Faults:

Rubber trim around doors has come off, used super glue to put it back on.

Plastic trim on the floor inside the door is loose.

Seats are hard around the edges resulting in premature wear.

General Comments:

I love this lttle SUV. It is a perfect SUV for a small family. The V6 has enough power. The 4WD works well. The cargo area is versatile.

The V6 has enough power to satisfy me. It can tow a small to medium trailer. On several occasions, I have packed it full to go camping and I can feel the weight of the load. The engine struggles a little going up hills when I have packed it full. Granted, it was packed to the brim and I had a rooftop cargo pack on it, it still should not have been straining as hard as it was. I could not imagine how hard the 4 cyl. would have handled that load. on that note, I would not recommend getting the 4 cyl. if hauling anything more than groceries. Ford should have put a little bit bigger of a V6 in there, like a 3.5 or something.

The 4WD does great for what is was intended for. this SUV is not built on a truck frame, nor does it have exceptional ground clearance. it was not intended to tackle the Rubicon Trail. My Escape has definitely surprised me and some of my friends with its capabilities. I have definitely had fun with the Escape. it lacks the low gearing, ground clearance, and strong frame of a true off road vehicle, but it does do very well for the average person's needs. unless you are planning on doing some serious off roading, this should do everything you need it to. it also does great in the snow and ice.

The Escape is an awesome SUV. it does well in every aspect. but it is not great in any one thing. it only seats five, good for a small family, but not much more. it has a V6, but it is not a big strong V6. It can tow, but only up to 3500 pounds. it can go off road, but lacks ground clearance, low gearing, and a rigid frame. it is a good all around suv and it's price tag is not too bad either, but if you want more space, towing capacity, and off road capability, go with something else.

Faults:

Engine Check light: Warranty, Fuel tank vent sensor faulty.

Difficulty fueling. Automatic overfill trip on forecourt keeps triping. Takes 25 minutes to manually "squeeze" and fill up. Not funny when winter here gets to -30c! Warranty, replace filler pipe assembly. Result better, but not perfect.

Not yet addressed: Rust seeping from back hatch glass seal on inside! I don't want this rust to spread to the hatch metalwork.

In the last couple of days yet to be addressed: A/C stuck on. This is not a major rush this week because it is currently +30C.

The dealer changes oil and oil filter only at service interval. They have never rotated the tires, greased the door hinges or changed the air filter which are all requirements of the service schedule. After this last service (40K), I prefer to service this vehicle myself to be sure it is done properly because I will be buying out the residual at lease end. I have checked the legal situation with this and as long as I keep my receipts for the servicing items I do not invalidate my warranty.

General Comments:

Generally I like this car a lot. It drives very well, is comfortable, moderately cheap to run, and is generally reliable. If ford went the extra 10% with this vehicle it would be a great car instead of a good car.

Dashboard beeper for seat belt not worn (offroad use), indicator left on, door open, keys left in, ashtray full (sarc) etc. Drives us nuts! It is not possible to listen to the radio while working outside the vehicle with door open. The dealer is unable/unwilling to silence the damn thing. Out of frustration I personally removed the instrument cluster and cut the circuit board track to the beeper (took 10 minutes)...Bliss!

Car came with silly side steps along the side (flimsy for show only). These gather road salt like mad in the winter and this rubs on your leg as you get out. The car is not that high from the road to justify these. Removed and improved the look of the vehicle while curing the salt build up problem (sure to cause major rusting).

Exhaust system is hung quite low for an off road capable car. I have to remember this and compensate accordingly when driving over mud, snow/ice, ridges and ditches.

Car seems a little underpowered for a 3.0L, but this is probably because it is an automatic. I would have preferred a manual trans, but 4wd & manual trans not available in Canada.