NHTSA Complaint #10467100 — 2005 FORD ESCAPE

WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM WORK, I WENT TO ACCELERATE. UPON REACHING 40. I HEARD A SUBSTANTIAL BACKFIRE NOISE, AND THE ENGINE SHUT OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY ROAD CAUSING ME TO BLOCK TRAFFIC AS I COASTED ALMOST INTO A BUSY INTERSECTION. I WAS ABLE TO PUT IT IN NEUTRAL AND RESTART THE ENGINE AFTER COASTING FOR 100+ FEET. AFTER WHICH, THE ENGINE BEGAN RUNNING VERY ROUGH AND RUGGED NEVER BEING ABLE TO ACCELERATE ABOUT 30 MPH AND CAUSING MAJOR TRAFFIC PROBLEMS. I TOOK IT TO A DEALERSHIP (VARSITY FORD IN ANN ARBOR, MI) AND HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT MY 2005 FORD ESCAPE WAS IN TROUBLE. APPARENTLY, MY SPARK PLUG AFTER BEING CLOGGED, CAUSED A BACKFIRE WHICH BLEW MY IGNITION COILS AND SPARKPLUGS AND MY PCM. I AM BEING QUOTED $2,200. AT MY LAST OIL CHANGE (3 MONTHS AGO) VARSITY FORD TOLD ME I WAS GETTING CLOSE TO NEEDING A TUNE UP BUT IT WAS NOT NECESSARY THAT DAY AND THAT I COULD WAIT UNTIL MY NEXT OIL CHANGE. I WAS PLANNING ON GOING THIS WEEKEND BECAUSE I WAS HEADING OUT OF TOWN. HAD I BEEN TOLD THE RISK WAS A $400 TUNE UP VS. A $2,200 BLOWN ENGINE, MAYBE I WOULD HAVE CHANGED THE SPARK PLUGS. I'M VERY DISTRAUGHT AT THE FORD DEALERSHIP, AND NOW AM QUESTIONING WHETHER I WILL EVER BUY A FORD OR WORK WITH A FORD DEALERSHIP. *TR