NHTSA Complaint #10653172 — 2012 FORD ESCAPE

AFTER DARK ONE NIGHT (I COULDN'T SEE THAT THE HOOD WAS CRACKED OPEN) WHILE ACCELERATING ON A HIGHWAY THE HOOD BLEW OPEN-SAFETY CATCH DID NOT HOLD HOOD SHUT. IT BENT BACK TO THE WINDSHIELD, I COULD NOT SEE THE ROAD AND LUCKILY WAS NOT KILLED IN A CRASH. BODY SHOP INSTALLED NEW HOOD AND LATCHES AND SAFETY CATCH ETC. LESS THAN A YEAR LATER THE SAFETY CATCH STOPPED OPERATING. I TIED IT DOWN WITH ROPE TO THE FRAME AND DROVE IT FOR A WHILE. I COULDN'T GET TO THE BODY SHOP BECAUSE I NEVER GOT OUT OF WORK ON TIME. WHILE HAVING THE OIL CHANGED THE SERVICE MANAGER AT THE DEALER TRIED TO FIX THE LATCH MECHANISM AND COULDN'T SO HE ORDERED A NEW ONE, INSTALLED IT AND CHARGED IT TO THE BODY SHOP. THE HOOD RELEASE HANDLE AND PARKING BRAKE RELEASE HANDLE ARE INCHES APART FROM EACH OTHER WHICH IS A POOR DESIGN, BUT REGARDLESS WHEN THE HOOD IS POPPED THE SAFETY CATCH SHOULD PREVENT IT FROM OPENING. A RELATIVE WHO DROVE MY VEHICLE KEPT POPPING THE HOOD ACCIDENTALLY BECAUSE HE WEARS A LEG BRACE WHICH CAUGHT ON THE RELEASE HANDLE. LUCKILY I HAD THE HOOD TIED OFF. I MAY ALSO TIE THE HOOD WITH ROPE AGAIN AS I DON'T HAVE MUCH CONFIDENCE IN THESE PARTS. I HAVE HAD MANY CARS IN MY LIFE AND NEVER HAD THIS TYPE OF MECHANICAL FAILURE HAPPEN TO ME. OBVIOUSLY PEOPLE COULD BE SERIOUSLY HURT OR KILLED. THE HOOK THAT CATCHES THE HOOD SEEMS TO LOOSEN UP FROM ITS ASSEMBLY AND FALL FORWARD TOWARDS THE FRONT OF THE CAR THEREBY NOT ALIGNING WITH THE HOOD. *TR