NHTSA Complaint #10971672 — 2017 FORD ESCAPE

MY FORD ESCAPE 2017 DEVELOPED HEATING AND A/C PROBLEMS. PURCHASED FORD ESCAPE 2017 ON 08/22/2016. ON 10/13/2016, MORNING, I LEFT HOME ON I-40 EB TOWARD WESTERN NY. I WAS ON THE ROAD ROUGHLY 2-HRS BEFORE I DETECTED BURNING SMELL IN THE CAR. WITHIN MINUTES OF BURNING SMELL, MY FORD ESCAPE 2017 HEATER OUTPUT BECAME UNBEARABLE ON MY RIGHT FOOT. I ATTEMPTED TO REDUCE THE HEATER OUTPUT BY REDUCING HEATER'S TEMPERATURE DIAL TO NO AVAIL. AS THE HEAT FROM THE CAR'S HEATER BURNED MY RIGHT FOOT, THE FOOT USE TO MANAGE THE ACCELERATOR & BREAK, I TURNED THE HEAT OFF. USING THE A/C AT MAXIMUM SETTING, WEARING A WINTER COAT & THERMAL UNDER-SHIRT & STEEL-TOE SHOES, I COMPLETED TRIP. ON 10/24/2016, TOOK FORD ESCAPE 2017, TO FORD DEALERSHIP IN WESTERN NEW YORK FOR ENGINE DIAGNOSIS (HVAC), EVALUATION & REPAIRS. FORD DEALERSHIP COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM. DEALERSHIP STATED TO DETERMINE THE HEAT SOURCE PROBLEM WOULD REQUIRE REMOVING CAR'S DASH-BOARD & FRONT DOORS. FORD DEALERSHIP REFUSED TO REMOVE CAR'S DASH-BOARD & FRONT DOORS, STATING FORD MOTOR COMPANY WOULD NOT PAID THE COST. REQUESTED DEALERSHIP TO CONTACT THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY MANUFACTURER'S REPRESENTATIVE FOR HELP, TO NO AVAIL. UNHAPPY AND FRUSTRATED I SOUGHT SECOND FORD DEALERSHIP'S OPINION. I DEMANDED THE NEW DEALERSHIP CONTACT MANUFACTURER'S REPRESENTATIVE FOR HELP. DEALERSHIP REFUSED TO REQUEST HELP & TO DATE FORD ESCAPE 2017 HEAT SOURCE PROBLEM REMAIN UNRESOLVED. *JS