NHTSA Complaint #11019478 — 2014 FORD ESCAPE

I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE BRAND NEW IN JULY 2013. IT WAS ONE OF THE FIRST 2014 ESCAPE MODELS MADE. AFTER A YEAR OF OWNING IT (2014), I TURNED THE VEHICLE ON ONE MORNING AND I RECEIVED AN ERROR MESSAGE STATING "ENGINE FAULT - SERVICE NOW". I PROCEEDED TO TURN THE CAR OFF, THEN BACK ON, AND THE MESSAGE WAS GONE. WHEN I TOOK IT IN TO THE DEALER FOR AN OIL CHANGE, I MENTIONED WHAT HAPPENED AND THEY SAID THEY COULDN'T DO ANYTHING UNLESS THE MESSAGE WAS STILL ON THERE. OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS (2015-2016), I WOULD GET THE MESSAGE RANDOMLY, BUT IT WOULD GO AWAY AFTER I RESTARTED THE VEHICLE. THE DRIVING SEEMED TO BE THE SAME, SO IT DIDN'T CAUSE TOO MUCH CONCERN. IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS (2017), I HAVE NOTICED THE MESSAGE RETURNING "ENGINE FAULT - SERVICE NOW." WHEN I TOOK THE CAR IN FOR A RECALL, I MENTIONED THE ERROR AGAIN AND THEY WERE ABLE TO DETERMINE WHAT IT WAS - THEY NEEDED TO REPLACE THE WIRE SPLICE. WHAT CONCERNS ME IS THAT OTHER FORD ESCAPES HAVE BEEN RECALLED WITH THIS PROBLEM, AND I'VE BEEN DRIVING AROUND WITH A SAFETY ISSUE SINCE I PURCHASED IT IN 2013.