NHTSA Complaint #10650743 — 2008 FORD ESCAPE

I WAS TRAVELING AT THE POSTED SPEED ON NORTH BOUND IH 35 JUST NORTH OF GEORGETOWN. I REMOVED MY FOOT FROM THE ACCELERATOR TO SLOW BRIEFLY TO EVADE AND PASS A SLOWER MOVING VEHICLE - INSTEAD OF SLOWING, THE ENGINE REVVED. I STEPPED ON THE BRAKE AND THE CAR SLOWED, BUT THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO REV. I NOTICED A WRENCH WARNING LIGHT IN THE DASH AND CALLED MY DAUGHTER TO HELP ME WITH IT. MY SON-IN-LAW SAID IT WAS A POWERTRAIN FAULT WARNING. I PULLED OFF AT THE NEXT EXIT, TURNED THE CAR OFF AND WAITED 10 MINUTES. I RESTARTED THE CAR AND THE LIGHT WENT OFF; SO, I CONTINUED MY TRIP HOME RESUMING AND MAINTAINING HIGHWAY SPEED; BUT THE RPMS STAYED @ 3000. AT THE IH-35 EAST-WEST SPLIT, I DECELERATED TO MAKE THE TURN TOWARD DALLAS AND THE ENGINE REVVED TO 5000 RPMS AND STAYED BETWEEN 3K-4K FOR THE REST OF THE TRIP. THE GEARS CHANGE REALLY HARD AND THE ENGINE REVS REALLY HIGH UNTIL IT DROPS INTO O/D; BUT RPMS STAY BETWEEN 3-4K. I TOOK IT TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP AND WAS TOLD IT IS A GEAR-RATIO ISSUE AND I NEED A REBUILT OR NEW TRANSMISSION OVERHAUL. *TR