I drive a 2004 Ford Escape with a V6 engine. I use it for Uber out in Charlotte and wouldn't want anything to happen to it because it used to be my dad's. There's definitely sentimental value in it.

Last week, I was driving for Uber when it suddenly started losing power. It was fortunate I had already taken the passenger home. I turned off the Escape and turned it back on. That's when I saw smoke coming from under the hood, so I turned off the engine immediately. Every time I tried to drive it, after my stepfather came to help in the dead of a cold night too, it would just keep losing power and not accelerate at all.

I don't really know much about cars which is why I'm likely going to post here a few times. I have pictures of the Escape and took more than I should because I wanted to know more about the Escape. I'd appreciate it if you could tell me what is what. Now, my stepfather thinks it could be the catalytic converter, but he had also said it could be the oil pump. Either way, I don't know what to look for. By the way, when my dad had it before, he had a fender-bender and had crashed into someone. You'll see in one of the pictures where the frame is bent. The salesman who had taken it back after the accident had done repairs to it but maybe he had done something more. I don't know. I do know some of the parts. I see where it's possible that the issue is an oil leak. Is the container for the brake fluid supposed to get that messy? That thing under the Escape, that's so rusty, what is that and does it need to be replaced? Also, the Escape has about 180,000 miles. I know the battery isn't in there, my mum is using it temporarily in her 2000 Pontiac Bonneville until she can get a new one, which I would help with once I could get back to Uber.

The pictures are attached. I also wanted to ask if the Escape is capable of being lifted since I want to get bigger four-wheel tires ( and, also, if it's possible to change from two-wheel drive to four-wheel.)