NHTSA Complaint #10991943 — 2014 FORD ESCAPE

FEBRUARY 2017, VEHICLE IN MOTION, 50 MPH & SUDDENLY ALARM/ENGINE LIGHT & TEMP GAUGE WENT CRAZY, VEHICLE STALLS OUT FROM OVERHEATING IN LEFT LANE OF 2 LN HWY. ABLE TO CRUISE TO SHOULDER. KNEW IT WAS AN ISSUE W/ RADIATOR OR COOLANT FROM THE SMELL & WARNING ON DASH. IN CLOSE PROXIMITY OF STORE WHERE FRIEND WORKS SO WAITED 45 MIN TO COOL& VEHICLE DID START. ABLE TO NURSE IT OVER TO THE PARKING LOT THAT WAS 5MIN AWAY, ENG LIGHT STAYED ON. TIME OF INCIDENT WAS 8:00 PM VIEWING ENGINE UNDER BETTER LIGHT,COOLANT WAS CRITICALLY LOW.PURCHASED COOLANT FROM STORE WHERE REFILLED RESERVOIR, WAITED UNTIL HE WAS OFF WORK, 9:20 PM, SO CAN FOLLOW ME HOME IN CASE I NEED MORE ASSISTANCE. ARRIVE AT MY HOME WITHOUT INCIDENT, ENGINE LIGHT ON. IN FOLLOWING DAYS, I MONITOR COOLANT FOR 2 WEEKS& FIGURE ITS AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. ENGINE LT REMAINS ON FOR 7 DAYS. AFTER 3WKS, NEED TO TOP OFF COOLANT AS IT DROPS UNDER FILL LINE. I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE @19KMI & TIME OF INCIDENT HAD 35K MILES. FEELING IT IS A BIT UNUSUAL TO HAVE THESE ISSUES AT SUCH LOW MILEAGE BUT IM NO EXPERT,FIGURED SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE MONITORED REG AS THE TEMP GAUGE READS NORMAL/NO ENGINE/WARNING LIGHT HAS BEEN ON SINCE. I RECEIVED IN APRIL-SAFETY RECALL17S09/17V-209. I READ THAT REPAIR NOT AVAILABLE UNTIL LATE 2017& I WILL BE NOTIFIED BY FORD WHEN TO SCHED.SERVICE APPT FOR COOLING SYS.UPGRADE. HAVE NOT RCVD ANY FURTHER NOTICE & HAVE HAD TO TOP OFF THE COOLANT ONCE AGAIN.LETTER STATES TO "MAINTAIN PROPER COOLANT LEVEL TO REDUCE RISK OF OVERHEATING THAT CAN LEAD TO A FIRE" AM I REDUCING RISK ONLY? NOT ELIMINATING THIS RISK? IDID SOME RESEARCH, LEADING ME TO THIS COMPLAINT. I'M FINANCING THIS VEHICLE FOR $380/MTH & VERY UNHAPPY WITH THIS SITUATION & AM NOT SURE OF MY OPTIONS IF THERE IS NO RESOLUTION YET. I DO NOT WANT TO BREAK DOWN IN TRAFFIC AGAIN IF THERE IS A RISK OF REPEATING THE INITIAL INCIDENT, OR WORSE.