NHTSA Complaint #10875236 — 2003 FORD ESCAPE

IN MAY OF 2016, I TOOK MY FORD ESCAPE IN FOR REPAIR OF A RECALL. MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE RECALL WAS TO PREVENT A FAILURE OF THE LOWER CONTROL ARM AS I READ THE RECALL NOTICE AND THE CONVERSATION THAT I HAD WITH REPAIR CENTER AGENT. A MONTH LATER THE LOWER CONTROL ARM SEPARATES. AFTER I HAD MY VEHICLE TOWED TO FORD, IT WAS EXPRESSED TO ME THAT RECALL WAS NOT TO PREVENT FAILURE BUT MERELY TO STABILIZE THE VEHICLE IN THE EVENT OF FAILURE. HAD I NOT HAD THE RECALL PERFORMED ON MY VEHICLE THEY WOULD HAVE REPAIRED THE ESCAPE AT COST TO THEM, BUT BECAUSE I HAD THE RECALL PERFORMED THEN I MOST PAY FOR IT. WHY WOULD FORD AUTHORIZE SUCH A RIDICULOUS RECALL EFFORT. FIRST OF ALL IF IT'S KNOW ISSUE, WHY NOT REPAIR THE ISSUE. SECONDLY, HAD I KNOW THE RAMIFICATIONS, I WOULD NEVER HAVE HAD THE RECALLED PERFORMED. THE CONTROL SEPARATED WHILE DRIVING AND I HIT A BUMP.