In case anyone was interested. Here is a writeup of my owner experience with this vehicle so far that I posted on an Escape forum.
Just a random thread about the escape my family loves so much, or at least I do. It is my wife's car. She is a stay at home mom and we have two girls (3y/o & 8 months). This car gets tortured for the most part with multiple daily short trips for play dates and grocery runs. Lately we have even been taking it on all of our family road trips due to massive amounts of room in the backseat for the carseats. This has been racking up the miles crazy fast lately. Onto the details:
2007 XLS FWD ATX aluminum wheels
- purchased March 27, 2007
- 116k miles on the odometer
- interior is in mint condition
- exterior is almost perfect minus about 2 tiny rock chips on hood
- everything works including all electronics
- zero oil consumption still
- ~ 24 MPG around town, ~ 27 MPG on trips if we keep it under 75 MPH, best tank ever was 31 MPG @ 60 mph in nebraska
Repairs:
- Front lower rear bushings @ 95k (replaced entire control arm assembly since it was cheaper)
- front right ball joint @ 110k
- Front struts @ 115k (replaced with KYB ready struts)
- Rear Shocks @ 75k (back right sprung a leak, replaced with monroe)
- Replaced A/C compressor at 90k
- Replaced Alternator @ 60k. It didn't die but there was a terrible grinding/rattle sound that was coming from the alternator due to some piece of metal loose inside.
- Serpentine belt replaced with alternator
- Replaced battery in August of 2012.
Maintenance performed
- oil changes every 5k or 7.5 if i used synthetic.
- Fuel filter @30k & 75k. I want to wait until 150k for the next one and do it every 50k from that point
- PCV valve AND hose replaced at 100k
- Vacuum pump ~4qts of ATF and replace with fresh mercon V about every 15k miles
- currently on 2nd air filter. replaced first one around 60k miles
- replaced front brakes at 40k miles and turned rotors. shop used some type of duralast ceramic. at 115k miles, pads still have 8 mm on them but are starting to squeak a lot
- clean and adjusted rear drums around 95k as they were not slightly dragging when spinning the wheel. the rear wheels were spinning freely.
- replaced plugs at 97k with motorcrafts. I keep wanting to post pictures of the old plugs but I am too lazy.
- flushed coolant at 100k and replaced with Maxlife coolant
- Alignment needs adjusted fairly often. I think this is more my wife's driving than the escape but we tend to find it needs aligned about every 2 years over the last 4 years.
- Greased tailgate latch due to loud creaking around 80k miles.
Tires
- Replaced OEM tires at 60k with Cooper Discoverer H/T. MPGs went down a bit ~ 1 MPG. These tires are solid. Not amazing in rain but darn good in snow. no complaints.
- Replaced Coopers with another set around 105k because wife curbed her escape in the ice and took a chunk out of the sidewall. With warranty, the new set only cost around $30/tire total cost. Thanks NTB.
Overall, the Escape has never left us stranded and always gives us signs something needs to be repaired or tended to and not just catastrophically failed with no warning. You just have to pay attention to the sounds. We love this thing is like a small truck and goes anywhere. 1'+ of snow has been no problem. I think we will be keeping this Escape until 200k+ miles if not longer. I'd love to keep it as a 3rd vehicle if we get a new house with a 3 car garage soon enough. Definitely don't want to get rid of it now since everything is like new (tires, coolant, etc.). It should be low maintenance through 200k.
Just a random thread about the escape my family loves so much, or at least I do. It is my wife's car. She is a stay at home mom and we have two girls (3y/o & 8 months). This car gets tortured for the most part with multiple daily short trips for play dates and grocery runs. Lately we have even been taking it on all of our family road trips due to massive amounts of room in the backseat for the carseats. This has been racking up the miles crazy fast lately. Onto the details:
2007 XLS FWD ATX aluminum wheels
- purchased March 27, 2007
- 116k miles on the odometer
- interior is in mint condition
- exterior is almost perfect minus about 2 tiny rock chips on hood
- everything works including all electronics
- zero oil consumption still
- ~ 24 MPG around town, ~ 27 MPG on trips if we keep it under 75 MPH, best tank ever was 31 MPG @ 60 mph in nebraska
Repairs:
- Front lower rear bushings @ 95k (replaced entire control arm assembly since it was cheaper)
- front right ball joint @ 110k
- Front struts @ 115k (replaced with KYB ready struts)
- Rear Shocks @ 75k (back right sprung a leak, replaced with monroe)
- Replaced A/C compressor at 90k
- Replaced Alternator @ 60k. It didn't die but there was a terrible grinding/rattle sound that was coming from the alternator due to some piece of metal loose inside.
- Serpentine belt replaced with alternator
- Replaced battery in August of 2012.
Maintenance performed
- oil changes every 5k or 7.5 if i used synthetic.
- Fuel filter @30k & 75k. I want to wait until 150k for the next one and do it every 50k from that point
- PCV valve AND hose replaced at 100k
- Vacuum pump ~4qts of ATF and replace with fresh mercon V about every 15k miles
- currently on 2nd air filter. replaced first one around 60k miles
- replaced front brakes at 40k miles and turned rotors. shop used some type of duralast ceramic. at 115k miles, pads still have 8 mm on them but are starting to squeak a lot
- clean and adjusted rear drums around 95k as they were not slightly dragging when spinning the wheel. the rear wheels were spinning freely.
- replaced plugs at 97k with motorcrafts. I keep wanting to post pictures of the old plugs but I am too lazy.
- flushed coolant at 100k and replaced with Maxlife coolant
- Alignment needs adjusted fairly often. I think this is more my wife's driving than the escape but we tend to find it needs aligned about every 2 years over the last 4 years.
- Greased tailgate latch due to loud creaking around 80k miles.
Tires
- Replaced OEM tires at 60k with Cooper Discoverer H/T. MPGs went down a bit ~ 1 MPG. These tires are solid. Not amazing in rain but darn good in snow. no complaints.
- Replaced Coopers with another set around 105k because wife curbed her escape in the ice and took a chunk out of the sidewall. With warranty, the new set only cost around $30/tire total cost. Thanks NTB.
Overall, the Escape has never left us stranded and always gives us signs something needs to be repaired or tended to and not just catastrophically failed with no warning. You just have to pay attention to the sounds. We love this thing is like a small truck and goes anywhere. 1'+ of snow has been no problem. I think we will be keeping this Escape until 200k+ miles if not longer. I'd love to keep it as a 3rd vehicle if we get a new house with a 3 car garage soon enough. Definitely don't want to get rid of it now since everything is like new (tires, coolant, etc.). It should be low maintenance through 200k.