?
Based on 893 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 89,000 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 150K+ mile range. The full report breaks down exactly which components fail at each mileage bracket.
When was the 2002 Ford Escape data last updated?
BumperScan last checked this vehicle against NHTSA on October 21, 2026, covering owner complaints received through October 19, 2026 plus the latest recalls, investigations and technical service bulletins. Its numbers last changed on October 4, 2026.
What’s in the full report?
10 sections of AI analysis: severity-ranked issues, component scores (0-100), 30K-mile cost projection, failure timeline by mileage, recall details with seller scripts, owner sentiment analysis, mechanic checklist, buyer lot checklist, negotiation ammo with dollar figures, and a buy/skip verdict.
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
NHTSA gives you raw complaint text. BumperScan cross-references 2.1M+ complaints with community repair cost data, EPA fuel data, and recall records — then uses AI to synthesize it into actionable advice with dollar figures.
How is this different from Carfax?
Carfax is VIN-specific history ($45/report). BumperScan is model-level reliability intelligence — what problems this car is known for, what they cost, and whether you should buy it. Complementary, not competing.
What if the report isn’t useful?
100% money-back guarantee. If the report doesn’t help you make a more informed decision, we’ll refund you — no questions asked.
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10 sections of AI analysis based on 1,397 owner reports. Know before you buy.

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