NHTSA Complaint #10230091 — 2005 FORD ESCAPE

ABOUT 6 WEEKS AGO, MY WIFE CALLED ME AT WORK TO REPORT HER 2005 ESCAPE "MADE A FUNNY NOISE" WHEN SHE TRIED TO START IT. WHEN I GOT HOME THAT AFTERNOON, I WENT TO INVESTIGATE IT. WHEN I PUT THE KEY IN AND TURNED IT ON, IT EXPLODED. THE INTAKE MANIFOLD DISENTERGRATED AND SCHRAPNEL FROM IT SEVERED WIRING HARNESS, KNOCKED PARTS OFF ETC. HAVING 39K MILES ON IT I HAD IT TOWED TO A LOCAL TOP RATED MECHANIC. AFTER THE MECHANIC REPAIRED THE MECHANICAL DAMAGE, HE SENT IT TO BEACH FORD FOR A PCM ISSUE. THEY REPLACED THE PCM (UNDER FORD WARRANTY, ADMITTING THAT THE COMPUTER WAS ?FRIED? AND THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM WITH OTHER ESCAPES) BUT ABSOLVES ANY KNOWLEDGE OR RESPONSIBILITY AS TO WHY THE EXPLOSION OCCURRED IN THE FIRST PLACE BECAUSE A ?THIRD PARTY PERSON? REPAIRED THE CAR BEFORE BEACH FORD SAW IT. A ?MIKE? AT FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE WHO BASED ON CONVERSATIONS WITH BEACH FORD, SAID THAT REPAIRS BY A THIRD PARTY PRECLUDES FORD FROM ANY RESPONSIBILITY AS TO WHY THE CAR EXPLODED IN THE FIRST PLACE. MY MECHANIC HAS DONE INTERNET RESEARCH AND FOUND OTHER REPORTS OF PCM ISSUES WITH THE ESCAPES CAUSING PROBLEMS FROM FAILURES TO EXPLOSIONS. A TECH AT THE FORD DEALER SAID IT HAS TO DO WITH STRAY VOLTAGE BEING INDUCED INTO THE WIRING AND GOING BACK UP INTO THE PCM, BUT THEN FORD AND THE SERVICE DIRECTOR DENIED ANY KNOWLDEGE OF THIS. FORD SAID THE CAR IS REPAIRED (AT MY EXPENSE) AND WASHED THEIR HANDS OF THIS SITUATION LEAVING ME WITH A CAR THAT HAS ONLY 39,000 MILES ON IT AND EXPLODED IN MY DRIVEWAY CAUSING SEVER DAMAGE, AND NO ATTEMPT TO INVESTIGATE WHY IT HAPPENED. I HAVE ALL THE DAMAGED PARTS THAT WERE REPLACED AND TOLD FORD THAT. NO ONE WILL ADDRESS WHY IT EXPLODED IN THE FIRST PLACE. WHAT IF THIS HAPPENED AT 55 MPH VICE IN MY DRIVEWAY, OR MY WIFE WAS HOME AND I OPENED THE HOOD AND HAD HER START THE CAR SO I COULD LISTEN FOR THAT NOISE SHE SAID? PLEASE HELP ME OUT. *TR