NHTSA Complaint #10483448 — 2002 FORD ESCAPE

I WAS DRIVING MY 2002 FORD ESCAPE AND COMING TO A STOP AT AN INTERSECTION WHEN I HEARD A LOUD POPPING SOUND. AFTER I STOPPED, I RELEASED THE BRAKE AND ROLLED FORWARD A FEW FEET BEFORE RE-APPLYING THE BRAKES AND THE SOUND REPEATED. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE IT ACROSS THE HIGHWAY TO A FORD DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIRS. UPON INSPECTION THE FOLLOWING MORNING IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE SUBFRAME ASSEMBLY HAD RUSTED OUT COMPLETELY ON THE PASSENGER SIDE AND HAD CAUSED THE LOWER CONTROL ARM TO BECOME LOOSE THUS BENDING IT AND MAKING IT UNUSABLE. I AM THANKFUL THAT THIS HAPPENED AT A VERY SLOW SPEED AND FEAR THAT IF OTHER FOLKS HAVE THIS HAPPEN AT HIGHWAY SPEED IT COULD BE A VERY BAD OUTCOME ! THIS ALLOWED MY PASSENGER SIDE TIRE TO PULL OUTWARD HENCE PULLING THE CONTROL ARM LOOSE. IT WAS A VERY EXPENSIVE FIX AND THE WARRANTY I HAD PURCHASED AT THE TIME OF BUYING THE VEHICLE WAS NO AVAIL. I CONTACTED FORD AND WAS TOLD THAT IF THERE IS NO RECALL THEN THERE IS NO PROBLEM !! SORRY BUT IT WAS A VERY EXPENSIVE FIX AND I BELIEVE FORD SHOULD MAKE GOOD ON THIS. HOW MANY INJURIES ARE REQUIRED BEFORE SOMEONE TAKES NOTICE ?? THE REPAIR BILL WAS $ 1160.96. I HAD ONLY OWNED THE VEHICLE FOR 7 MONTHS AT THAT TIME. IT STILL HAS MANY PAYMENTS TO BE MADE BEFORE IT IS PAID OFF. IT WOULD APPEAR THAT THE AIR CONDITIONING DRAIN RUNS DOWN THIS AREA CAUSING IT PERHAPS ? JUST AN OBSERVATION FROM A RUNNING VEHICLE IDENTICAL TO MINE. ANY HELP WOULD BE APPRECIATED ON THIS MATTER AND HOPEFULLY IT GETS RESOLVED BEFORE ANY FATALITIES HAPPEN IF THEY HAVEN'T ALREADY !! THANK YOU ! *TR