NHTSA Complaint #10966032 — 2016 FORD ESCAPE

VEHICLE STATISTICS: STATIONARY, NOT IN MOTION, IN PARKING LOT. FAULT/PROBLEM: UNANTICIPATED, UNINTENTIONAL, ERRATIC AND ERRANT CLOSURE OF AUTOMATIC LIFTGATE. CAUSE OF SAFETY RISK: POORLY POSITIONED/CALIBRATED SENSOR WHICH TRIGGERS AUTOMATIC CLOSURE OF REAR LIFTGATE IN SPITE OF FOLLOWING OWNERS MANUAL INSTRUCTIONS. THIS FEATURE IS ONLY SUPPOSED TO BE ACTIVATED WHEN MAKING A FORWARD AND BACK KICKING MOTION OF THE FOOT UNDER THE REAR BUMPER. SUMMARY: WAS LOADING GROCERIES INTO BACK OF VEHICLE AT LOCAL WAL-MART EVENING OF 03/14/17 APPROX. 6:30 P.M. CST. I HAD LEANED OVER PLACING BAGS INTO CARGO AREA OF VEHICLE, FEET WERE TOGETHER ON GROUND BEHIND REAR BUMPER, I STRAIGHTENED AND SMASHED MY HEAD INTO THE METAL FLAT EDGE OF THE LIFTGATE WHICH WAS COMING DOWN ON IT'S OWN WITHOUT ME PRESSING BUTTONS OR MAKING GESTURE TO INITIATE AUTOCLOSE FEATURE. AUDIBLE NOTICE OF CLOSURE WASN'T HEARD DUE TO AMBIENT NOISE - WIND, ETC (THE NOTICE NOISE IS EXTREMELY QUIET). I HIT THE TAILGATE HARD ENOUGH THAT I NEARLY KNOCKED MYSELF OUT, AND MY WIFE WHO HAD ALREADY GOTTEN INTO THE PASSENGER SEAT FELT THE VEHICLE MOVE AND HEARD A LOUD NOISE FROM MY HEAD MAKING CONTACT WITH THE LIFTGATE. I COLLECTED MYSELF, FINISHED LOADING THE GROCERIES AND WENT HOME. PAIN IN MY HEAD INCREASED, NECK PAIN PRESENTED AND INCREASED IN INTENSITY, NAUSEA AND SENSITIVITY TO LIGHT. WIFE RECOMMENDED AND TRANSPORTED ME TO ER. ER VISIT INITIATED APPROXIMATELY 8:30 P.M. AT TIME OF TRIAGE, I WAS DRY HEAVING AND WAS GIVEN AN ANTI-NAUSEA MEDICATION. THE ER DOCTOR ORDERED A CT OF MY HEAD BASED ON SYMPTOMS PRESENT WHICH CAME BACK OK, BUT IT WAS DETERMINED I RECEIVED A CONCUSSION AND WAS PRESCRIBED MEDICATIONS APPROPRIATELY. HEADACHE AND NECK PAIN/STIFFNESS ARE PERSISTENT TODAY 03/15/16. WILL FOLLOW-UP WITH PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN AS INSTRUCTED WITHIN 48-72 HOURS. BEFORE MAKING THIS INFO PUBLIC, PLEASE REMOVE ATTACHMENT.