2003 Ford Escape Review: Agile but Roomy, Nimble but Powerful, One of the Best SUVs for the Price

The 2003 Ford Escape is evidence that the manufacturer was on a hot streak through the early ’00s, delivering a versatile, potent little SUV proving that American automakers could compete for the crossover market with Honda and Toyota.

Is the 2003 Ford Escape a Good Used SUV?

• Overall Rating 8/10 – You can’t go wrong with an early ’00s Ford. SUVs like the Escape are why many drivers consider this era a golden age for the iconic American manufacturer.
• Interior, Comfort & Cargo 8/10 – Surprisingly spacious for such a nimble SUV.
• Reliability 7/10 – Expect to reach 200,000 to 250,000 miles on the original transmission and engine.
• Safety 7/10 – You won’t feel unsafe behind the wheel of a 2003 Ford Escape. Onboard safety technology may be out of date by now, but crash test ratings are solid.
• Gas Mileage 7/10 – You could do a whole lot worse than 23/28 miles to the gallon, city/highway.
• Value 8/10 – The Honda CR-V is maybe a better value overall, but it also costs about a thousand bucks more. At this price, it’s hard to beat the Ford Escape.

What Do Critics Say About the 2003 Ford Escape?

Consumer Reports delivered a glowing review, finding the 2003 Escape surprisingly roomy despite its nimble exterior. The V6 earned high praise, as did the handling.

Kelley Blue Book users gave the Escape an 88% recommendation, praising the handling and calling it a great value. They were less enthused about the noisy engine and fidgety electronics.

Edmunds loved the powerful V6 engine and the seemingly endless cargo space, finding the SUV to handle more like a car than a truck. They were less impressed with the base inline-four engine, and felt the gas tank could be a little bigger.

What Common Problems Does the 2003 Ford Escape Have?

Structure issues make up 120 of the 594 complaints on file with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration with the leading problem being premature corrosion. Most of these complaints come from Midwestern states where the road salt seems to be chewing away at the SUV’s subframe.

Suspension problems aren’t far behind, with 92 complaints on file, and here, again, the issue seems to be premature corrosion, with control arms rusting until they give out entirely. Both of these issues can be prevented with a layer of preventive spray, but once the rust has already settled in it might not be worth trying to save.

There are 64 powertrain complaints on file, which is a bit high for an SUV that has fewer than 600 complaints total, but recent issues like transmission shudder seem to be symptoms of simple wear and tear. Nothing out of the ordinary for a twenty year old SUV, but a reminder to test drive and inspect before you buy.

There are 9 recalls on file with the NHTSA, including one issued in 2014 for the issue with premature control arm corrosion. This is about on-par for a vehicle this old.

How Long Will the 2003 Ford Escape Last?

According to RepairPal you should expect to spend around $489 a year maintaining an older Ford Escape. The most expensive common repair is usually a new fuel pump starting at $828.

A Ford Escape usually makes the first 100,000 miles without issue, with problems starting to creep up as you approach 200,000. If you’re the kind of driver who takes care of their vehicle, you can probably make 250,000 on the original powertrain of a used Escape, but 300,000 is unrealistic if you’re not the first owner.

How Is the Technology?

Entertainment technology is generous for 2003. Entry level trims include CD players and even one-touch down windows at a time when even power windows weren’t the standard.

Safety technology is solid for a twenty year old SUV. Driver and front passenger airbags and belt minder are standard, and higher trim levels feature Control-Trac four wheel drive. Maybe the 2003 Escape wasn’t ahead of its time, but it wasn’t falling behind, either.

Is the 2003 Ford Escape a Good Value?

The 2003 Ford Escape is a good value. You’ll find that this is true of most Fords from around this time. In part because they’re so common, they tend to skew a bit cheaper than the competition on the used car market.

A 2003 Escape can be found for as low as $2,188 in some markets, with an entry level XLS Sport typically listing at around $3,152. Even the luxurious Limited model tends to list at around $4,428 at the very highest, and can be found for as low as $3,225 if you’re lucky.

These numbers will vary depending on your market, of course. If you’re buying in New York City or Portland, car prices tend to be a bit higher than if you’re shopping around inland small towns and rural areas.

