2008 FORD ESCAPE Visibility Problems

BOTH OF THE HINGES ON THE REAR LIFTGATE GLASS WERE CRACKED AND SPLITTING. THE LOCAL DEALER SAID THAT THIS COULD ALLOW THE REAR GLASS TO FALL OFF IN TRAFFIC CAUSING BOTH DAMAGE TO MY TRUCK AND TO OTHER MOTORIST. I FEEL THAT THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND SHOULD BE RECALLED AS AN INFERIOR PART FOR FORD TO BE USING ON THEIR VEHICLES. *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON I 40 IN GARNER, NC, AND HEARD VERY LOUD NOISE, IT WAS MY MOON ROOF, EXPLODED, SHATTERED. I LOOKED ON INTERNET AND FOUND NO RECALLS ON THIS. DID FIND PEOPLE WHO HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT THE SAME THING HAS HAPPENED TO THEM WITH THEIR ESCAPES AND FORD NOT GOING GOOD FOR IT, WHAT DOES IT TAKE? INJURY? *TR

OUT OF NOWHERE IN SEPT AND OCT OF 2011 MY SUN ROOF, RIGHT PASSENGER AND RIGHT BACK PASSENGER WINDOWS STOPPED WORKING. THEY FELL STRAIGHT DOWN.. THE MOTOR AND THE BAND QUIT AND NOW COME AUGUST AND OCTOBER OF .2012 THE SAME THING ON THE LEFT. I BOUGHT THIS BRAND NEW ON 2008 OUT OF THE DEALERSHIP AND NOW I HAVE TO SPEND MY TIME AND MONEY FOR A DEFECTIVE AUTO. *TR

11/01/2011: WHILE DRIVING THE 2008 FORD ESCAPE XLS AT APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH ON A SMOOTH PAVED STREET, THE REAR WINDOW COMPLETELY SHATTERED. THE REAR WINDOW AND TAILGATE WERE CLOSED AT THE TIME. NO INJURIES OR OTHER DAMAGE REPORTED. THE REAR DEFROSTER HAD BEEN ON FOR 5-10 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT AND WAS TURNED OFF ABOUT A MINUTE BEFORE THE REAR WINDOW SHATTERED. NOTE: THE GLASS HAD AN AFTERMARKET TINT FILM APPLIED APPROXIMATELY 6 MONTHS PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THREE OF THE WINDOWS ON THE VEHICLE DROPPED DOWN INTO THE DOOR PANEL ABNORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO REPAIRED THE WINDOW REGULATORS ON TWO OF THE WINDOWS. THE THIRD WINDOW NEEDED TO BE FULLY REPLACED. A COMPLAINT WAS FILED WITH THE MANUFACTURER, WHO OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70,000.

MY DAUGHTER WAS GOING THROUGH A MCDONALD'S DRIVE THRU WITH OUR 2008 ESCAPE WHEN SHE HEARD WHAT SHE THOUGHT WAS A EXPLOSION AND GLASS APPEARED EVERYWHERE IN THE VEHICLE. IT SCARED THE HECK OUT OF HER! I REVIEWED OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS AND FORD DOESN'T SEEM TO THINK THIS IS A PROBLEM. I AM WONDERING WHAT MIGHT HAVE HAPPENED IF OUR GRANDDAUGHTER WAS IN HER INFANT SEAT FACING BACKWARDS AS SHE DOES! I FEEL THAT REGARDLESS OF WHAT FORD THINKS, THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUED. AS IF THAT ISN'T ENOUGH, THE COST OF THIS SIMPLE PIECE OF GLASS IS IN EXCESS OF $600.00 ! ALL BUT $250 OF THAT WAS COVERED BY THAT, HOWEVER TO ME THAT IS $250.00 TOO MUCH TO PAY FOR WHAT APPEARS TO BE A MANUFACTURER DESIGN PROBLEM! THE REPAIR COMPANY (SAFELITE GLASS - NATIONAL COMPANY) SAYS JUST IN THE JOLIET IL OFFICE THEY SEE THIS...

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD ESCAPE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE NOTICED THAT HER REAR WINDSHIELD HAD EXPLODED. SHE INSPECTED THE WINDSHIELD HERSELF AND SAW THAT PIECES OF THE GLASS WERE STAINED BROWN AND SHE BELIEVED THAT THE DEFROSTER HAD OVERHEATED. NO POLICE WERE CALLED AND NO REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER WHO INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 33,000.

