NHTSA Complaint #10465461 — 2005 FORD ESCAPE

OUR 2005 FORD ESCAPE WAS PURCHASED NEW IN MAY 2005. IT HAS BEEN SERVICED BY FORD TECHNICIANS AT FORD DEALERSHIPS EVERY 5,000 MILES, INCLUDING A RECOMMENDED TRANSMISSION FLUSH LAST YEAR. ON A CROSS COUNTRY TRIP, THE SUV'S TRANSMISSION EXHIBITED A PROBLEM FORD MOTOR COMPANY (FMC) KNOWS AS ENGINE STALLING ON ENGAGEMENT/STOPPING. ACCORDING TO A SERVICE BULLETIN DATED MARCH 19, 2007, SUVS WITH THIS FAULTY TRANSMISSION "EXHIBIT AN ENGINE STALL WHEN COMING TO A STOP OR WHEN ENGAGING THE ENGINE INTO DRIVE OR REVERSE. THE CONDITION MAY BE INTERMITTENT AND OFTEN OCCURS AFTER EXTENDED DRIVES. THERE MAY BE NO DIAGNOSTIC CODES STORED. THIS MAY BE CAUSE BY INTERNAL WEAR IN THE TORQUE CONVERTER WHICH PREVENTS IT FROM LOCKING." THIS EXACT FAILURE CAUSED US TO BE STRANDED IN DANGEROUS HEAT CONDITIONS FOR HOURS AS WE WAITED FOR HELP. HOWEVER, FMC HAS KNOWN ABOUT THIS PROBLEM TRANSMISSION SINCE 2007, YET AS AN OWNER OF A CAR LESS THAN TWO YEARS OLD, I WAS NEVER TOLD ABOUT IT. IF I HAD BEEN INFORMED, I WOULD HAVE TAKEN IT YEARS AGO FOR REPAIR PRIOR TO GOING ON AN EXTENDED TRIP AND PUTTING MY FAMILY IN DANGER. INSTEAD, FMC KNOWINGLY ALLOWED VEHICLE OWNERS TO DRIVE WITH THIS FAULTY TRANSMISSION. FORD-CERTIFIED TECH'S FAILED TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE GIVEN THE EXACT SYMPTOMS AND THE POTENTIAL PROBLEM, THE TORQUE CONVERTER. AFTER TECHS TOLD ME THE TRANSMISSION WAS FINE, THE STALL OCCURRED REPEATEDLY UNTIL TOTAL FAILURE JUST OVER 1,200 MILES LATER, AGAIN, STRANDING MY FAMILY ON THE HIGHWAY. I BECAME AWARE OF THE FAULT ONLY AFTER A SEARCH OF OTHER DRIVERS WHO EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM. FMC BEHAVED NEGLIGENTLY IN FAILING TO INFORM CUSTOMERS LIKE ME, LIKELY TO SHIELD ITSELF FROM COSTLY REPAIRS. IN 2007, MY CAR ONLY HAD 24,500 MILES??WELL WITHIN WARRANTY LIMITS. A RECALL FOR VEHICLES OF THIS MODEL YEAR SHOULD BE ORDERED AND I SHOULD BE REFUNDED COST OF REPAIR. *TR