NHTSA Complaint #10480692 — 2013 FORD ESCAPE

MY 2013 FORD ESCAPE, 1.6 LITER ENGINE, HAD 3 RECALLS, (TWO WERE ENGINE FIRE RELATED). ALL 3 RECALL REPAIRS WERE DONE BY THE LOCAL FORD DEALER, SALEM, VA. WE PICKED VEHICLE UP AFTER THIRD RECALL WORK HAD BEEN DONE ON 9/17/12. WE ASSUMED THE RECALL WORK WAS DONE CORRECTLY, AND THAT FORD'S "FIX" WORKED CORRECTLY. ON 9/21/12 WE WERE TRAVELING EAST AT 65 MPH IN THE RIGHT LANE ON I-64 NEAR CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA. IT WAS ABOUT 1 PM IN THE AFTERNOON. THERE WAS A "POP" SOUND IN THE ENGINE AREA. INSTANTLY, THE ACCELERATOR HAD NO RESPONSE, THE HIGH ENGINE TEMPERATURE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON, AND THEN ALL WARNING LIGHTS, GAUGES, & TACHOMETER ALL WENT DEAD. LUCKILY, WE WERE ADJACENT TO AN EXIT RAMP, AND WE COASTED TO A STOP ON RTE 20/53. IMMEDIATELY, WHITE STEAM CAME OUT OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. KNOWING THE THIRD RECALL DEALT WITH THE "RISK OF ENGINE FIRES", WE GOT OUT, AND MOVED WELL AWAY FROM THE VEHICLE. WITHIN MINUTES, BROWN, OILY SMOKE CAME OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THEN FLAMES CAME OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD, AT THE WINDSHIELD AND OUT THE SIDES OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THEN THE CAR BURST INTO FLAMES AND WAS DESTROYED. PICTURES WERE TAKEN OF THE VEHICLE ON FIRE, AND AFTER IT WAS OUT, WITH A CELL PHONE. AFTER THE FIRE WAS OUT, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE FORD DEALER IN CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA.. WE WERE TOLD THE INSURANCE COMPANY HAD RETAINED A FIRE INSPECTOR TO LOOK AT THE CAR, AND ASK ME QUESTIONS, WHICH HE DID. LATER THE INSPECTOR SAID THE INSURANCE COMPANY DID NOT REQUIRE A REPORT. WE FEEL WE ARE LUCKY TO BE ALIVE! *TR