NHTSA Complaint #10549624 — 2005 FORD ESCAPE

SEVERAL MONTHS AGO I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE USED. IT HAD ONLY ABOUT 70,000 MILES ON IT. I AM THE SECOND OWNER HAVE FILLED IT WITH GAS SEVERAL TIMES AND HAVE NOTICED THAT WE CANNOT KEEP THE NOZZLE ON FULL BECAUSE THE GAS BACKS UP IN THE FILLER TUBE AND THE FUEL NOZZLE SHUTS-OFF. SOMETIMES WE CAN'T EVEN PUT IT ON THE AUTOMATIC LOW. WE MUST SIT THERE AND KEEP SQUEEZING THE NOZZLE UNTIL IT SHUTS OFF, AND THEN SQUEEZE THE HANDLE AGAIN, AND AGAIN, AND AGAIN. I DID SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN (TSB) ON THIS PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM IS THAT FORD INCORRECTLY DESIGNED THE FILLER TUBE. APPARENTLY IT IS TOO NARROW. SO NOW THEY HAVE A REDESIGNED TUBE THAT IS LARGER IN DIAMETER. BUT SINCE THIS CAR IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY, FORD WON'T FIX IT, AND THIS AIN'T SOME EASY INEXPENSIVE FIX...IT COSTS OVER $800 TO DO IT. YOU GOT TO DROP THE TANK. THE NEW CORRECT PART COSTS $300, AND THE LABOR IS ABOUT $500. WHAT YOU NHTSA FOLKS DON'T SEEM TO REALIZE IS THAT IS POTENTIALLY SERIOUS PROBLEM THAT COULD ALLOW CONSUMERS TO BE SPLASHED WITH GASOLINE IF THE FUEL NOZZLE SHUT-OFF SYSTEM FAILS, BECAUSE FUEL SHUT-OFF SYSTEM FAILS ALL THE TIME. I HAVE PERSONALLY WITNESSED THIS SEVERAL TIMES...WITH GAS OVERFLOWING OTHER PEOPLES CARS. THIS IS WHY PEOPLE MUST REMAIN AT THE CAR WHILE FILLING IT...THESE AUTOMATIC NOZZLES FAIL ALL THE TIME. THIS FUEL FILLING SYSTEM ISSUE IS A POTENTIALLY SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM, CONSUMERS MUST NOT BE REQUIRED TO RELY ON OTHER SAFETY SYSTEMS, BECAUSE THOSE SYSTEMS WILL FAIL. FORD DESIGNED A DEFECTIVE FUEL FILLER SYSTEM, AND NHTSA MUST MAKE FORD FIX THEM, AT FORD'S EXPENSE' IF NHTSA IS UNWILLING TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC FROM UNREASONABLE RISK...THEN WHAT GOOD ARE THEY? ANYTHING THAT POTENTIALLY INVOLVES CONSUMERS GETTING SPLASHED WITH GASOLINE IS A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD PERIOD. *TR