NHTSA Complaint #10512044 — 2011 FORD ESCAPE

AT 2700 MILES THE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT STARTED TO GO ON AND VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER FOR A CHECK ON AIRBAG PROBLEM. SUPPOSEDLY FIXED, HOWEVER ONE WEEK LATER HAD TO RETURN VEHICLE TO DEALER DUE TO AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT AGAIN GOING ON. PROBLEM SUPPOSEDLY FIXED BY TIGHTENING LOOSE WIRRE CABLES IN CABLE HARNESS BUT ONE MONTH LATER RETURNED VEHICLE AGAIN AS AIR BAG WARNING WAS AGAIN COMING ON AND THERE WAS CONCERN AS WE DIDN'T KNOW IF AIRBAG WOULD DEPLOY IF NEEDED OR WORSE MAY DEPLOY AT ANY TIME. ADVISED THAT CAUSE WAS EXCESSIVE ELECTRICAL RESISTANCE IN WIRE CABLE HARNESS AND DEFECTIVE SENSORS.SINCE THAT TIME THERE HAS BEEN NO FURTHER PROBLEM WITH AIRBAG READINESS WARNING. IN FALL OF 2012 A NEW PROBLEM STARTED WHICH AT FIRST I THOUGHT MIGHT BE DUE TO LEAVING PARKING BRAKE PARTIALLY ON. STEERING AT 40 MPH ALL OF A SUDDEN BECAME VERY DIFFICULT AND CENTER CONSOLE WARNING LIGHTS AND TRACTION WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. AFTER PULLING OFF THE ROAD, STOPPING AND RESTARTING THE VEHICLE THERE WAS NO PROBLEM. PROBLEM STARTED AGAIN IN APRIL 2013 WITH VEHICLE STILL UNDER 10,000 MILES. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER AND PROBLEM SUPPOSEDLY FIXED. DROVE ABOUT 6 TO 8 MILES AND PROBLEM OCCURRED AGAIN WITH WARNING LIGHTS COMING ON AND DIFFICULT TO STEER AT FREEWAY SPEED. RETURNED VEHICLE TO DEALER AND PICKED UP TWO DAYS LATER WITH PROBLEM SUPPOSEDLY CURED. 4 DAYS LATER ALL WARNING LIGHTS WENT ON AGAIN AND STEERING AS BEFORE WAS DIFFICULT. HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALER AS ALL AGREED IT WAS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE.AFTER A WEEK OF TESTING AND WORK VEHICLE WAS READY . WAS ADVISED THAT PROBLEM WAS LOOSE WIRES IN CABLE HARNESS AND FAULTY SENSORS. I HAVE NOW BEEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE ABOUT 2 WEEKS WITH NO FURTHER PROBLEMS BUT AM GREATLY CONCERNED THAT I MAY HAVE PURCHASED A DEFECTIVE AND POSSIBLY DANGEROUS VEHICLE. WHAT PROTECTION DO WE HAVE? *TR