NHTSA Complaint #10499375 — 2003 FORD ESCAPE

LEFT WORK AND DRIVING ON A BACK ROAD AT 15 MPH AND WAS APPROACHING A STOP SIGN, APPLIED THE BRAKES AND HEARD A LOUD SNAP/POP. THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE VEHICLE INSTANTLY SLAMMED DOWN/DROPPED TO THE ROAD; STEERING LOCKED; I HAD NO CONTROL OVER THE VEHICLE; SLID A FEW FEET AND STOPPED. THE PASSENGER TIRE WAS PINNED BETWEEN THE GROUND AND THE VEHICLE. THE AXLE WAS HANGING AND THE SUB FRAME WAS VISIBLE. IT WAS CLEAR THAT THE SUBFRAME HAD LITERALLY SNAPPED AT A WELD JOINT WITHOUT WARNING. WELD JOINT SNAPPED ON SUBFRAME. THIS VEHICLE IS ONLY 9YRS W/70K MILES AND MOSTLY GARAGED; A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN. THIS WOULD HAVE WORSE AT HIGH RATE OF SPEED, IF NOT FATAL. VEHICLE THEN TOWED TO A FORD DEALERSHIP. I REQUESTED TO HAVE A FORD REP REVIEW THE CASE. THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME I HAD TO CALL FORD. AFTER CALLING, THEY THEN TOLD ME I HAD TO REQUEST THIS THROUGH THE DEALERSHIP, BUT GAVE ME A CASE NUMBER. THE DEALERSHIP THEN INFORMED ME THAT FORD WERE NOT INTERESTED IN REVIEWING THE VEHICLE AND WOULDN'T DO ANYTHING AND THAT I HAD CALL FORD. I CALLED FORD BACK WHO ESCALATED MY CASE AND AN ACCT MGR CALLED ME BACK WHO EXPLAINED THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO AT THIS TIME. OVER 1100 IN REPAIRS ARE REQUIRED DUE TO A FAULTY FRAME. I ASKED REPEATEDLY THAT THIS PARTICULAR SUBFRAME FAILURE BE INVESTIGATED AS A QUALITY/MFG PROBLEM AND I REQUESTED AN INVESTIGATION AND INFORMED THE COMPANY OF SEVERAL OTHER CASES THAT LOG THE SAME ??EXACT?? DESCRIPTION AND FAILURE OF THE SUBFRAME. THE COMPANY TOLD ME "KEEP MY RECEIPT". I STRESSED MY DISSATISFACTION WITH HOW THIS WAS HANDLED, BUT NOTHING COULD BE DONE AT THIS TIME. FORD SHOULD AT A MIN. ISSUE A SERVICE BULLETIN TO HAVE THE SUB FRAME INSPECTED TO ALL OF THE ESCAPE OWNERS, SO FAILURES CAN BE AVOIDED BEFORE THEY HAPPEN. THIS IS FROM A VERY DISSATISFIED CUSTOMER AND WILL CHOOSE NO LONGER TO PURCHASE ANY FORD PRODUCTS, BASED ON THIS EXPERIENCE. *TR