NHTSA Complaint #11018841 — 2004 FORD ESCAPE

CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE FRONT SUB-FRAME ENGINE CRADLE ASSEMBLY. IT COMPLETELY RUSTED APART ON THE PASSENGER SIDE CAUSING THE LOWER CONTROL ARM TO COME LOOSE. MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING WHEN IT CAME LOOSE CAUSING THE ESCAPE TO RUN OFF THE ROAD. THANKFULLY THERE WAS PLENTY OF SHOULDER ON THE RURAL ROAD AND NO ONE WAS HURT. HAD THIS BEEN IN TRAFFIC, AN ACCIDENT WOULD HAVE BEEN INEVITABLE. CALLED FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE - NO HELP, THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO. THE CAR HAS BEEN GARAGE KEPT, WELL MAINTAINED WITH ON 70K MILES. NOTHING ELSE IS RUSTED. THIS IS CLEARLY A DEFECTIVE PART. MORE DISTURBING IS THAT THERE WAS A RECALL 14S04 BACK IN 2014. ALL THAT WAS DONE WAS TO ADD REINFORCEMENT CROSS BRACE IF RUST WAS PRESENT. THIS DID NOT ADDRESS THE DEFECTIVE PART, NOR, DID THE FORD DEALER NOTIFY US OF THE RUSTING PART WHICH WAS DESTINE TO FAIL. BASED ON THIS TYPE OF PRODUCT SUPPORT AND CONCERN FOR CUSTOMER SAFETY, WE WILL BE LOOKING ELSEWHERE FOR VEHICLES IN THE FUTURE.