NHTSA Complaint #10125186 — 2002 FORD ESCAPE

THE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN AT ROUGHLY 35 MILES PER HOUR WHEN THE TACHOMETER SUDDENLY SURGED AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO LOOSE SPEED. THE TRANSMISSION HAD OBVIOUSLY FAILED TO ENGAGE. PUTTING THE TRANSMISSION INTO 2ND GEAR ALLOWED THE TRANSMISSION TO RE-ENGAGE AND THE VEHCILE BEGAN TO SURGE FORWARD. AN ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO A DEALERSHIP ABOUT 7 OR 8 MILES AWAY. THE TRANSMISSION CONTINUED TO TO ENGAGE AND DISENGAGE FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL MILES. FINALLY, IT DISENGAGED ONE LAST TIME AND DID NOT ENGAGE AGAIN. SINCE IT WAS ON A MAIN STREET, THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD OF A SIDE STREET. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO KREIGER FORD IN COLUMBUS OHIO. THIS TOOK PLACE A FRIDAY. THE DEALERSHIP WAS INFORMED THAT A COMPLAINT WAS MADE ABOUT THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPING AND THEN THUDDING INTO GEAR ON 1ST TO 2ND GEAR SHIFTS ON A SERVICE CALL PRIOR TO THE EXPERATION OF THE WARRANTY. AT THAT TIME THE DEALERSHIP ASSURED THE OWNER THAT THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE TRANSMISSION. ON THIS INCIDENT, NOT ONLY DID THE CAR HAVE TO BE TOWED IN, BUT THE DEALERSHIP WAS ALSO INFORMED THAT THE MOTOR ON THE REAR WINDOW WIPER HAD FAILED AND THE CD PLAYER WOULD NO LONGER EJECT THE CDS. ON MONDAY THE DEALERSHIP CALLED TO INFORM THE OWNER THAT THE TRANSMISSION HAD TOTALLY FAILED AND WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $3500. WITHIN AN HOUR THE DEALERSHIP CALLED BACK AND SAID THE FORD WAS WILLING TO PUT A REBUILT TRANSMISSION INTO THE VEHICLE, REPAIR THE WIPER MOTOR, DO THE 60,000 MILE MAINTNENACE, EXTEND THE DRIVETRAIN WARRANTY TO 100,000 MILES, AND REPAIR THE CD PLAYER FOR $1500. THIS IS PREPOSTEROUS. NO TRANSMISSION SHOULD FAIL AT 61,000 MILES. AND AFTER READING THE INCIDENTS REPORTED HERE, IT IS BECOMING APPARENT THAT THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION ON THE ESCAPE.