Factory build sheet
2004 Ford Escape XLS
Build 1FMCU021-4 · 3L 6cyl · Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV)
VIN positions 1 through 8 read 1FMCU021 and position 10 reads 4. Those nine characters define this build. Position 9 and positions 11 through 17 differ on every car.
Every Escape whose VIN starts 1FMCU021 and carries 4 in position 10 left the plant with the same engine, transmission, drivetrain and equipment listed below. We know of 109 of them.
- Decoded Jul 7, 2026
- 109 known VINs
This configuration is identical to 2004 Ford Escape XLS 3L 6cyl Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) (664 vehicles). That page carries the full record.
Factory specification
As filed by Ford with NHTSA for this build. Fields the filing does not record are left out entirely — a missing row means no recorded value, not a missing feature.
Engine
- Displacement
- 3 L
- Cylinders
- 6
- Configuration
- V-Shaped
- Engine manufacturer
- Ford
- Valve train
- Dual Overhead Cam (DOHC)
- Horsepower
- 201 hp
- Fuel type
- Gasoline
Drivetrain
- Drive type
- 4x2
- Brake system
- Hydraulic
Body & chassis
- Body class
- Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV)/Multi-Purpose Vehicle (MPV)
- NHTSA body type
- MULTIPURPOSE PASSENGER VEHICLE (MPV)
- Doors
- 4
- Manufacturer
- FORD MOTOR COMPANY
Weight rating
- GVWR class
- Class 1C
- GVWR
- 4,001–5,000 lb
Gross vehicle weight rating is the loaded ceiling set by the manufacturer, not the car's own weight.
The same build, other model years
Ford used the VIN pattern 1FMCU021 for 4 model years. Nothing but the year changes between these pages, so the price gap between them is depreciation on an identical car.
How this VIN pattern is read
A 17-character VIN carries two kinds of information: what was built, and which one it is. This page is the first kind — the nine highlighted positions.
| Positions | Characters | What they encode |
|---|---|---|
| 1–3 | 1FM | FORD MOTOR COMPANY · World manufacturer identifier |
| 4–8 | CU021 | Model, body style, engine and restraint system |
| 9 | × | Check digit — computed per vehicle, not part of the build |
| 10 | 4 | Model year — 2004 |
| 11 | × | Assembly plant |
| 12–17 | ×××××× | Production sequence number, unique to each vehicle |
109 vehicles carry this build
Every VIN we have decoded to 1FMCU021-4 shares the specification above.
- 109 Known VINs
Cars are filed by a fixed rule based on the VIN, so a car never moves between groups.
Neighboring configurations
Other factory configurations of the Escape, each with its own build sheet. The set is fixed by the VIN patterns themselves, so it does not shuffle as prices or inventory move.
- 2004 XLT 3L 6-cyl · Sport utility vehicle suv mult 346 vehicles
- 2004 Limited 3L 6-cyl · Sport utility vehicle suv mult 277 vehicles
- 2004 XLS 3L 6-cyl · Sport utility vehicle suv mult · 4WD 96 vehicles
- 2004 Limited 3L 6-cyl · Sport utility vehicle suv mult · 4WD 705 vehicles
- 2004 XLT 3L 6-cyl · Sport utility vehicle suv mult 1,321 vehicles · $3,000 median
Keep going
Where this data comes from
Specification fields are decoded from the manufacturer's filings in the NHTSA vPIC database, keyed on VIN positions 1–8 and 10. We publish the filed values as they stand and leave out anything the filing does not record.
Vehicle counts come from the 109 VINs of this build we have seen in dealer inventory. They are a sample of the road population, not a production figure.