2008 Ford Escape XLT, automatic transmission. Bought used in 2019 around 120k-130k miles, now it's at 139k. Unsure if it's ever been taken in for maintenance before.
Serviced two weeks ago at the dealership for maintenance. They replaced fluids and filters. All the brake pads/drums were in good enough condition. They fixed the alignment and replaced my bent(?) tie rods... Engine is also leaking oil slowly. Installed new tires last week but I think my car was already squeaky before this.
When I first got my car back from the dealership, I noticed some squeaking (screeching, maybe?). I haven't driven it much until today. It's like the screeching sound when you're pedaling a bike fast and squeeze both the brakes. It mostly stops but also jerks forward a little bit forward a bit. While it's screeching it's slowing down, but in between squeaks it sort of slides forward, like something's slipping. I think it's more towards the front of the car than the back.
I went 20 mph and braked slightly more abruptly than usual to cause these sounds. What could be wrong with the brakes? What might the dealer try to do to fix it?
The unrelated part: I usually crack my back windows open, but today might have been the first time I did it since it was serviced. I tried to roll up the back left one but it would only go down. The mechanism sounds like it still works but my window won't roll back up, so I assume it just needs to be put back into place. This is just a coincidence, right? I don't know what a technician could have done to make this happen.
Pictures of some paperwork from the dealership, in case that's helpful.
These guys really took you to the cleaners.
- Oil supplement?
- Fuel system cleaner?
- Power steering fluid exchange ?
- Fuel cap - why?
- $36 brake fluid - what for? They didn't change the pads or calipers.
{black}:scared:
- $30 to smear some goo on your battery terminals
- $60 for various cleaners and conditioners
- They charged you for a fuel filter, but the notes make no mention of installing one (which means the old one is probably still there)
- $60 for a transmission kit + fluid. Again no mention of installing this
- What is "44K FUE" for $45?
- $35 for "stop squeak" which obviously did the opposite.
- $76 for MAF cleaning. Again no mention of actually doing it or why it was needed
- $73 for a headlight. Was your out? These cost $10 at the store and take 5 mins to install.
- You can save a lot of money by checking + replacing the air filters yourself. This is easy stuff anyone can do, usually without tools. There's even instructions in the owner's manual.
They ripped you off pretty good. I hope for your sake you go to an honest independent mechanic next time.
I agree. I don't know what most of the charges are either. my dad insisted on taking it in for maintenance and it's his money. I will probably do these things myself when I get my own car or the next time the Ford needs something.
if you look at my last reply to the other response: I'm going to be charged $600 to fix my back window regulator. is that correct? it seems like a lot but also annoying to do myself.
hard to say. You said it goes down, which means the motor works. Personally I would rather fix it myself than pay $850, but you said it wasn't your money. Or at least I would open it up to find out what the problem is.
" Unsure if it's ever been taken in for maintenance before. "
--- The car would have been longggg gone before 139k then. Maybe it just hasn't been well taken care of is what I'm assuming ya trying to say.
"They fixed the alignment and replaced my bent(?) tie rods..."
--- uhh okay? Car potentially in an accident perhaps? Or just crappy OE parts from ford? Wouldn't be the first time. If you add excess strain to the suspension system as well there is potential damage.
"Installed new tires last week but I think my car was already squeaky before this."
--- tires only squeak if rolling off of a shop floor, not asphalt, unrelated to brakes if you are mentioning brake noise.
"While it's screeching it's slowing down, but in between squeaks it sort of slides forward, like something's slipping. I think it's more towards the front of the car than the back.I went 20 mph and braked slightly more abruptly than usual to cause these sounds."
--- it sounds like you brake too hard and are engaging something called ABS or Anti-lock braking system. In this case there would be nothing wrong with the brakes if the dealer said it was good/ight condition. The brakes are not suppose to just come to a sheer stop or else the car will just skid and slide around, that's what abs was created for. Eventually from braking too hard you will warp rotors and can cause other potential damage. If this not be the case, then brake noise is caused by too much vibration, some disk brake quiet lube will do the trick...
"This is just a coincidence, right?"
Yes, more than likely. If it sounds like it's working, I'm making the assumption that the motor hasn't failed but the plastic part of the assembly has broke so the wire is just dangling around. I do not think there be a partial replacement for it so you would have to get a whole new motor assembly I think.
Thank you for the detailed response; I appreciate you breaking it down for me. Good to know that the window thing is a separate problem, it's just annoying.
For the first part, I just meant I wasn't sure of the last time the previous owner brought it in for a tune-up or like maintenance in general. I apparently didn't do amazingly on the smog check and my AC has always smelled a little off (it doesn't anymore! lol). I just know they brought it into my dealership in 2018 and 2016 for minor issues. Don't know if it's been in an accident before.
Not sure if the tie rods and alignment were messed up before I got the car or if I did something to them. I mentioned that and the new tires because I don't know if they might have affected the braking.
It did remind me of the antilock braking. I haven't had that happen before bringing it to the dealer. I'm not braking particularly suddenly or hard. If I slow down to turn a corner, it will squeak. Occasionally it squeaks with normal braking. These things have never triggered the ABS before. I don't think I drive badly or aggressively, definitely not enough to warrant squeaky brakes.
Gotcha. I can see why you might think the dealer might have done something but if they didn't change anything it means that they didn't touch the system. Changing tierods only require pulling off the tire, not the caliper. If the brakes have started to sqeak it could just be that its old. (It's a very common disk brake issue) when looking at the brakes does it look like there is a pizza or pie pattern slice pattern on em? If so there was some abnormal wear on the disks.even if the pads look okay, the disks might not be or if they only gave it a once over, then they could be wrong and it might be time if it hasn't happened yet.
I agree it doesn't make sense that it'd squeak. Advisor at the dealership this morning said they'd check it out because the problem started right after I got it back. It's also not a squeaking, it's a creaking noise, like something mechanical. It was very easy to reproduce in the short parking lot they had.
They said it would cost $250 to diagnose the window problem and probably $600 to fix it. Am I getting ripped off? I looked up how to replace the regulator, which he said it'd probably need, and it seems like a pain to get in there. I could try but my dad might prefer we pay to get it done.
You have already been scammed, this dealer is just taking the piss outta ya at this point.
thanks, very good to know