I have a 2019 Ford Escape S, which is a base model, and I’m exactly one year from paying off the loan. The car has 59,000 miles, and I had to replace the transmission at 45,000 miles under warranty. The dealer is offering me $9,000 for a trade-in. A new car sounds nice, but I’ve never had the chance to experience a paid-off car. However, with all the issues that these Escapes are known for, I’m worried it might leave me stranded, and I’d end up with zero trade-in value. What should I do?
It’s a gamble. I have a 2013 and 2017 2.0T AWD, both with over 160k miles and still running fine with original parts, except for things like brakes, O2 sensors, and spark plugs. Stuff that’s normal to replace regardless of the car brand.
@Oli
I’d be happy if I could get 160k miles, though the rebuilt transmission at 45k makes me nervous about my car’s future.
I’ve got a 2020 Titanium Hybrid, and I still owe $10K on it. I was thinking about paying it off and then getting a Mach-E as my personal car.
Nico said:
I’ve got a 2020 Titanium Hybrid, and I still owe $10K on it. I was thinking about paying it off and then getting a Mach-E as my personal car.
The hybrid is different from the regular models, though.
My 2001 Escape still drives great! Best $1,000 I ever spent.
You’ve got a new transmission, so you don’t need to worry about the two other big issues — coolant intrusion and turbo failure, which are only common in Ecoboost models. Transmission failure at 45k miles is unusual. Usually, it happens closer to 100k miles. Just do a fluid change every 30k miles and your transmission should last for years.
@Finlo
Transmission failure can absolutely happen between 45k-65k miles, and it’s a common issue. Even a new replacement transmission doesn’t guarantee it won’t fail again at around 40k miles.
Foster said:
@Finlo
Transmission failure can absolutely happen between 45k-65k miles, and it’s a common issue. Even a new replacement transmission doesn’t guarantee it won’t fail again at around 40k miles.
Wow, I didn’t know it was that common at 45k-65k miles. Thanks for confirming that Ford transmissions are worse than I thought. The earliest I’ve seen a failure is around 55k miles.
@Finlo
Yeah, it’s most common in that range. The 6F35 transmission is very unreliable, even though some people claim it lasts to 100k miles. It’s not dependable.
@Finlo
I’m surprised this offer is so low. The engine and transmission are the main issues. The transmission issue was fixed, and the engine’s not an issue for you. Just change the transmission fluid every 30k miles. The only other possible reason for the low offer could be that Escapes aren’t very comfortable compared to other vehicles, especially if you spend a lot of time in it. But if you’re happy with it so far, just keep it.
We’re trading ours in. We still owe some on it, but this car just isn’t worth it anymore. I’d rather have a car I actually like and enjoy, especially since I spend two hours a day in mine. I’ll probably want a new car even before I finish paying off this one.
@Valentine
Ouch, that hurt. I’m in my car for 10 hours a day working!
Kai said:
@Valentine
Ouch, that hurt. I’m in my car for 10 hours a day working!
Do you Uber or something?
Kai said:
@Valentine
Ouch, that hurt. I’m in my car for 10 hours a day working!
Do you Uber or something?
No, haha. I’m a sales rep.
Valentine said:
Kai said:
@Valentine
Ouch, that hurt. I’m in my car for 10 hours a day working!
Do you Uber or something?
No, haha. I’m a sales rep.
So you’re putting a lot of miles on your car. That doesn’t mix well with a Ford.
If you’re that worried about it, maybe get an extended warranty and drive it more gently.
Drive it until the warranty runs out and then get rid of it. It’s probably not worth the headache later on.
Just sold my 2018 Escape with 55k miles to Carvana for $12.5k.
I have a 2020, and I plan on getting rid of it before the loan is even finished. While Ford fixed some of the issues from the previous generations, there are still some bad designs in the newer models. I don’t want to risk it. My 2020 has 68k miles, and I’m starting to notice transmission issues. It’s not horrible yet, but it’s definitely worn. I did a fluid change at 35k miles.