CarComplaints.com Notes: The 2004 Ford Escape looks pretty good compared to other Ford Escape model years, but still has a trend of transmission problems, and engine problems from the NHTSA complaint data — so it's not a model year we can recommend.
This was my mom's Escape. We have some flukes with it, but never anything this bad. Went to make a 30 mile trip and upon starting, the vehicle shook and idled rough. We had her other two kids (my siblings) who are both less than 2 years old in the car as well. We begin by puling out of the driveway, she puts the gas down. Car misfires and wiggles forward. We turn off and head out of town. Right as we make it to the highway, we have to pull off because a horrid smell develops and smoke comes out of the center of the dash. Open the hood, everything is fine. We get back in, and begin driving again. Still misfiring and missing a lot of its power, we get going again. No smoke but the smell gets bad enough to the point every window has to go down. Then it started to rain, so we rolled the windows up some and I left mine open to have a good vent.
Of course, I look down and more smoke comes from the bottom side of the dash. Horrid smell is as strong as ever. We decide to turn around after going maybe 2-3 miles.
I think it's a coil pack, my 2001 Ford Focus blew (and I literally mean blew up) and it misfired and had some funky smells.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
This was my mom's Escape. We have some flukes with it, but never anything this bad. Went to make a 30 mile trip and upon starting, the vehicle shook and idled rough. We had her other two kids (my siblings) who are both less than 2 years old in the car as well. We begin by puling out of the driveway, she puts the gas down. Car misfires and wiggles forward. We turn off and head out of town. Right as we make it to the highway, we have to pull off because a horrid smell develops and smoke comes out of the center of the dash. Open the hood, everything is fine. We get back in, and begin driving again. Still misfiring and missing a lot of its power, we get going again. No smoke but the smell gets bad enough to the point every window has to go down. Then it started to rain, so we rolled the windows up some and I left mine open to have a good vent.
Of course, I look down and more smoke comes from the bottom side of the dash. Horrid smell is as strong as ever. We decide to turn around after going maybe 2-3 miles.
I think it's a coil pack, my 2001 Ford Focus blew (and I literally mean blew up) and it misfired and had some funky smells.
- Chayse G., Watertown, NY, US