NHTSA Complaint #10190580 — 2003 FORD ESCAPE

THE 2003 FORD ESCAPE DIED WHEN GOING TO A STOP OR PRIOR TO ACCELERATION. NO APPARENT REASON. THIS HAS CONTINUED TO HAPPEN. I CONTACTED FORD ,AND THEY TOLD ME IT WAS PROBABLY BAD GAS. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR MONTHS. ALSO, I HAD TO PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND CHECK FOR FIRE INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. AS THERE WAS A VERY STRONG SMELL OF BURNING RUBBER OR WIRE. NO FIRE FOUND YET. ENGINE WILL RACE FOR NO APPARENT REASON. VEHICLE ATTEMPTED TO ROLL FORWARD AFTER IT HAS BEEN PUT IN PARK AND EVEN AFTER IT HAS BEEN TURNED OFF. TODAY ONE MORE NIGHTMARE HAS BEGAN. I DROVE THE ESCAPE APPROXIMATELY 4 MINUTES, RETURNED HOME, AND KILLED THE VEHICLE. IT WILL NOT START. IF I TURNED THE KEY TO THE 3RD POSITION ALL LIGHTS WENT OUT. IT WILL NOT MOVE OUT OF PARK. THIS HAS BEEN A COMPLETE NIGHTMARE TRYING TO KEEP THIS VEHICLE GOING. I HAVE TRIED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS TO GET THE VEHICLE INTO FORD FOR RECALL ON ABS. THEY CAN GIVE APPROXIMATE DATE, BUT NOTHING DEFINITE. *AK