NHTSA Complaint #10289478 — 2005 FORD ESCAPE

OVER THE PAST YEAR, MY VEHICLE WOULD OCCASIONALLY SHAKE, STUTTER, AND HESITATE UPON ACCELERATION. EACH TIME THIS HAPPENED AND I IMMEDIATELY BROUGHT IT TO BE SERVICED BY THE DEALERSHIP, IT REQUIRED A NEW COIL PACK AND SPARK PLUG. DEPENDING ON WHICH ONE OF 6 FAILED, THE COST FOR REPAIR VARIED GREATLY. I WAS TOLD THAT IT'S NOT WORTH REPLACING ALL 6 AT ONCE, TO WAIT UNTIL EACH INDIVIDUAL ONE SHOWED SIGNS OF HAVING AN ISSUE OR NEEDING REPLACEMENT. THEN, ONE DAY, I AM DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT THE POSTED SPEED OF 65 MILES PER HOUR, WHEN I NOTICED THE CAR DIDN'T HAVE AS MUCH PEP OR PICK-UP AS USUAL. AS I WAS EXITING FROM THE LEFT LANE ONTO AN ON-RAMP FOR A TOLL, THE CAR COMPLETELY DIED. WITH NO WARNING, NO INDICATIONS, NO STUTTERING AS DESCRIBED ABOVE, NO LIGHTS ON THE DASHBOARD, NOTHING - IT JUST DIED. THIS REQUIRED ALL 6 COILS AND PLUGS TO BE REPLACED (INCLUDING THE 3 NEW WITHIN THE PAST YEAR) IN ADDITION TO THE PCM (POWER CONTROL MODULE). I AM TOLD ONE OF THE COILS/PLUGS FAILED, SENT OUT A RADIO FREQUENCY, AND CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE ENTIRE SYSTEM. *TR