What are the Different Models of the 2003 Ford Escape?

The Ford Escape comes in three base models, the entry level XLS, the mid-range XLT, and the high-end Limited.

The entry-level XLS features:

• Manual air conditioning
• Remote keyless entry and key fob
• Cloth seat trim
• Power windows and door locks
• CD player with four speaker sound system

The mid-range XLT adds:

• Fog lights
• Premium cloth seating
• Front fog lights
• 6-way power adjust seating

The Premium package adds leather seats.

With a luxurious Limited model you’re adding:

• Heated mirrors
• Heated leather sport bucket seats for driver and front passenger
• Black leather wrapped steering wheel
• 6-disc CD player with a premium Audiophile sound system

What Engines Come In the 2003 Ford Escape?

• The base engine in the 2003 Escape is a 2.0L inline-four delivering 127 horsepower and 135 lb.-ft. of torque. This is configured in front wheel drive and paired to a 5-speed manual transmission.
• In the higher trim levels and special packages for the XLS you’ll find a 3.0L V6 engine delivering 201 horsepower and 196 lb.-ft. of torque. This is matched with a 4-speed automatic and configured in front/four wheel drive.

What Colors Does the 2003 Ford Escape Come In?

How Comfortable Is the 2003 Ford Escape?

It’s hard to find anyone complaining about the interior of the 2003 Ford Escape. Even the lower trims have earned high marks for comfort and quality. With 53.4 inches of rear hiproom most adults can sit comfortably three to the bench just so long as you’re not packed in for hours on end.

The suspension may be another story. Most Escapes drive as smooth now as they did in 2003, but if you’re driving one from Illinois you may have to deal with premature corrosion in the struts, and that’s going to have you wobbling like a bobble-head on every bump in the road. All we can say here is don’t skip the test-drive.

How Much Storage Space Does the 2003 Ford Escape Have?

With the seats up you have 33.1 cubic feet of storage space. With the seats down, you’ve got up to 69.2 cubic feet. That’s pretty good for a compact crossover SUV. For reference, if you could fold a queen bed up neatly into a square, it would fit perfectly into the back.

For more practical reference: Nine large suitcases. Or a leather recliner you were able to find at a thrift store.

As for the interior, you’ve got three or four cupholders in the floor console and tons of little pockets and slots all over the place for storing books, phones, snacks, or whatever else it is you’d rather not have cluttering up your pockets.

What Are the Differences Between Years?

The 2003 Ford Escape was part of the inaugural 1st Generation, launching in the 2001 model year and retiring with the 2007 edition.

2001: The Escape was introduced in North America with the XLS and XLT trims with power windows and door locks and anti-lock brakes as standard features, none of which were necessarily a given in entry level vehicles at the time.

2002: This model year saw the addition of the top-of-the-line Limited trim.

2003: Interior models got an upgrade for 2003, and a two-tone cabin color scheme was introduced.

2004: Safety tech got an overhaul for 2004 with a new airbag and seatbelt system. The front bumper got a new look, too.

2005: Automatic transmissions were made available in the four-cylinder models. Hybrid Escapes hit the market for the first time.

2006: Ford began selling XLTs with i4 engines for 2006.

2007: Some new appearance packages were introduced for 2007, but by this time Ford was already gearing up the second-gen, so no major changes.

How Does the 2003 Ford Escape Compare to the Competition?

The 2003 Honda CR-V sells for a bit more than the Ford Escape, with an entry level LX typically listing at around $5,048. The tradeoff is that the Honda is a bit more fuel-efficient, averaging four extra miles to the gallon, and it’s a bit more reliable, with many drivers reporting 300,000 miles on the original powertrain.

A 2003 Subaru Forester lists at around the same price as an Escape, it averages a couple extra miles to the gallon, but its sole 2.5L engine might feel a bit wimpy in comparison to the Ford Escape’s V6.

Truthfully you can’t really go wrong with any of these choices. The Ford Escape is the winner if you’re looking for a low sticker price on a powerful engine, while the Honda CR-V may be the best all-around if you want something that’s easy to maintain and built to last.

Do Owners Recommend the 2003 Ford Escape?