NHTSA Complaint #10474445 — 2010 FORD ESCAPE

LESS THAN TWO WEEKS AFTER PURCHASING THE FORD ESCAPE, I WAS HEADED EAST FROM SOUTH KINGSTOWN, RI TO MA ON RT 79/24 AT 6:30 A.M. DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 60 MILES AN HOUR, WITHOUT ANY WARNING, THE CAR CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP AND THE WRENCH LIGHT APPEARED ON THE CONTROL PANEL. I WAS WITHOUT A CELL PHONE. IN THE DISTANCE I COULD SEE AN OFF RAMP AND WAS ABOUT TO WALK. I SUCCESSFULLY RESTARTED THE CAR, EXITED THE HIGHWAY, TO RETURN TO RI. AFTER DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MILES, THE CAR AGAIN, WITHOUT ANY WARNING, CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP IN SEEKONK AND THE WRENCH LIGHT AGAIN CAME ON THE CONTROL PANEL. AGAIN, I RESTARTED THE CAR AND PROCEEDED CAUTIOUSLY TO SOUTH KINGSTOWN, WHEN THE CAR AGAIN STOPPED IN WAKEFIELD, AND THE WRENCH LIGHT INDICATING A POWER TRAIN FAILURE APPEARED ON THE CONTROL PANEL. I IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED THE DEALER WHERE THE CAR WAS PURCHASED. IT STILL HAD A MONTH LEFT ON THE ORIGINAL WARRANTY. UPON INSPECTION THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT INDICATED THAT THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG. THEY TOLD ME THAT UNLESS THE PROBLEM COULD BE RECREATED, THEY WOULD NOT REPLACE ANY PARTS. BECAUSE IT WAS LABOR DAY WEEKEND, I HAD TO WAIT UNTIL TUESDAY AND TOOK THE CAR TO A FORD DEALER IN NARRAGANSETT RI, WHERE THEY KEPT THE CAR FOR THREE DAYS. THEY COULDN'T REPLICATE THE INCIDENT AND SAID THAT UNLESS THEY COULD SIMULATE IT, FORD WOULD NOT PAY TO REPLACE ANY PARTS. *TR THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE DEALER FOUR TIMES, TO TRY AND RECTIFY THE STALLING ISSUE, BUT TO NO AVAIL. UPDATED IVOQ 10/22/12