NHTSA Complaint #11006773 — 2012 FORD ESCAPE

IN THE PAST YEAR, WE HAVE EXPERIENCED 2 NEAR CATASTROPHIC ACCIDENTS BOTH DUE TO UNDER HOOD SAFETY LATCH FAILURES ON OUR 2012 FORD ESCAPE. IN BOTH CASES, WHILE DRIVING ON SAN DIEGO AREA FREEWAYS, THE HOOD UNEXPECTEDLY FLEW UP AND CRASHED INTO THE WINDSHIELD CAUSING SERIOUS DAMAGE NOT ONLY TO THE HOOD BUT ALSO THE HOOD HINGES, WINDSHIELD AND AREA SURROUNDING THE WINDSHIELD. THE TOTAL COST TO REPAIR OUR FORD ESCAPE FOR BOTH ACCIDENTS WAS ALMOST $9,200. ALTHOUGH THE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY DRIVE THE CAR OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AVOIDING OTHER VEHICLES IN EACH CASE, THE POTENTIAL FOR MULTIPLE VEHICLE AND SERIOUS INJURY EVEN DEATH WAS POSSIBLE. AFTER EXAMINING THE HOOD SAFETY LATCH LOCATED UNDER THE HOOD NEAR THE RADIATOR, IT APPEARS THAT THE PROBLEM IS A POORLY DESIGNED SAFETY LATCH AND SPRING WHICH SHOULD ONLY ALLOW THE HOOD TO BE RAISED AFTER THE SAFETY LATCH IS MANUALLY RELEASED. OBVIOUSLY, IN BOTH CASES, THE HOOD SAFETY LATCH WAS NOT MANUALLY RELEASED BUT RATHER RELEASED FOR SOME OTHER REASON SUCH AS WIND, BUMPY ROAD, ETC. RELATED TO THIS UNDER HOOD SAFETY LATCH ISSUE IS THE LOCATION OF THE HOOD RELEASE LEVER ON THE LEFT DRIVER'S SIDE UNDER THE DASH. THIS HOOD RELEASE LEVER IS CO-LOCATED NEAR THE EMERGENCY BRAKE RELEASE. OBVIOUSLY, THE POTENTIAL FOR PULLING THE WRONG LEVER IS PRESENT BECAUSE OF THIS CO-LOCATION. NONETHELESS, THE HOOD SHOULD ONLY BE ALLOWED TO RISE, IF BOTH THE UNDER DASH LEVER AND THE UNDER HOOD SAFETY LATCH ARE MANUALLY PULLED / MOVED. THE HOOD SHOULD NEVER FLY OPEN UNEXPECTEDLY WHEN BEING DRIVEN ON A FREEWAY OR OTHER HIGHWAY EVEN IF THE UNDER DASH LEVER IS PULLED. AGAIN, THE UNDER HOOD SAFETY LATCH AND SPRING ARE POORLY DESIGNED IN OUR 2012 FORD ESCAPE ALLOWING THE HOOD TO FLY UP WHILE OUR CAR WAS BEING DRIVEN CAUSING SERIOUS DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE.