Hold onto your hat CL.....I have owned no less than six Escapes. I find them to be average as far as reliability but I had a good friend that was the garage manager at the local ford dealer and he took care of every problem I had. My pet peeve is rattles and I can be very OCD when it comes to car noises. I have been know to trade a car in because of an unresolved rattle. Yeah. Nuts.