NHTSA Complaint #10477028 — 2013 FORD ESCAPE

CROSS TRAFFIC WARNING SYSTEM IS OVERLY SENSITIVE AND PROVIDES FALSE WARNINGS. THIS CREATES A DISTRACTION FROM DRIVING. WHEN THE TRANSMISSION IS IN REVERSE THE CROSS TRAFFIC WARNING SYSTEM WILL ALARM WHEN VEHICLES ARE APPROXIMATELY 50 FEET AWAY OR WHEN TRAFFIC IS PASSING ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE ROAD (I.E. WHEN PARALLEL PARKING). THE SYSTEM HAS ALSO ALARMED WHEN NO VEHICULAR OR PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC IS PRESENT. IT IS UNPREDICTABLE. THE ALARM IS EXTREMELY DISTRACTING TO THE DRIVING TASK AT HAND. ADDITIONALLY, WHEN IN REVERSE, THE DRIVER SHOULD BE LOOKING BEHIND THE VEHICLE, NOT AT THE DASHBOARD WHERE AN ALARM MESSAGE IS DISPLAYED. SILENCING THE ALARM REQUIRES THE DRIVER TO FIND A SMALL "OK" BUTTON OR SCROLL THROUGH SEVERAL MENUS THAT IS LOCATED NEXT TO THE SPEEDOMETER. THE ALARM HAS ALSO ACTIVATED AS THE TRANSMISSION GEAR SHIFT PASSES 'REVERSE' WHILE BEING PUT IN 'DRIVE'. THE DEALER HAS ACKNOWLEDGED THIS CAN BE DISTRACTING AND THAT A REPAIR FOR THIS DOES NOT EXIST. *TR