Paint/Trim
Paint (fading, chalking, cracking, or peeling), loose interior and exterior trim or moldings, rust.
What Owners Say
"Paint is peeling off hood and getting down to the primer, starting to peel off the fenders and tailgate"
R R., OK (2003 Ford Escape XLS 3.0-L V6)"Paint peeling on hood and tailgate"
Anonymous, VA (2003 Ford Escape XLT 3.0-L V6)"medium large patch paint fail on rear hatch - is not/had not been damaged any other way. Paint is peeling"
Anonymous, CA (2003 Ford Escape XLT 2.0-L 4 Cyl)"No garage to protect it from seabreeze fog!!"
Anonymous, CA (2003 Ford Escape Limited 3.0-L V6)"Paint started peeling off of the car about a year ago"
Anonymous, NJ (2003 Ford Escape Limited 3.0-L V6)"The paint clear coat is cracking and peeling. However this is not the original paint job. It is only peeling on a door and rear fender where someone other than Ford had done body work"
Ruth V., WA (2003 Ford Escape Unsure 3.0-L V6)"clear coat peeling off hood resulting in color fading"
Anonymous, IL (2003 Ford Escape XLS 3.0-L V6)"The driver's side rear wheel well started with bubbled paint which had rust under the paint. Not under warranty. Had it repaired 5 years ago. Recently noticed bubbled paint and rust in the same area"
Anonymous, IN (2003 Ford Escape XLT 3.0-L V6)"Real wheel wells on both sides have rust going through the outside fenders that has shown up in the last 10 months. No other rust problems on the car"
Anonymous, VA (2003 Ford Escape XLT 3.0-L V6)"Rust rear wheel section.$2000 to repair!Years ago had 2001 Mazda Es V6 rusted same area.Friends have E$scape 2012 rusted same way.Fixed under warranty.Real ford problem. note Rust checked regularly!"
Fraser K., NS (2003 Ford Escape XLT 3.0-L V6)"The drivers side rear inside door has rusted terribly. The back rocker panel also deteriorated. It is almost like this area has a inferior quality of metal. Also there is no weather stripping on the rear doors. Disappointed on these items"
Ev M., MB (2003 Ford Escape XLT 3.0-L V6)"Rusting where paint has peeled off"
Anonymous, NJ (2003 Ford Escape Limited 3.0-L V6)"Body of vehicle started rusting years ago in a spot over the rear wheel well on drivers side. This was spontaneous and no reason for rust. Had this fixed by a body professional, and it sotarted again years later. Recently, both sides of the body on the rear wheel well have been rusting at an alarming rate out of nowhere! It is now dangerous for me every time I load something into my car in the back seat, because the doors do not open very wide (design defect), and I risk brushing against the ru"
Anonymous, IL (2003 Ford Escape XLT 3.0-L V6)"I have driven Ford/Mercury for years. Never had the problem of excessive rust mostly in the rear doors. This started just after warranty expired. It seems an inferior product was used on the 2 side door frames. Very disappointed only for the rust reason. I am looking at other manufacturers for my next vehicle. I have a 21 yr old Mercury Villager LS with very little rust. Never had rust on any of the Ford vehicles like this one"
Ev M., MB (2003 Ford Escape XLT 3.0-L V6)"Both rear wheel wells were rusting through inner and outer fenders.Had my body shop use replacement patch panels .Paint and metal look brand new for not a lot of money"
Anonymous, IL (2003 Ford Escape XLT 3.0-L V6)
"The material used to trim all four doors loosened and fell off. The material on the driver's sun visor has tears and the padding under it has disintegrated; both on the side that faces the sun"
Anonymous, MO (2003 Ford Escape XLT 3.0-L V6)