2002 Ford Escape Vehicle Speed Control Problems

NHTSA component category: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL · data through 07/14/2026

74Vehicle Speed Control complaints

7.2%Of all 1,027 complaints

#3Most-reported category

Source: U.S. NHTSA complaint data. Complaints are unverified reports from vehicle owners — a complaint is not a confirmed defect.

How vehicle speed control ranks on this vehicle

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE135 · 13.1%

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE76 · 7.4%

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL74 · 7.2%

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM66 · 6.4%

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING63 · 6.1%

Share of the 1,027 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 2002 Ford Escape overview page.

What owners report

“WHILE DRIVING DOWN HIGHWAY VEHICLE STALLED, RESULTING IN LOSS OF STEERING AND BRAKE CONTROL. DEALER REPLACED DEFECTIVE IDLE AIR CONTROL VALVE.”NHTSA complaint 8013571 — filed 07/09/2002

Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.

Vehicle Speed Control complaints by year filed

Frequently asked questions

Does the 2002 Ford Escape have vehicle speed control problems?

Vehicle Speed Control is the #3 most-reported problem area on the 2002 Ford Escape: 74 of 1,027 complaints on file (7.2%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.

How many complaints does the 2002 Ford Escape have in total?

1,027 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/14/2026. Across all categories, 66 involved a crash, 104 involved a fire, 42 reported injuries, and 2 reported deaths.

What does NHTSA's vehicle speed control category include?

NHTSA assigns each complaint to standard component categories; this page reports the VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL category exactly as NHTSA defines and records it.

About this data — Complaint figures on this page are consumer reports submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a U.S. government agency. NHTSA does not verify individual complaints; a complaint is not proof that a defect exists, and counts reflect what owners chose to report, not confirmed failure rates. Recall information comes from official NHTSA safety recall campaigns; recall repairs are free at authorized dealers. Always check your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. CarModelProblems.com is an independent site and is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. Data through 07/14/2026.