Well I am having my second issue in 12 years/297k miles (first was the alternator - 4 times). The a/c has lost its charge. The compressor is ok so far - as in hasn't locked up. I added some of the 'freon' in a can and it got cold but leaked out after a few months.
Anybody else have this issue and is there a common place the leaks happen on these?

 

Look for oily dirt spots on the components you can see. If the refrigerant leaks, it carries some oil, which will not evaporate. The oil will hang onto dirt, forming a dirty spot you can see. Places that are common, though not particular to Escape trio, are: snap lock connectors where the tubing connects, compressor seal, accumulator rust through, condenser perforation by road debris, and all pressure controlled switches, such as the HPCO and LPCO. If the evaporator leaks, you'll have to use a 'sniffer' to detect the gas diffusing from the vents/defrost. So it is visible, to 'spray with soapy water', to use a tool that can detect.
tom

 

The vehicle should have left the factory with UV dye in the A/C system. Use a black light and yellow glasses to look for the tell-tail dye stain.

 

Thanks guys! I'll check it this weekend...