NHTSA Complaint #10721332 — 2005 FORD ESCAPE

FORD CUSTOMER CARE CASE #CAC-4150994-B2G8C6 & #4151017-N07B9 THIS WAS THE 2ND MAJOR INCIDENT; THE FIRST OCCURRED IN 1/2009. THE SECOND MAJOR OCCURRENCE WAS 2/2014, WHEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE VEHICLE VERY QUICKLY LOST ALL POWER AND ENGINE SHUT OFF, THE POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES ALSO DID NOT RESPOND. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESTART AND HAD TO BE TOWED A FORD DEALERSHIP. THE DEALER STATED THE PCM HAD FAILED CAUSING THE COILS AND SPARK PLUGS TO ALSO FAIL. THE VEHICLE WAS AT THE DEALERSHIP FOR 2 WEEKS WAITING FOR A REPLACEMENT PCM; DEALER STATED THERE WAS A SHORTAGE OF PCM AVAILABILITY DUE TO AN EXTREMELY HIGH NATIONWIDE DEMAND FOR THE PART. DEALER REPLACED THE PCM, AS WELL AS ALL COILS AND SPARK PLUGS IN MID MARCH 2014; THE TOTAL COST OF WAS, $2,875.70. THE PCM, COILS AND PLUGS HAD ALSO BEEN REPLACED IN 1/2009 FOR THE SAME FAILURES. COILS AND PLUGS WERE ALSO REPLACED AN ADDITIONAL 2 MORE TIMES BETWEEN 2009-2014. WHEN THE PCM FAILS, THE VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY LOOSES ALL POWER, STEERING AND BRAKES, AND STOPS DEAD IN ITS TRACKS AND CANNOT BE RESTARTED CAUSING A POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC SITUATION. HAD THIS FAILURE OCCURRED IN TRAFFIC, A MAJOR COLLISION WOULD HAVE BEEN EMINENT AND A FATALITY PROBABLE. WHEN I CONTACTED FORD ON 3/19/2014, THEY STATED THEY ARE AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND ASSIGNED 2 CUSTOMER CARE CASE NUMBERS; BUT THEY REFUSED ANY REIMBURSEMENT OR COMPENSATION OF ANY KIND. THE MULTIPLE INCIDENTS OF DEFECTIVE PCM FAILURES SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED AS A POTENTIALLY DEADLY SAFETY ISSUE.