NHTSA Complaint #11015394 — 2013 FORD FIESTA

WHILE DRIVING ON THE EXPRESSWAY MY CAR BEGAN SMOKING AND BEGAN TO OVERHEAT WHICH CAUSED A CRACKED CYLINDER HEAD THAT SPRAYED OIL ALL OVER THE INSIDE OF MY HOOD SPARKING A SMALL FIRE UNDER THE HOOD. THE COMPUTER BEGAN TO SHUT THE CAR DOWN AND DISPLAYED A WARNING MESSAGE THAT STATED SUDDEN LOSS OF OIL PRESSURE, PLEASE PREPARE TO PULL OVER SAFELY. JUST AS I READ THAT MESSAGE THE BRAKES STARTED TO LOCK AND THE STEERING BECAME HARDER TO TURN AS I TRIED TO GET OFF THE NEXT EXIT FROM THE EXPRESSWAY. I REINJURED MY BROKEN ANKLE IN TRYING TO KEEP STOP AND CONTROL THE CAR. ONCE PULLED OVER THE CAR CONTINUED TO SMOKE AND NO LONGER STARTED. I FILED A CLAIM WITH MY INSURANCE AND IT WAS DENIED AS THEY FOUND THE CAUSE WAS DUE TO RECALL MECHANICAL OR ELECTRICAL BREAKDOWN STILL UNDER POWERTRAIN WARRANTY. I WENT ONLINE AND FOUND ON THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY MEDIACENTER WEBSITE THIS RECALL NOTICE DATE 3/29/17. MY VIN # WAS NOT ON THIS LIST BUT TO THE LETTER IS WHAT I EXPERIENCED: FORD ISSUES SAFETY RECALL FOR CERTAIN 2013-15 FORD ESCAPE, FORD FIESTA ST, FORD FUSION AND FORD TRANSIT CONNECT 1.6-LITER GTDI VEHICLES FOR UNDER-HOOD FIRE RISK FORD IS ISSUING A SAFETY RECALL IN NORTH AMERICA FOR APPROXIMATELY 230,000 2014 FORD ESCAPE, 2014-15 FORD FIESTA ST, 2013-14 FORD FUSION AND 2013-15 FORD TRANSIT CONNECT VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 1.6-LITER GTDI ENGINES. FORD'S INVESTIGATION OF THESE VEHICLES HAS IDENTIFIED A RISK OF UNDER-HOOD FIRES. IN THE AFFECTED VEHICLES, A LACK OF COOLANT CIRCULATION COULD CAUSE AN ENGINE TO OVERHEAT, RESULTING IN A CRACK IN THE CYLINDER HEAD. A CRACKED CYLINDER HEAD CAN RESULT IN A PRESSURIZED OIL LEAK. OIL THAT COMES INTO CONTACT WITH A HOT ENGINE SURFACE INCREASES THE RISK OF A FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. FORD IS AWARE OF 29 REPORTS OF FIRE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS ISSUE IN THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA. NO INJURIES HAVE BEEN REPORTED.