NHTSA Complaint #10712763 — 2005 FORD ESCAPE

I HAD PURCHASED A USED ESCAPE, IN VERY GOOD CONDITION, IN AUG 2014. I BOUGHT FROM THE ORIGINAL OWNER, A FAMILY MEMBER, WITH ONLY 55K MILEAGE OVER THEIR 10 YEARS OF OWNERSHIP (THEY WERE UPGRADING). I DROVE THE CAR AN ADDITIONAL 1,500 MILES HERE (TO 56K, TOTAL) OVER MY FIRST TWO MONTHS OF OWNERSHIP, AND THE CAR HAD PASSED ALL ITS REGULAR ANNUAL INSPECTIONS. SUDDENLY ONE NIGHT ON THE ROAD THE CAR'S ENGINE BEGAN CHUGGING WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO TRAVEL BEYOND 45MPH, AND A BLINKING YELLOW CHECK ENGINE LIGHT APPEARED. UPON RESTARTING THAT INDICATOR DID NOT COME BACK ON, BUT THE ENGINE WAS STILL SLUGGISH AND SO I ATTEMPTED TO COAST HOME AT MANAGED SPEEDS (AS I WAS ONLY A MILE AWAY) TO HAVE A MECHANIC CHECK IT OUT DURING BUSINESS HOURS. I DIDN'T EVEN MAKE IT HOME. THE ENGINE LIGHT WENT ON FULL AND I SOON LOST POWER COMPLETELY, WITH BARELY ENOUGH NOTICE TO PULL OFF THE 6 LANE HIGHWAY. THE SUDDEN POWER LOSS SEEMED VERY UNSAFE AS I HAD TO STEER MANUALLY WITH NO POWER STEERING NOR ACCELERATION. AFTER THE CAR STALLED OUT IT WOULD NOT EVEN RESTART FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME. I TOWED IT TO A MECHANIC THE NEXT DAY AND THEY READ ME A LONG LIST OF ERROR CODES THAT HAD BEEN IDENTIFIED, ALL OF WHICH WENT BACK TO THE POWER CONTROL MODULE (PCM) FAILURE, APPARENTLY, AS DESCRIBED IN TSB 10-18-10. I HAVE BEEN TOLD BY TWO DIFFERENT MECHANICS, INCLUDING MY LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP, THAT IT WOULD COST AT LEAST $2,000 TO SERVICE THE PCM AND REPLACE ALL AFFECTED SPARK PLUGS, COILS AND CYLINDERS. DESPITE THE VERY LOW MILEAGE BELOW THE 80K PCM WARRANTY, THE VEHICLE REACTED RATHER SPORADICALLY AND UNPREDICTABLY AND IT CREATED AN UNSAFE CONDITION. I WOULD HAVE LIKED TO HAVE BEEN INFORMED SOONER OF THIS KNOWN ISSUE. THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALL NOTICE SINCE THE PCM IS KNOWN TO CAUSE A HAZARD. I NOW SEE THAT THERE ARE 113 COMPLAINTS LOGGED AT CARCOMPLAINTS.COM, CITING SIMILAR PCM AND/OR ENGINE PROBLEMS. *TR