NHTSA Complaint #10592613 — 2008 FORD ESCAPE

WE'VE OWNED AN '08 ESCAPE 2WD XLS. AT 46300 MILES, SHE EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF ACCELERATION BETWEEN 10-20MPH; AT 22MPH THE CAR INTO GEAR; AT 50MPH SHE GOT THE WRENCH LIGHT. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER, THEY HOOKED IT UP ON THE IDS COMPUTER, CAME BACK WITH CODES P0732 AND P0743 INTERNAL TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. THEY SAID IT WOULD NEED TO BE TORN DOWN TO FIND CAUSE OF PROBLEM. WHEN I ASKED HOW MUCH FOR THAT I DIDN'T GET AN ANSWER AND HE WENT TO SAY HOW IF THEY DID THAT THE TRANSMISSION WOULD ALREADY BE OUT AND OPEN SO FIXING IT AT THAT POINT WOULD BE THE BEST. AFTER I ASKED THE SECOND TIME HOW MUCH IS WHEN HE SAID APPROX. $2500 PLUS TAX... COULD BE HIGHER OR LOWER FOR THE TEAR DOWN AND REPAIR. I DECLINED AND DECIDED TO TAKE IT TO AAMCO. THEY CONFIRMED THE PROBLEM. THEY TOLD ME THAT THE COST TO REBUILD THE TRANSMISSION WOULD BE ALMOST AS MUCH AS GETTING A REMANUFACTURED TRANS WITH ALL THE PROBLEM AREAS UPGRADED AND A 3YR 50,000 MILE WARRANTY, WHEREAS A REBUILD WOULD ONLY GET 1 YR WARRANTY. WE ENDED UP BUYING THE REMANUFACTURED THAT WAS THE BETTER CHOICE. AT THE END WITH LABOR, INSTALL AND TAX $2837.51. I EMAILED FORD PRIOR TO BRING TO AAMCO AND DIDN'T HEAR FROM THEN UNTIL 2 DAYS BEFORE MY WIFE'S CAR WAS DONE. THEY CALL TO ASK IF THERE WAS ANY WAY THEY COULD HELP BUT WHEN I TOLD THEM THE ESCAPE WAS NO LONGER AT THE DEALERSHIP THEY SAID THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. I TOLD THEM WE COULD NOT AFFORD TO WAIT TO HEAR FROM THEM AND THAT IT WAS A TRANSMISSION SPECIALIST WE TOOK IT TO. THEY SAID THAT THEY CANNOT STAND BY THE WORK AN OUTSIDE (NON-FORD) SHOP DOES. I THEN TOLD THEM HOW I KNEW FORD WAS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM BECAUSE THEY HAD ISSUED A SERVICE BULLETIN TO ITS TECHS ADVISING THEM OF THE PROBLEMS BECAUSE THERE ARE MORE THAN 1 PROBLEM WITH THESE TRANSMISSIONS. FORD KNOWINGLY PUT MY WIFE AND DAUGHTERS LIVES IN DANGER WITH THIS PROBLEM AND THEY DON'T CARE. *JS