NHTSA Complaint #10564278 — 2011 FORD ESCAPE

EVER SINCE WE BOUGHT OUR 2011 FORD ESCAPE (USED IN FL--HAD TO DRIVE IT TO WA STATE DUE TO MILITARY PCS ARMY ORDERS) THE CAR HAS NEVER GOTTEN MORE THAN 20 MPG. IT WAS HESITATING CONSISTENTLY AFTER WE PUT 5,000 MILES ON THE CAR. IT STARTED HESITATING/ REVVING RPMS AT STOP/JUMPING/ACCELERATING THEN ENGINE WOULD JUST SHUT OFF AND POWER AS WELL. FINALLY STALLED ON JOINT BASE LEWIS MCCHORD, WA (WHERE WE ARE STATIONED AND LIVE) AND MY HUSBAND COULD NOT GET IT TO START. THE "CHECK ENGINE LIGHT" WAS ALSO THEN SHOWING. WE HAD IT TOWED TO THE NEAREST FORD DEALERSHIP (LAKEWOOD FORD). WE HAD A PLATINUM WARRANTY WE PAID EXTRA FOR WITH OUR MONTHLY PAYMENTS. EVEN WITH THAT WE STILL HAD TO GET AN AER (ARMY EMERGENCY RELIEF) LOAN FOR THE DIFFERENCE (APPX. $187.00) THAT WAS NOT COVERED. WE WERE ENTITLED TO RENTAL CAR COVERAGE BUT THE FORD DEALERSHIP DID NOT CONTACT OUR WARRANTY COMPANY IN TIME SO WE WERE WITHOUT A VEHICLE FOR 4 DAYS. THAT WAS BARELY 3 MONTHS AGO. THEY ENDED UP REPLACING THE THROTTLE BODY REGULATOR. AGAIN...HERE IT IS LESS THAN 3 MONTHS SINCE THAT WAS REPLACED AND WE ARE ONLY GETTING 18.2 MILES TO THE GALLON. IT IS WORSE WHEN WE USE THE FLEX FUEL. IT BARELY HAS 47,000 MILES AND IT IS UNPREDICTABLE AND I FEEL UNSAFE IN THIS CAR. MY HUSBAND IS BEING MEDICALLY BOARDED FROM ACTIVE DUTY ARMY BECAUSE HE IS 100% DISABLED AND A "WOUNDED WARRIOR." THE ONLY COMFORT I HAVE IS SEEING THAT WE AREN'T THE ONLY ONES WHO HAVE DEALT WITH THIS PROBLEM. THAT IS TERRIBLE TO SAY BUT IT IS EVEN WORSE WHEN YOU CANNOT RELY ON A VEHICLE YOU BOUGHT ONLY 1 YEAR USED. WE ARE FACING HAVING TO DRIVE THIS BACK TO ORLANDO, FL AND NOW WE WILL PROBABLY VOLUNTARILY TURN IT IN TO THE LOAN COMPANY SIMPLY BECAUSE NEITHER ONE OF US FEEL SAFE ENOUGH TO ATTEMPT TO DRIVE IT 3500 MILES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES, ALONG WITH THE MEDICAL CONCERNS. *TR