NHTSA Complaint #10985972 — 2014 FORD ESCAPE

ROUGHLY FOUR WEEKS AGO, I RECEIVED AN ALERT THAT MY CAR WAS OVERHEATING WHEN I WAS PARKED. I TOOK MY CAR IN TO FORD AND THEY TOLD ME THAT I NEED A NEW RESERVE BOTTLE AND CHARGED ME NEARLY $300. AT THIS POINT, THEY INSPECTED MY COOLANT SYSTEM AND TOPPED OFF MY COOLANT WHICH WAS LOW. TWO WEEKS LATER, I WAS GETTING ON THE FREEWAY AND I RECEIVED A SEVERE WARNING FOR OVER HEATING. MY CAR STARTED SHAKING AND AN ALARM WAS GOING OFF. I PULLED OFF THE FREEWAY TO OBSERVE THAT MY COOLANT BOTTLE WAS COMPLETELY EMPTY. I HAD MY CAR IN THE SHOP FOR NEARLY A WEEK BEFORE THEY DISCOVERED NOW THAT I NEED A NEW COOLANT BYPASS VALVE. I BELIEVE THAT FORD NEEDS TO EXPAND THEIR RECALL (17S09) TO INCLUDE THE ACTUAL ISSUE OF WHAT IS CAUSING THE LOCALIZED OVERHEATING, WHICH IS A LACK OF COOLANT FLOWING THROUGH THE ENGINE LEADING TO A CRACK IN THE CYLINDER HEAD. I HAVE TO SPEND NEARLY $900 TO FIX THIS PART ON A CAR BUILT IN 2014. FORD'S SOLUTION TO FIXING THE POSSIBLE CRACKED CYLINDER HEAD IS NOT TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF WHY THE COOLANT IS LEAKING, BUT TO INSTALL A SENSOR TO THEN MAKE OWNERS HAVE TO CONSTANTLY CHECK THEIR COOLANT SYSTEM. THIS IS NOT A FAIR SOLUTION TO THEIR PROBLEM. I DO NOT BELIEVE IT IS RIGHT TO MAKE OWNERS HAVE TO PAY FOR THE FAULTY COOLANT SYSTEM. THIS IS UNSAFE. MOST AVERAGE CONSUMERS ARE NOT MECHANICS AND WE SHOULD NOT BE SADDLED WITH HAVING TO CONSTANTLY MONITOR OUR COOLANT LEVELS BECAUSE FORD DEVELOPED A FAULTY COOLANT SYSTEM THAT COULD LEAD TO CYLINDER CRACKS THAT CAUSE ENGINE FIRES. I HAVE SPOKEN TO FORD CONSUMER RELATIONS AND THEY WERE NO HELP AT ALL. THEY COULD NOT EVEN EXPLAIN TO ME WHAT ITEMS THEY WOULD REIMBURSE FOR IN REGARD TO THIS RECALL. EVEN THOUGH THE RECALL LETTER STATES THEY WILL REIMBURSE FOR PREVIOUSLY PAID FOR COOLANT LEAK OR OVERHEATING REPAIR, THEY REFUSE TO ASSIST ME OR REIMBURSE ME FOR MY COOLANT AND OVERHEATING REPAIR. THIS IS NOT FAIR.