NHTSA Complaint #11064135 — 2013 FORD ESCAPE

ON 9/7/17 MY CAR OVERHEATED DUE TO NO COOLANT IN TANK, THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED THE CAR FILLED THE COOLANT TANK AND GAVE ME AN OIL CHANGE. ON 12/29/17 CAR OVERHEATED AGAIN DUE TO NO COOLANT IN TANK AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I WENT TO WINNER FORD IN CHERRY HILL AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON DUE TO CAR NEEDED A NEW COOLANT BYPASS SOLENOID VALVE, WHICH I PAID TO HAVE FIX. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT STATED THEY DID A PRESSURE CHECK AND CONCLUDED THAT THE CAR WAS LEAKING ANTIFREEZE DUE TO A CRACK IN THE DEGAS BOTTLE. I PAID FOR A NEW DEGAS BOTTLE AND THE PAPERWORK STATES THE SYSTEM WAS REFILLED AND CAR IS NO LONGER LEAKING COOLANT. TWO WEEKS LATER (JAN 18TH, 2018), I START MY CAR AND THE OVERHEAT MESSAGE IS DISPLAYING, I CHECK UNDER THE HOOD AND THE COOLANT TANK IS EMPTY! NOW THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT IS STATING THE HVAC HEATER HOSE (CV6Z18472S) IS LEAKING AND THE PART IS ON BACK ORDER WITH FORD UNTIL THE END OF FEBRUARY. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE, I CAN NOT BE WITHOUT A CAR FOR AN ENTIRE MONTH. MY CAR IS ONLY FIVE YEARS OLD, WHY ARE THE PARTS ON BACK ORDER FOR SUCH A LENGTHY TIME. IS THERE AN ISSUE WITH THESE CARS? I HAVE A RENTER CAR FROM THE DEALERSHIP, THAT FINANCIALLY I CAN'T AFFORD TO HAVE FOR A MONTH ON TOP OF PAYING $285 FOR THIS ISSUE. I NEED THIS PART TO SHIP ASAP AND I NEED TO SPEAK TO SOMEONE REGARDING HAVING THE LOANER CAR AS A COURTESY UNTIL THE PART IS DELIVERED TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERSHIP STATED THAT YOUR COMPANY WOULD HAVE TO GIVE THE OK FOR THE RENTAL COURTESY. I SPOKE TO SOMEONE AT FORD (REFERENCE #CAS-13964173) AND WAS INFORMED THAT I COULDN'T SPEAK TO A MANAGER AND BECAUSE I DIDN'T HAVE A WARRANTY I WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR MY OWN RENTER CAR EVEN THOUGH THE ONLY REASON I NEED THE RENTAL IS DUE TO FORD NOT HAVING THE PART.