NHTSA Complaint #10854412 — 2008 FORD ESCAPE

2008 FORD ESCAPE FAILED TO ACCELERATE WHILE MAKING TURN INTO TRAFFIC. EXAMINATION REVEALED SIGNIFICANT LEAK OF TRANSMISSION FLUID FROM TRANSMISSION FLUID COOLER RESULTING IN "SLIPPAGE" OF TRANSMISSION. INVESTIGATION OF ISSUE FOUND THAT LEAKAGE WAS A CRACKED TUBE AT RIGHT HAND MOUNTING BRACKET OF TRANSMISSION FLUID COOLER. THIS CONDITION IS COVERED BY FORD CSP 09B10, BUT HAD NOT BEEN BROUGHT IN FOR MITIGATION BY PREVIOUS OWNER. FORD HAS EXPIRED CSP 09B10 AS OF AUGUST 2010, EVEN THOUGH THE CONDITION APPEARS TO BE A CERTAINTY (BASED ON ABUNDANT INTERNET COMMENTARY) RELATIVELY EARLY IN MILEAGE LIFE OF VEHICLE (MY ESCAPE HAS VERY MODERATE MILEAGE). RAPID AND UNEXPECTED CHANGE IN TRANSMISSION PERFORMANCE IS A SAFETY ISSUE, AND SHOULD BE SUBJECT TO APPROPRIATE RECALL AS OPPOSED TO A "FIX-IT" BULLETIN. FORD HAS INDICATED THAT THEY WILL NOT PROVIDE REMEDIATION OF THIS PROBLEM.