Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2002 Ford Escape owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2002 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while shifted in park(P), the key failed to release while the engine was running. The contact drove to a local O'Reilly's where one of the employees was able to remove the key from the ignition. The failure had gotten progressively worse. The vehicle was diagnosed, and it was determined that the ignition lock cylinder had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 227,000.
I bought a vehicle that has recalls on it. I contacted a dealer. Im told the car is to old to fix the recalled abs relay. Now I have a vehicle thats on the road a fire hazard. The ford dealership have left me my with and kids and grand kids in danger
Tl* the contact owned a 2002 Ford Escape. After the vehicle was parked, the driver smelled a burning odor. The contact noticed black smoke coming from the engine compartment and the vehicle exploded. The fire department extinguished the flames. The fire department assessed that the wiring harness was defective and caused the fire. The contact stated that the fire damaged the garage and the sidewalk concrete. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The contact referenced NHTSA campaign number: 07V156000 (service brakes, hydraulic) as a possible reason for the failure; however, the VIN was not provided there were no injuries and a police report was not filed. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000. The VIN was not provided. Updated 04/12/17lj
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Ford Escape. The vehicle was repaired according to NHTSA campaign number: 12V005000 (service brakes, hydraulic); however, the repair did not remedy the condition. The contact had not experienced any failures prior to the recall repair. The contact noticed excessive smoke under the hood and the cap leaked brake fluid, which impacted the power steering pump and caused a short within the wires and the ABS. The manufacturer was notified of the failures and stated that the vehicle would need to be towed to the dealer for diagnostic testing and repair. The VIN was not available. The approximate failure mileage was 169,000.
Tl* the contact owned a 2002 Ford Escape. The contact walked outside and discovered that the vehicle caught fire. The engine was not turned on and the key was not in the ignition switch at the time of the incident. The fire department was called to the scene to extinguish the flames. The vehicle was destroyed. The cause of the incident could not be determined. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 163,000.
Received a recall notice in feb from Ford (recall id 12v00500 - issued jan 2012). Indicated potential problems with brake fluids leaks that could cause shorts in the ABS electronics. We contacted dealer. No parts available yet. Our ABS and brake indicators came on in March as described in the recall notice. Ford still said that recall shows safe to drive, just don't park in the garage due to potential fires. Last night, drove home and parked (in the driveway). Unloaded some stuff from car... No problems noticed. Came out of house about 15 minutes later to unload stuff from car and found it smelling of hot electrical system, and smoke coming from hood. Used hose to cool down under hood, while I found wrench and unhooked the battery. Smoke was coming from all sides under and behind engine block. Once battery disconnected the smoking stopped. …
My vehicle idles to 4000rpm and control the speed by itself, there is a leak in the back break area the steering wheel locks where I can't put it in any gear sometimes and getting worse. Had to get it towed home last night because while driving it idled high and as I brake it barely stopped and when releasing break it speeds up to 50 or more MPH and I had to keep my feet on the break..I pulled over and turned the switch off and waited a while and turned back on and it idled to 4000 RPM again. Could not shift the gear from park and break pedal was hard. When arriving home to back car in driveway towe guy had no problem with idle. The following morning cranked and was at 1000rpm at first start. Also ac pressure. Car runs hot but no smoke water bubbles in coolant reservoir. My check engine light never gave warning of any of the problems listed.
Dt: the contact stated 2002 Ford Escape caught on fire on 4-4-05 in front of the dealership where she bought it. The vehicle was parked. The fire originated from under the hood. The day before on Sunday she was having problems starting the car. Her brother had to jump it to get it started; he then drove it around the block. When he took the key out of the ignition, the vehicle was still running. She put the key back in, put it in gear, and put it back in park and turned the ignition and took the key out. She drove it to the dealership where she bought it. The vehicle was turned off when she left. The next day the fire department called her and told her the car had caught on fire at the dealership and was totaled. The fire department did tell the contact they thought the fire was electrical.
Tl contact owned a 2002 Ford Escape. The contact's neighbor informed him that his vehicle was on fire in his driveway. The contact used two full fire extinguishers and a water hose in an attempt to extinguish the fire. He was unsuccessful. The fire department arrived and successfully extinguished the flames. A fire report was filed and the fire department stated that an electrical fire started in the engine compartment. The fire marshall verified that numerous Ford vehicles had caught fire as well. The vehicle was completely destroyed. The grass outside of the contact's house, a large tree, and the driveway all sustained major damage. There were no injuries. The failure and current mileages were less than 89,000.
For the past year and a half the ABS warning light has been illuminated. I took it to the Ford dealership to have the latest recall fixed regarding the reservoir cap. Ford couldn't get the ABS warning light to turn off...so, hence the light still intermidantly comes on and off. Also, the oil pressure light keeps coming on when I start my car and when I am slowing down. I just had my mechanic change the oil a week ago and and still having the problem. One last thing, the air bag illumination light has been on for the past two years. I took it to my dealer and they couldn't get it to turn off. Am I safe in thinking that my air bag won't deploy just for the heck of it? Not sure what to do? But it scares me.
Electrical complaints in other Escape years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2002 Ford Escape?
NHTSA has 123 complaints about the electrical system of the 2002 Ford Escape, 12% of the model year's 1,027 complaints. The component named most often is ignition (18 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2002 Ford Escape electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2002 Ford Escape, though it has 8 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2002 Ford Escape electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 60,000 miles, and 26% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 32 fires and 0 injuries to electrical system problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.