I PRESSED THE UNLOCK BUTTON ON MY KEY TO OPEN THE REAR WINDOW HATCH, THEN PUT MY GROCERIES IN THE BACK OF MY VEHICLE. MY SON THEN PUT HIS HAND UP TO CLOSE THE WINDOW DOWN AND THE ENTIRE GLASS JUST EXPLODED, CUTTING US BOTH. WE BOTH IMMEDIATELY FREAKED OUT THINKING SOMEONE MUST HAVE SHOT AT US. I CALLED THE POLICE AND WENT BACK INTO THE GROCERY STORE TO GET THE STORE MANAGER. GLASS SPREAD OVER 4 PARKING SPACES AND LUCKILY NO ONE WAS HURT SERIOUSLY. THE RIGHT REAR LIFTGATE STRUT HAD BLEW OFF DENTING MY VEHICLE AND SHATTERING THE GLASS INTO MORE THAN A THOUSAND PIECES, THEN LANDING ON THE GROUND SEVERAL FEET AWAY FROM THE VEHICLE. *TR

THE PASSAGE SIDE REAR VIEW MIRROR FELL OF THE 2008 FORD ESCAPE. FORD DEALER SAID THE MOTOR THAT THE MIRROR SNAPS INTO IS BROKEN AND NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. THE MOTOR IS NOT BROKEN AND IN FACT THE MOTOR AND MIRROR WERE REDESIGNED TO CORRECT THE SAFETY DEFECT. FORD CONTENDS THAT THE MIRROR AND MOTOR THAT HOLDS THE MIRROR ARE NOT DEFECTIVE. *TR

SPONTANEOUS WINDSHIELD CRACK. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THE WINDSHIELD HAS CRACKED WITHIN A SEVEN MONTH PERIOD. WHEN I REPLACE THIS WINDSHIELD IT WILL BE THE THIRD WINDSHIELD ON THIS VEHICLE AFTER OWING IT FOR 16 MONTHS AND TRAVELING 20,000 MILES. THE CRACKS HAVE APPEARED IN THE SAME GENERAL LOCATION AND THE CRACK PATTERN IS THE SAME. *TR

I HAVE A 2008 FORD ESCAPE. THE PROBLEM CONCERNS THE WIPERS. EACH TIME IT HAS SNOWED AND WE HAVE NEEDED TO DRIVE IN IT, SNOW AND ICE BUILDS UP ON THE MIDDLE 2/3RDS OF THE BLADE LIFTING IT ENOUGH SO THE BLADE DOES NOT MAKE CONTACT AND CLEAN THE WINDSHIELD. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP WHERE WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE AND ASKED FOR "WINTER BLADES", I WAS TOLD THAT WAS NOT AVAILABLE, I THEN ASKED IF THEY COULD PUT DIFFERENT ARMS ON OUR VEHICLE SO IT COULD ACCEPT "REGULAR" WIPERS, I WAS AGAIN TOLD NO. THE WIPER IS CALLED A CONTOUR WIPER AND WHAT BOTH THE DEALERSHIP AND FORD MOTOR CONSUMER LINE HAVE TOLD ME, THERE IS NO OTHER WIPER ARM OR BLADE THAT WILL FIT THIS VEHICLE. OK, NOW THE DANGER FACTOR ARISES WHEN DRIVING IN SNOWY CONDITIONS, THE BLADE LOOSES CONTACT WITH THE WINDSHIELD, HENCE THE WINDSHIELD BUILDS UP...

2008 FORD ESCAPE - WINDSHIELD WIPERS. THE 2008 MODEL ESCAPE UTILIZES A NEW "SPRINGLESS" WIPER DESIGN. THE FORD EDGE AND TAURUS ALSO USE THE SAME WIPER DESIGN FOR 2008. THE DESIGN DOES NOT PLACE ENOUGH DOWNWARD PRESSURE ON THE WINDSHIELD TO ALLOW FOR CONSISTENT CONTACT LEAVING LARGE AREAS COMPLETELY MISSED BY THE BLADE. I'VE NOTICED THIS TO BE MORE PROBLEMATIC IN COLD WEATHER, WHICH MAY BE A RESULT OF THE BLADE MATERIAL STIFFENING ALLOWING FOR CURVED BLADE TO NOT FLEX AND LIE FLAT AGAINST THE WINDSHIELD SURFACE. I'VE CONTACTED FORD AND THE DEALER, AND FORD DOES NOT MAKE A WINTER BLADE FOR THIS VEHICLE. AFTER MARKET BLADES ARE ALSO NOT AN OPTION BECAUSE THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE BLADE ARM AND BLADE ONLY SUPPORTS THE FORD STOCK WIPERS. FORD ALSO DOES NOT CURRENTLY OFFER AN OPTIONAL BLADE ARM FOR THIS VEHICLE THAT WOULD UTILIZE A DIFFERENT CONNECTOR. WITH THE WIPERS CONSISTENTLY...

THE SILVER RADIO FACEPLATE - STANDARD EQUIPMENT ON MY NEW 2008 FORD ESCAPE CREATES SUCH A GLARING REFLECTION IN MY WINDSHIELD THAT IT OBSCURES MY VIEW OF OBJECTS IN FRONT OF THE CAR. I HAVE ONE EYE - MONOCULAR VISION, WHICH MAKES THIS EVEN MORE OF A PROBLEM. I CONTACTED THE FORD DEALERSHIP AND THEY REFERRED ME TO FORD MOTOR COMPANY WHO WILL NOT SUPPORT THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM. *TR