2002 Ford Escape buying guide

A data-driven checklist for buying a used 2002 Ford Escape, built from 1,027 owner complaints, 8 recall campaigns, 109 service bulletins and federal safety records — not opinions.

Know before you buy

8 recall campaigns affect this model year. Check each one and confirm the repairs were done — recall work is free at any authorized dealer.
Main problem areas: engine and engine cooling (294), service brakes, hydraulic (149), electrical system (123), power train (105), vehicle speed control (100).
Symptoms owners describe: stalling (258), rust / corrosion (90), airbag warning light (40), loss of power (31), electrical failures (24), hesitation / surging (23). Test-drive with these in mind.
Reported incident mileage: among 634 complaints with a usable odometer reading, half were filed between 42,542 and 130,000 miles (median 87,429). This describes when owners reported problems — it does not predict when a particular vehicle will develop one.
8 federal investigations have named this model year — read what they cover.
Fuel economy: 18–22 MPG combined (EPA; engines: 2L 4-cyl, 3L 6-cyl).

When problems get reported

Reported incident mileage among 634 complaints with usable odometer readings.

under 20k		71
20–40k		79
40–60k		72
60–80k		60
80–100k		81
100–150k		161
150k+		110

Before you hand over money

Run the VIN through our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact build.
Check open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls — a recall that was never fixed is a free repair you can claim.
Get a pre-purchase inspection focused on the problem areas listed above.

This guide is generated from official NHTSA, EPA and FARS records. Complaints are unverified owner reports and raw counts are not adjusted for sales volume.