NHTSA Complaint #10669472 — 2006 FORD ESCAPE

ON 12/23/14, VEHICLE CUT OUT AFTER BACKING OUT OF PARKING TO ENTER MOVING TRAFFIC ON HIGHWAY. THE SECOND TIME IT CUT OUT,12/24/14, THE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN DOWN THE ROADWAY. THAT TIME, THE VEHICLE SPUTTERED, SOUNDED LIKE A WINDED HORSE, RUNNING ON THREE LEGS. MY CAR WAS ALWAYS WELL MAINTAINED, INCLUDING OIL CHANGES EVERY 3,000 MILES, TRANSMISSION FLUSHES EVERY YEAR, FUEL INJECTION CLEANING EVERY OTHER YEAR. WITH THE DOUBLE TIMING CHAIN, I WAS ASSURED AT PURCHASE, THAT THEY RARELY BREAK. I COULD NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT HAD CAUSED THIS. THEN, I AM TOLD IT IS A PCM FAILURE CAUSED BY SPARK PLUGS , COILS, THAT WERE NOT COMPATIBLE WITH THE PCM, OR WHERE THE RESISTOR WAS INEFFECTIVE TO COMBAT THE FEEDBACK FROM THE COILS/ SPARK PLUGS, AND THEREFORE CAUSED THE COMPUTER TO SHUT DOWN THREE CYLINDERS OF MY ENGINE. APPARENTLY THERE WERE TSB BULLETINS TO DEALERSHIPS ON THIS ISSUE, BUT NO RECALLS, BECAUSE FORD DETERMINED THAT THE PCM FAILURE WOULD PROBABLY OCCUR POST-WARRANTY. HOWEVER, CAR OWNERS SHOULD HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED, THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALL. I WAS IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS OF PAYING FOR THIS VEHICLE, AND AM FACED WITH A $2500 BILL, THAT I DO NOT DESERVE, BECAUSE IT IS IN NO WAY LINKED TO MY OWN NEGLIGENCE OF VEHICLE MAINTENANCE! TO ME, IT IS A FORM OF BUILT-IN OBSOLESCENCE, THAT MIGHT BE OK WITH SMALL-COST ITEMS LIKE WATCHES, BUT SHOULD NEVER BE ALLOWED WITH HIGH-COST ITEMS, SUCH AS CARS! *JS