NHTSA Complaint #10360179 — 2009 FORD ESCAPE

2009 FORD ESCAPE XLT V6 WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS (50-70 MPH) THE TRANSMISSION SLIPS INTO NEUTRAL. THIS FIRST OCCURRED WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS 7 MONTHS OLD (JAN 2010) IT WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THE TRANSMISSION WAS REPLACED, ACCORDING TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AT THE DEALERSHIP, WITH A BRAND NEW TRANSMISSION. A COUPLE OF MONTHS LATER THE SAME PROBLEM RESURFACED AND THE VEHICLE WAS AGAIN TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE IT STAYED FOR OVER A WEEK. THE SERVICE ADVISOR INFORMED US THAT THERE WAS A BAD MODULE IN THE TRANSMISSION AND THAT ONCE IT WAS REPLACED THE PROBLEM WOULD BE SOLVED. THE VEHICLE CAME OUT OF THE DEALERSHIP SUPPOSEDLY "REPAIRED", HOWEVER, TWO DAYS LATER THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM HAPPENED WITH THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPING INTO NEUTRAL WHEN DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE. WE LIVE IN WASHINGTON DC AND HAVE TO TAKE THE WASHINGTON BELTWAY AND INTERSTATE 95 EVERY DAY TO GET TO WORK AND THIS ISSUE WITH THE TRANSMISSION IS JUST A SERIOUS ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. THIS VEHICLE IS NOT SAFE TO OPERATE! *TR