NHTSA Complaint #10701750 — 2013 FORD ESCAPE

IN AUGUST 2014, JANUARY 2015, FEBRUARY 2015, AND MARCH 2015 MY VEHICLE WENT INTO "FAILSAFE" MODE DUE TO AN OVERHEATING ENGINE, AMONG OTHER PROBLEMS. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED EACH TIME TO THE FORD DEALER'S SERVICE CENTER WHERE THE LEASE ORIGINATED. FAILSAFE MODE CUTS POWER TO THE BRAIN OF THE VEHICLE WHICH SHUTS DOWN THE ENGINE TO "SAFELY" STOP THE VEHICLE SO THE CAR DOESN'T LIGHT ITSELF ON FIRE. THE CAR LITERALLY GOES FROM 60 TO 0 IN A MATTER OF MINUTES. ANY TIME THE VEHICLE HAS GONE INTO FAILSAFE MODE I HAVE BEEN TERRIFIED OF CAUSING AN ACCIDENT OR GETTING REARENDED. THE CAR HAS BEEN IN AND OUT OF THE FORD SERVICE CENTER AND PEP BOYS FOR REPETITIVE ENGINE ISSUES, COOLANT SYSTEM ISSUES, TRANSMISSION ISSUES, COMPUTER SYSTEM ISSUES, ETC. THERE ARE 9 RECALLS ON THE CAR THUS FAR, 8 OF THEM HAVE BEEN FIXED - THE AIRBAG RECALL DOES NOT APPLY TO MY VEHICLE BECAUSE THE AIRBAG LIGHT IS NOT ON. MY CAR HAS SPENT A TOTAL OF 28 DAYS IN THE SHOP SINCE IT WAS LEASED IN 2013 FOR REPEAT REPAIRS. I TRIED SEVERAL TIMES TO HAVE FORD BUY BACK THE REMAINDER OF THE LEASE BUT WAS DENIED BECAUSE THE ISSUES DID NOT TAKE PLACE WITHIN THE FIRST 18,000 MILES OF THE LEASE. I ALSO FILED FOR NEW YORK STATE LEMON LAW AND WAS DENIED FOR THE SAME REASON. I WAS FORCED TO ROLL THE REMAINING 9 PAYMENTS ($4,044) INTO A NEW LEASE FOR A 2015 FORD ESCAPE ON 3/9/15 BECAUSE THE 2013 ESCAPE WAS UNPREDICTABLE AND PROBLEMATIC - IT WAS NOT SAFE TO BE ON THE ROAD. THE ENGINE OVERHEATED APPROXIMATELY EVERY 6 DAYS FOR TWO MONTHS AND IT WAS DEEMED "UNREPAIRABLE" BY THE MECHANIC BUT CORPORATE STILL REFUSED TO BUY BACK THE LEASE. SPEAKING OF CORPORATE - I WAS TREATED TERRIBLY BY THE REGIONAL CUSTOMER SERVICE MANAGER. SHE SCREENED HER PHONE CALLS AND REFUSED TO CALL ME BACK UNLESS I ASKED FOR A SUPERVISOR. SHE SPOKE TO ME LIKE SHE WAS PUNISHING HER 5 YEAR OLD CHILD AND HER FAVORITE WORD WAS "NO." *TR