NHTSA Complaint #10236499 — 2006 FORD ESCAPE

I WAS PULLING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE WITH THE WHEEL TURNED TO THE LEFT & HEARD A LOUD CLUNK LIKE SOMETHING FELL FROM UNDERNEATH MY CAR, LIKE MY CAR LITERALLY WAS FALLING APART. I GOT OUT TO CHECK AND MY TIRES WERE OKAY, AND NOTHING WAS HANGING OR LEAKING FROM THE CAR. SO I DROVE TO MY OFFICE WHICH IS ABOUT A MILE AWAY. I WENT TO MAKE A LEFT TURN INTO MY OFFICE COMPLEX AND I HEARD THE CLUNKING AGAIN. I PARKED AND WENT INSIDE TO CALL A MECHANIC. THE MECHANIC ACROSS THE STREET FROM MY OFFICE TOOK IT FOR A TEST DRIVE & SAID IT SOUNDS LIKE MY TRANSMISSION WAS STICKING FOR SOME REASON. HE CALLED A TRANSMISSION GUY HE KNOWS NOT FAR FROM THERE & I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE IT THERE. HE DROVE IT & SAID IT WAS CLUNKING BAD & IT SOUNDED LIKE A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. HE KEPT IT OVER THE WEEKEND TO LOOK EVERYTHING OVER. ON MONDAY AFTERNOON HE CONTACTED ME & SAID THAT THE CLUNKING WAS THE WHEEL BEARING HUB ASSEMBLY AND ONCE THEY FIX THAT, THAT COULD STILL JUST BE THE FIRST PART OF THE PROBLEM. HE WAS RIGHT. AFTER TEST DRIVING IT AGAIN HE HEARD ANOTHER NOISE THAT I CAN'T DESCRIBE IN WORDS. HE SAID THAT IT WAS THE TRANSFER CASE & SOMETHING ABOUT THE TRANSFER CASE CONTROLLING THE 4-WHEEL DRIVE WHICH IS ALL RELATED TO THE TRANSMISSION. AT FIRST I WAS GOING TO LET HIM ORDER THE GENERIC PARTS, BUT AFTER I DID SOME RESEARCH ON THE WARRANTIES FOR 2006 FORD ESCAPES I CALLED HIM BACK AND SPOKE TO HIM ABOUT WHAT I FOUND ABOUT THE POWER TRAIN AND TRANSMISSION MODULES UNDER THE EMISSIONS WARRANTY BEING COVERED UP TO 80,000 MILES. HE SAID EMISSIONS HAS TO DO WITH POLLUTION. SO I JUST SAID ORDER THE FORD PARTS INSTEAD IN THE EVENT THAT I HAVE TO REVISIT THIS SITUATION. ALTHOUGH I WOULD'VE SAVED ABOUT $100 NOW I'M NOT WILLING TO TAKE THAT CHANCE IF SOMETHING ELSE HAPPENS & FORD SAY THEY ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT FORD GENUINE PARTS. MY CAR IS STILL IN THE SHOP BECAUSE THEY HAD TO ORDER THE PARTS AND THEN THEY WILL BE ABLE TO COMPLETE THE REPLACEMENT OF THE TRANSFER CASE AND PARTS. *TR