While driving only at low speeds, steering column will make a loud noise and it could cause future steering problems. Dealer notified. The cover on the bottom of the steering wheel was broken. The vehicle shimmys when applying the brakes. The brakes were inspected and the front rotor was machined and the front pads cleaned. Consumer states there is a pecking noise in the engine. Consumer states the accelerator pedal is hard to push because the throttle body needed replacing. The air conditioner stops while at idle. Also, when coming to a stop, the heater is not warm.

- Kettle Island, KY, USA

Experiencing an odor and fumes coming in through vents.

- Cumming, GA, USA

Gas fumes smell was coming through vents, causing health hazard. Consumer has taken vehicle to dealer 3 times, but had no solution.

- Clairton, PA, USA

Since driving vehicle off lot, I've notice a fuel odor coming from the underhood area into the passenger cabin through the heating/cooling vents. This regularly occurs during warm restarts and when idling in traffic with a warm engine. Odor is more noticable with dash vents blowing. Fuel line recall was acted upon but didn't provide solution.

- Fairfax, VA, USA

There is a gasoline odor that comes through the HVAC system during a warm re-start; never on cold start. Outside air temperature also seems to have a bearing on the odor. The gasoline odor is not apparent when outside temperature is below 32 degrees. The odor seems strongest on the right hand (passenger) side of the engine compartment.

- Frankfort, IN, USA

We purchased the vehicle named in this complaint in Oct. 2000 and within four days of the purchase returned it to the dealer because we experienced gasoline fumes (not exhaust) coming through the air vents with either heat/air or A/C on. The dealer kept the car for over a week and said that nothing was wrong with it, though service people smelled the gas fume smell. We returned the car a second time as the smell was getting stronger. It occurs on warm starts, never when the car is started up cold. The fume smell is apparent for 5-10 minutes, and thins out when the car is running at high speeds and air is coming in. The second time the dealer had the car they kept it a week and could not fix it. They agreed to replace the vehicle with another. Ten days later we took ownership of another vehicle exactly like this one. Forty-eight hours into driving it the gas smell was noticeable again. We notified the dealer who said that Ford has no fix for it. The dealer had no comment or idea on when/if/how this would be resolved. We went out to the internet and in several locations, edmunds.com and yahoo Escape club among others, we found testimonial after testimonial of customers owning the V-6 Escape, and the mirror car, the Mazda tribute, having exactly the same problems we have experienced. This is clearly not an isolated exception with our vehicle. One person experienced his car burning to the ground with 800 miles on the odometer. We want to alert you to this problem and the fact that Ford/Mazda are being totally uncommunicative to the customer about this serious design flaw. We do not know if the car is even safe to drive. Our dealer has no information on a fix and has not offered to take this car back. We intend to meet with them again, but if they follow the same suit as most of the dealers that other troubled Escape customers have approached, it will be a problem.

- Los Gatos, CA, USA