NHTSA Complaint #10443578 — 2008 FORD ESCAPE

I NOTICED A TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAK TOWARD THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE CAR WAS BEGINNING TO SHIFT ERRATICALLY, AND SLIPPING BETWEEN GEARS AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. WAS CAUSING SOME CONCERN WHILE DRIVING IN THE FAST LANE OF THE INTERSTATES. IT WAS BEGINNING TO SPRAY UP UNDER THE HOOD, AND I WAS WORRIED ABOUT IT GETTING ON THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD AND STARTING A FIRE. AFTER DOING TONS OF RESEARCH ON LINE, IF FIND OUT ABOUT A TRANS COOLER DEFECT. I SEE THIS HAS HAPPENED TO 100'S IF NOT 1000'S OF PEOPLE THAT OWNED 2008 ESCAPES. I WAS TOLD FORD DID DO SOME REPAIRS ON THESE CARS THAT WHERE BUILT EARLY 2008, AND THAT A CSP (CUSTOMER SATISFACTION PROGRAM) WAS SENT OUT MARCH 2010, AND EXPIRED IN AUGUST 2010. MY ESCAPE WAS BUILT IN SEPT. 2007, WHICH SHOULD HAVE COVERED IT. FORD SENT A CSP #09B10 TO OWNERS FOR A REPLACEMENT BECAUSE OF THE KNOW DEFECT TO THE COOLER. SINCE I DIDN'T NOT OWN THE VEHICLE UNTIL NOVEMBER 2010, I HAD NO IDEA OF THE PROBLEM, AND SINCE THE ORIGINAL OWNER NEVER TOOK IT IN FOR REPAIR, I HAVE TO PAY THE PRICE. I CALLED FORD CUSTOMER CARE, AND BOTH THEM, AND THE FORD DEALER ACKNOWLEDGE THE DEFECT, BUT WOULD NOT COVER IT. SINCE THERE IS NO RECALL, AND THE CSP IS OVER, I HAD TO PAY $644.41 OUT OF MY POCKET. THIS IS RIDICULES I AM PAYING FOR A DEFECT THAT FORD KNOWS ABOUT. THEY BOTH TOLD ME TO HOLD ON TO MY RECEIPT IN CASE THERE IS A RECALL I CAN GET REIMBURSED. I THINK THIS IS THE LAST FORD I WILL OWN. EVEN THOUGH THIS IS CONNECTED TO THE DRIVE TRAIN, AND KEEPS YOUR TRANSMISSION FROM FAILING, ITS NOT A DRIVE TRAIN PART, AND FORD WILL NOT COVER CAUSE ITS NOT INTERNAL. AS FAR AS I SEE IT! ITS POWER TRAIN RELATED, AND IF IT UNKNOWINGLY FAILS, THE TRANSMISSION WILL FAIL. HOPEFULLY FORD DOES THE RIGHT THING, AND REPAIRS OR REIMBURSES THE CUSTOMER THAT HAD IT REPAIRED FOR THE MISTAKE FORD MADE WITH THE DEFECTIVE PART BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT. *TR