NHTSA Complaint #10885847 — 2005 FORD ESCAPE

ENTERING AND ACCELERATING FROM A MAIN STREET THAT TURNS INTO A FREEWAY THE ENGINE LOST ALL POWER VERY SUDDENLY, ABS LIGHT ENGAGED, THEN DIED AS EXITING THE FREEWAY. EXTREMELY DANGEROUS WITH CHILDREN IN CAR AND NO WARNING WHICH WOULD HAVE CAUSED A MECHANIC TO LOOK INTO PREVIOUSLY. EXITING THE FREEWAY THE ENGINE DIED BUT RESTARTED WITH ABILITY TO DRIVE AT 10 MPH (IN A BAD AREA) WITH ENGINE LOSS AND NOISE. AT SHOP, I WAS TOLD THE SPARK PLUGS, COILS AND PCM WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED IN THAT ORDER ($795), THEN THE COILS ($600), THEN THE PCM ($1400) NOT INCLUDING LABOR. A EX-FORD MASTER TECHNICIAN SAID FORD NEW OF PROBLEM AND REPLACED THOSE COMPONENTS WHEN THE CARS CAME INTO THE SHOP. FORD HAS A SEPARATE SOFTWARE CHECKING PROGRAM ONLY DESIGNED FOR FORD ESCAPES TO TEST THE PCM FOR DAMAGE CAUSED BY FAULTY PLUGS. APPARENTLY A RECALL OCCURRED FOR SOME VINS, WHEN I CONTACTED FORD HEADQUARTERS I WAS TOLD MY VEHICLE WAS NOT MADE AT A PARTICULAR PLANT ERGO MY BURDEN TO PAY OUT OF POCKET. RECALL WAS IN 2014 FOR ESCAPES WITH 80,000 MILES OR LESS WHILE IN WARRANTY. THIS IS A COMMON WELL-DOCUMENTED ELECTRICAL COMPONENT FAILURE WHICH OCCURS AFTER 80,000 MILES.