Hi 02escape. Congratulations with the jeep. Because of finances i have to keep my escape. I have discontinued offroading on mud tracks. My service tech explained to me exactly why, our escapes are not a dedicated 4x4 vehicle. He indicated that i was fortunate ,in not having my auto gearbox or the trans axle being rebuilt. Luckily for me only the gearbox oil was cooked, so henceforth it was drained and replaced.
He advised me that other people ,with earlier model escapes had their transaxles and gearboxes repaired. Obviously i comprehend why you purchased the jeep. It is specifically a full on 4x4 car. You would have that separate gear lever, to enable high or low ratio when offroading. I am guessing you have a manual gearbox.