NHTSA Complaint #10070231 — 2002 FORD ESCAPE

WITH NO WARNING THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION ON OUR ESCAPE FAILED COMPLETELY AT 44,130 MILES. SO FAR, NO FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE HAS BEEN OFFERED BY FORD OR THE REPAIRING DEALER DISPITE ATTEMPTS BY ME TO GET RELIEF FOR THE $2700 REPAIR BILL! WE HAVE HAD A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE DRIVETRAIN SINCE ABOUT 18,000 MILES AND HAD IT CHECKED AT 25,000 BY OUR LOCAL FORD DEALER. THE DEALER INSISTED THAT IT WAS ONLY TIRE NOISE...WHICH WHILE VERY SCEPTICAL, WE ACCEPTED WITH THE CAVEAT THAT WHEN WE EVENTUALLY REPLACED THE TIRES, THE NOISE WOULD BE GONE OUR WE EXPECTED THE VEHICLE TO BE REPAIRED AT NO CHARGE. SINCE THE TRANSMISSION'S VERY PREMATURE FAILURE, WE HAVE REVISITED THE POWERTRAIN NOISE AS WE NOW SUSPECT ITS SOURCE MAY HAVE CAUSED THE TRANSMISSION FAILURE. BOTH FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS HAVE BEEN CHANGED, THE WHEELS AND TIRES HAVE BEEN SUBSTITUTED AND THE VERY LOUD NOISE CONTINUES. TWO FORD DEALERS HAVE INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND NO ONE YET HAS AN IDEA OF WHAT THE SOURCE OF THE NOISE IS NOW! THIS TRUCK IS A TRUE LEMON AND I THINK FORD SHOULD BE STEPPING UP TO THE PLATE TO FIX AND PAY FOR THIS PROBLEM AS WELL AS ALL OR MOST OF THE TRANSMISSION REPAIR!!!!