255 messages,
Last post on Feb 21, 2013 at 7:27 PM
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Ford Escape Forum.
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Ford Escape, SUV
#226 of 255 Re: '09 seat stains can I still get replaced? [dobbermansrule]
by mew4
Aug 02, 2012 (9:14 pm)
I wrote a couple days ago about my frustration with the upholstery in my 2008 Escape. The reason our dealer replaced the upholstery on the bottom of the front seats is because when he tried to clean them they looked even worse. I had worked with him over two or three years and this year asked him to meet me half way with the back seats and he refused to do so. I took it to Customer Care who I think was involved in the decision to replace the front seats last year. They left it in the hands of the service department of the dealership who continued to refuse to do anything more. I then wrote to Ford Management in Dearborn and received a terse response that there was nothing they would do after a careful review of my case. After always owning Ford vehicles, I'm sad to say that I feel completely free to look at the competition for future purchases.
Now, the good news. I read everything everyone has written and decided I had nothing to lose trying one more time. I followed Shadescape's suggestion to make sure the entire seat was wet. I also followed someone else's suggestion not to use a lot of different chemicals. I used a sponge to wet the entire seat with lukewarm water. I had a very light solution of Fels Naptha and water and used a scrub brush to brush it back and forth over the entire seat for several minutes. Fels Naptha is a mild bar soap sold very inexpensively (in the midwest) in the detergent section of a grocery store. I think any mild soap would do the same probably. I used the sponge and scrub brush again to add clear water several times to remove all the soap. Then I used beach towels and pressure to dry the seats as much as possible. As the day was about 88 degrees with very little humidity, it was easy to dry the seats within a day, probably half a day just by leaving the windows open.
Unfortunately, while I was at it, I also tried to clean one spot on the top of one of the front seats. Now instead of the spot I have a large ring where the spot was which looks worse. It is frustrating that in order to remove any spots at all one must completely soak the entire seat so that there are no marks. This is especially frustrating when the spot was only caused by water to begin with.
#227 of 255 Re: 2008 Ford Escape Seat Fabric [christofferson]
by keytexas
Aug 03, 2012 (6:20 am)
fender112:
I did much the same as you did, contacted everyone from the dealership level up to the corporate level. I included copied pages from these forums where scores of people complained about the disgusting seats. What chaps me are the suggestions regarding how to clean the seats. Folks like mean well, and the interim of trying to get Ford to do what is right for the customers it can be helpful to try. But the fact of the matter is..... we shouldn't have to do that. Most Escape owners paid $23K plus for their vehicles and they shouldn't have to deal with the seats! Ford should recall the Escapes with the horrible fabric seats, in OR out of warranty, and replace them. I am dumbfounded when Ford corporate customer service continued to say they get few complaints. Well, guess again. However in spite of my sending the scathing testimonials about the seats - they do nothing.
#228 of 255 Re: 2008 Ford Escape Seat Fabric [keytexas]
by steve_ HOST
Aug 03, 2012 (6:23 am)
But the fact of the matter is..... we shouldn't have to do that.
That's about the size of it. No one else is routinely cleaning seats on the forums like Escape owners.
#229 of 255 Re: '09 seat stains can I still get replaced? [babbs3]
by marms1
Aug 18, 2012 (7:28 pm)
I have a 2006 escape and have had lots of water stains on the seats. I had it detailed today and the seats look brand new! I am getting ready to trade it in on a 2013. The salesman assured me that the seat fabric is not the same. It did look thicker and better quality. Also the new ones have what I have missed which is the recirculating option. I love the look of the 2013s . The get up and go is much better, even with the air conditioner on!Can't wait to get a new one.
#230 of 255 Re: '09 seat stains can I still get replaced? [marms1]
by halubdesign
Aug 19, 2012 (5:51 am)
Beware, I have a 2011 Ford Escape and had to have the driver seat fabric replaced after a week of ownership. I would even go so far as to have the dealer spill some water on the seat in the showroom and see if it stains.
#231 of 255 Re: '09 seat stains can I still get replaced? [marms1]
by mariposa7684
Aug 19, 2012 (7:27 am)
i would also do the water test before i sign on the line for this car. ford replaced my water stained front seats on my '08 in '09. the allegedly "improved" material stains just as much.
Aug 19, 2012 (9:10 am)
My 2009 Escape died in a car accident about a year ago. The bright spot in losing that car was that I didn't have to be embarrassed by the seat stains anymore. It made us look like we were a family of incontinents, and I tried everything suggested on this forum. The seats made from recycled material are the problem, NOT the cloth ones. So I wish you all well, but that material is not going to suddenly clean up beautifully, and Ford knows it. And one more thing, a 15 mph "tap" to the front end totals the car. Insurance companies don't want to replace all the fancy and expensive electronic equipment. Loving my `98 Mercedes E 320 bought on Craigslist for 3G though. And guess what I love best - leather seats!
#233 of 255 Re: Buh-bye! [escapeartist2]
by southtx
Aug 19, 2012 (9:44 am)
The stone 'leather' seats on our 2013 are FILTHY after 6 weeks of use. Now, it's been in the shop three times, so maybe the service guys' trousers were dirty... but these get dirty much easier than the 'leather' in our old '08. Leather cleaner/conditioner cleans the material... but guess what color the stitching is after the cleanup?
#234 of 255 Re: Buh-bye! [escapeartist2]
by babbs3
Aug 20, 2012 (12:14 pm)
Sorry to hear about your accident and total status as l5mph. Even though your description of condition (incontinents) made me laugh it really isn't funny. Here's something I just found out 2 weeks ago. My brother had a 2008 Focus that spots were appearing out of nowhere on all his seats. He only told us AFTER he sold the car. His daughter had a 2011 Lincoln SUV with leather and she had stains from her denim jeans that the dealer tried to get out more than once. She made the dealer promise to not reduce price on the trade in. She bought a different car. Sounds like Ford just doesn't get it with the seat problems. I hope the 2013 seats are different. Wake up FMC.! Good luck with your new Benz.