2009 Escape XLT V6, AWD not engaging at all.
 

My ford escapes AWD is not working at all. I can get it stuck in six inches of snow, and the front wheels just spin (I did this on purpose to be sure they weren't working.

The only issue I have coming up is a tire sensor, and I'll be changing those out with four new tires in a couple of weeks. But that problem is more recent than the awd problem.

Here's the thing, I bought it new last summer, had it checked out, everything seemed fine, but the last thing I expected not to work was fords ****ty AWD, so I really couldn't test that. the truck being mint (55000km) and owned by an old couple, the thought of the 4wd never crossed my mind.

I use my vehicles off road, I enjoy taking my Escape hunting and fishing, and I want to be able to play in the snow with it, but the truth is that I don't have even the slightest idea whats wrong. If I can't find help here, the dealership is the next step, but I prefer to work on my own toys.

Thanks in advance for any help,
Clary.

?????
 

You say ****ty Ford transmissions yet you purchase a Ford anyhow? And your interpretation of ‘mint’ seems different than mine because if a car has only 55,000 Km on it, that certainly doesn’t automatically mean it’s mint. I suggest you do your homework more before buying a used car.

My experience with Ford transmissions has been quite the opposite, has been extremely reliable and long lasting compared to some other domestic manufacturers. My relationship with Ford vehicles started back in the day with a 1968 Ford Falcon, at the moment ending with a 2011 Ford Escape AWD 3.0L.

My 2011 Ford Escape Limited V6 3.0L AWD beast has 345,000 km (over 200,000 MI) and the transmission has been rock steady, crisp, no slipping & AWD better than any other electronic AWD that i have owned.

Every manufacturer has some issues with technology implemented during certain years, models and particular components and Ford is no different in that regard, however the Escape of this vintage seem to have had a good long reliable run.

Unfortunately,,,,,,,, many folks don't follow the recommended maintenance schedule in their owner's manual and when the vehicle they feel should last forever and never have any issues comes up with some, it must be the manufacturers fault.

Sometimes, it does happen that things go wrong even with the correct maintenance, but not too many.

Some independent shops are good, get the required training, and the necessary tools and info, we just have to search around and find them.

Tune ups were a required scheduled maintenance on older vehicles, but the newer ones don't always require maintenance that often,but still require scheduled maintenance.
Even the most expensive luxury vehicles have a service dept.

Todays cars do last a lifetime with very little maintenance when you compare them to cars of our youth. If we go back to the days before fuel injection we were going into the shop every year or two just to get a minor or major tuneup, carbs adjusted ect. We also had to pay attention to the body as they would rust after just a few years, whereas today you hardly see cars with extensive rust compared to the old cars. Don't get me wrong i love the old cars as they smell of gas and oil, you can feel the rumble of power and you can tinker on them endlessly to get them dialed in just right. They were very dirty beasts compared to new offerings, but hold a special place.

New cars run like a well tuned clock, require so much less maintenance, don't rust anywhere close to the old days and reliability is through the roof in comparison.

Only thing not as good with new vehicles are when things go south it takes a very knowledgeable person to troubleshoot, however even in that it can spit out some codes to help in the diagnostic.

I'll take newer cle as my daily driver anytime, but an old classic as my weekend joy!

Many of us do neglect the transmission servicing, oil changes we're all pretty much dialed into but the tranny we tend to neglect unfortunately.

We do need to be cautious when looking for another used vehicle, especially if driven on salted roads in the winter.

They were washed often, looked great outside, but were not repairable underneath and could not pass a safety inspection because they were unsafe to drive.

I hear you.

I remember driving my 1968 Ford Falcon and in the early 90's i had no heat for the defrosters and had holes in the floorboards which i placed some wooden members just to get by. I donated the car to a person who intended to let it go out in style giving pleasure to others, used it in a demolition derby. I gave the car for free as it wasn't worth anything at that point, however fitting to go out giving a few last smiles. I continued that tradition with each and every vehicle i owned, never sold a single one just gave them free to family, friends, strangers long as they never came back to complain. Gave my Jimmy 4x4 to the mailman, my Camaro to my cousin, my Pontiac SV6 which was low mileage and terrific shape to a family who could make use of it more than i seeing my kids had grown.

Back to transmissions, my neighbour just told me he has close to 500,000km (310,000 MI) on his car, never seen a vehicle reaching that milliage with the original transmission.