NHTSA Complaint #10519451 — 2008 FORD ESCAPE

ADDENDUM: ORIGINAL NHTSA#10283836 (SEPT 2009) BOUGHT CERTIFIED USED 2008 FORD ESCAPE IN 2009. BEFORE THE FIRST PAYMENT, THE TRANSMISSION COOLING ASSEMBLY BLEW, DUMPING THE TRANSMISSION FLUID ONTO MY DRIVEWAY (PART #8L8Z-19712-J, TSB 09 09 04). MILEAGE: 21,775. COST OF $1000+ REPAIR WAS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. FAST FORWARD, MAY 2013 (MILEAGE: 59,391). AS PREDICTED BACK IN 2009 BY MANY HERE ON THIS WEBSITE: COMPLETE TRANSMISSION FAILURE. IT DIED IN 2 LANES OF TRAFFIC, AS I BLOCKED VEHICLES, NO FORWARD OR REVERSE GEARS. MY TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS FLUSHED: 2009, 2011, 2012, AND TOPPED OFF OTHERWISE; MEASURES I TOOK TO PROTECT AGAINST THIS EXACT FAILURE. YET IT COMPLETELY FAILED, <60,000 ODOMETER MILES. THIS $3000 REPAIR WAS COVERED UNDER THE EXTENDED POWERTRAIN WARRANTY. CURRENT WARRANTY: NOW 12 MONTHS/12,000 MILES. MINUS TOW TRUCK, 2 MISSED WORK DAYS, AND LOSS OF USE OF MY VEHICLE FOR 3 WEEKS. IT IS ENTIRELY POSSIBLE THIS DANGEROUSLY FLAWED DESIGN (SHARING AN AC/TRANSMISSION CONDENSER) WILL FAIL YET AGAIN, EVEN AS SOON AS 6 MONTHS. THERE IS NO MANUFACTURER RECALL. THE CONDENSER ASSEMBLY ALLOWS THE FLUID TO REMAIN CHRONICALLY LOW FOR LONG PERIODS. I TOPPED MY FLUIDS REGULARLY & PROACTIVELY FLUSHED 3 TIMES IN 4 YEARS, YET THE TRANSMISSION STILL BURNED UP AND FAILED. NOTE THE REPETITION OF THE WORD ?BURNT? IN THE TECHNICIAN NOTES, EVEN THOUGH THE TRANSMISSION FLUID LEVELS WERE LISTED AS OK. THE CONDENSER ASSEMBLY (W/ AC & TRANSMISSION SHARING A CONDENSER W/ A FLAWED WELD THAT BURSTS), AND THE CHRONIC PROBLEM W/ THE ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING THAT COMPLETELY FREEZES THE STEERING COLUMN IN PLACE ON FAILURE ARE HUGE SAFETY ISSUES. TRAGEDY IS PREDICTED. FOLLOWED W/ CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT. MEMOS WILL REVEAL DISCUSSIONS ALL ALONG REGARDING THE EPIC FAIL OF THE 2008 FORD ESCAPE. OUR SAFETY AND MAJOR INCONVENIENCE ARE MINOR COLLATERAL DAMAGE. *TR