2008 Ford Escape, Any experience out there?

Drewski Canuck · #1 03-10-2016, 10:36 PM

I am looking at the 2008 Ford Escape that a neighbor is selling. It has 144 K and seems pretty clean. It is the V 6 3 litre 4 x 4.

I don't see a lot of criticism on them, and a few are selling with upwards of 250 K, so there is some longevity.

Any one with some experience with one either good or bad?

Drewski

sureshot · #2 03-10-2016, 10:41 PM

We have a 2006 and love it. They are great vehicles in the winter. they work great for ice fishing

Anhorn_J · #3 03-10-2016, 11:52 PM

I had a 08 traded it in with 207,000km bought it with 80,000 km roughly on it. Ran good and was fuel efficent same motor and would still have it if the family didn't out grow it. Only issues I had were the spot where the fuel tank vents is located in the left rear wheel well and it would cover up with mud and not vent properly, If you google it it will show you how to relocate to fix the issue. and a small oil leak around 200,000. was about a 300.00 fix other then that it didn't miss a beat

FlYiNGuY · #4 03-11-2016, 01:04 AM

Transmission's are a weak link. We had an 06 run until 234000 though. I know of friends with not so good luck usually around that 150 mark.
Ours was AWD with Nokians. Was nearly impossible to get it to spin in the winter. Very stable.

Jack Hardin · #5 03-11-2016, 08:10 AM

My wife has a 2008 Ford Escape and she loves it. Good on gas, only been in the Ford garage for a $250 repair, not counting replacement tires. She gets her oil changes at a lube shop. Says she would buy another one when this one wears out and, no sign of that yet.

Hevishot · #6 03-11-2016, 08:18 AM

We have a 2010 with the V6 but its AWD. It has 135k Its a pretty great commuter. The only issue we had was the CD player stopped working and they replaced it under warranty at about 20 000k .Slap some winters on it and it makes skating rink highways manageable when other people are sliding into the ditch. It gets about 500-550k to a tank of fuel.

Fisherpeak · #7 03-11-2016, 08:37 AM

I have a 2005 Expidition I bought with 120 k on it 3 years ago. It`s an ex D.O.T. rig with the v 8. I love it, big, stupid fast(chipped) and if you don`t drive crazy it gets good milage. I like Fords again!

winged1 · #8 03-11-2016, 08:55 AM

Great format, but, Google escape transmissions, never again.

moosesniper · #9 03-11-2016, 09:53 AM

In the 2008 escape, ford went to a better transmission.

raised by wolves · #10 03-11-2016, 12:53 PM

We had a 2001 Sport 4x4 model with the V6, bigger wheels, and cargo rack. Loved it, great vehicle. I used it for hunting. I was amazed how it handled off road, even without the 4x4 engaged. I really appreciated how it handled icy roads. It was the main family vehicle until 2012 when we bought something new.

Lots of space. My wife and i could load it up for lengthy cross country adventures, canoe or a kayak on top and the bikes on the back. With the back seat folded down, and a big tarp laid out, I managed to fit 4 deer in the back, but that was tight though as I had a couple of big bodied bucks in the mix.

When we replaced it, I wanted to get another Escape but the Minister of War and Finance opted for a Toyota.

Peace Meal Farm · #11 03-11-2016, 03:27 PM

some common issues - pretty small stuff for the most part

- leaks from the left side half shaft at the transaxle. inner stub shaft, seal and bushing inside the tranny for the easy repair. repair kit part number tx-585.
- leaks from the PTU (transfer case) vent are common. just tighten the darn vent bolt for the quick fix. capacity on the PTU is very low so it doesn't take much to run these dry of fluid.
- cam and crankshaft correlation codes are somewhat common on the v6. replace cam phaser solenoids - there is an old TSB for this. in some instances the cam bearing surfaces are scored and new cyl heads are needed, but I haven't seen that in years and all of those seemed to be taken care of under warranty
- the v6 likes to leak oil from the pan, crank seal and front cover. have a good look on whatever one you're interested in
- the 4 cyl - if it is making a knock sound from the engine then run away. they like to crack the block between cyls 2 and 3 - visible when you pull the cyl head.

everything else is pretty straight forward. they are good little units!

the trannies got replaced a lot thanks to that l/front bushing/seal issue. before Ford came up with the repair kit the fix was a new cv shaft and a new transmission ..... otherwise the 6F35 tranny from 2008 and onward doesn't give a ton of grief. I have seen only one apart in the last couple years.