NHTSA Complaint #10735511 — 2002 FORD ESCAPE

ON JULY 18, 2015 AT APPROXIMATELY 1:30 PM I WAS DRIVING UP BEAR CREEK MOUNTAIN AND HEARD A LOUD POP THEN THE VEHICLE STARTED SLIDING BEFORE I FINALLY GOT IT TO STOP. I SLIDE ABOUT 50 FEET AND IF I'D SLIDE ABOUT 3 MORE FEET I WOULD HAVE BEEN OVER THE SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN. THE SUB FRAME HAD SNAPPED IN TWO AND IT PULLED THE RIGHT FRONT AXLE OUT. THIS MADE THE VEHICLE INOPERABLE. THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE PUT ON A ROLL BACK AND TAKEN AWAY.ALSO DAMAGED WAS THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE AND ,MOLDING AROUND THE FENDER. IF I HAD BEEN ON THE INTERSTATE WITH THIS VEHICLE MY FAMILY WOULD NOT HAVE SURVIVED THE WRECK. IT IS LUCKY THAT WE DIDN'T GO OVER THE MOUNTAIN. I DID NOTHING TO CAUSE THE SUB FRAME TO BREAK AND I THINK FORD SHOULD BE HELD LIABLE. I SPOKE WITH THE FORD CUSTOMER RELATIONS CENTER AND THEY TOLD ME THAT BECAUSE THERE WAS NO EXTENDED WARRANTY AND IT WAS NOT UNDER THE 2002 ESCAPE RECALL AND THAT THE FACT THAT THERE WAS NO FIRE OR LARGE CRASH THAT THEY COULD DO NOTHING ABOUT THE SUB FRAME BREAKING. MY INSURANCE CARRIER HAS ALSO CONTACTED FORD CUSTOMER RELATIONS AND WAS TOLD THE SAME THING. I ASKED THE LADY AT FORD IF SOMEONE HAD DIED IN THE WRECK WOULD I STILL BE TOLD THE SAME THING AND SHE REPLIED YES. ACCORDING TO FORD THEY CAN'T GIVE OUT TELEPHONE NUMBERS TO LEGAL DEPARTMENT OR ADDRESSES OR EMAIL ADDRESSES. I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT I COULD NOT SPEAK TO A SUPERVISOR BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT TRANSFER CALLS. I WAS TRANSFERRED TO THE LADY I WAS SPEAKING TO BY ANOTHER LADY. GO FIGURE. I THINK THAT FORD IS LIABLE FOR THIS STRUCTURAL FAILURE AND NEEDS TO MAKE THINGS RIGHT.