NHTSA Complaint #11063249 — 2014 FORD ESCAPE

MY VEHICLE RAN LOW ON COOLANT ON 2 INSTANCES IN NOVEMBER 2017, WITH THE ENGINE TEMPERATURE RISING INTO THE RED ZONE WHILE DRIVING. BOTH TIMES I PULLED OVER, TURNED THE IGNITION OFF AND RESTATED, AND THE VEHICLE RAN FINE. I FILLED THE COOLANT RESERVOIR TOOK TO A LOCAL GARAGE, THEY COULD NOT FIND A CAUSE FOR THE LOW COOLANT (NO SIGN OF LEAK & IT PASSED A PRESSURE TEST). THEIR ADVICE WAS TO MONITOR THE COOLANT LEVEL AND IT THE PROBLEM OCCURRED AGAIN TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A DEALERSHIP. I EXPERIENCED NO FURTHER ISSUES UNTIL THE EVENING OF JAN. 7, 2018, WHEN MY ENGINE SUDDENLY LOST ACCELERATION AFTER DRIVING FOR ONLY 2 MILES. THE MAIN DASH DISPLAY SHOWED AN "ENGINE FAILURE" MESSAGE. I BRAKED TO A STOP AND LIGHT SMOKE BEGAN VENTING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. I TURNED THE IGNITION OFF, TOOK A PEEK IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND DISCOVERED A WORKING FIRE UNDERNEATH THE ENGINE BLOCK AND A SMELL OF OIL. THE LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT & SHERIFF PATROL RESPONDED, THE FIRE BURNED FOR APPROX. 1 & 1/2 MINUTES AND SELF EXTINGUISHED ONCE THE ENGINE COOLED DOWN. THE BOTTOM OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WAS SPRAYED IN OIL, OIL DRIPPING ONTO THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DRIVABLE, WOULD NOT RE-START AND WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL GARAGE. NUMEROUS ERROR CODES REPORTED, THE MECHANIC SAID I WOULD NEED TO TAKE IT TO A DEALERSHIP. THEN ON JAN. 11 2018 I RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FROM FORD FOR 17S09 - FIRE HAZARD FOR THE MAKE & MODEL OF VEHICLE. 2014 FORD ESCAPE, I PURCHASED IT USED IN 2015 AND CURRENTLY HAVE 75,000 MILES ON IT. MY VEHICLE IS NOW AT A FORD DEALERSHIP AND I AM WAITING FOR A REPORT OF WHAT DAMAGE OCCURRED AND CORRECTIVE ACTION. RECALL NOTICE, FIRE REPORT & POLICE REPORT ARE ATTACHED.