NHTSA Complaint #11072063 — 2014 FORD ESCAPE

I STARTED MY VEHICLE YESTERDAY TO WARM UP AND ABOUT 5-10 MINUTES LATER HEARD A BIG BOOM, LOOKED OUT THE DOOR AND THE FRONT END OF MY ESCAPE WAS COMPLETELY ENGULFED IN FLAMES. I HAD SCHEDULED IT TO GET REPAIRED YESTERDAY MORNING, BUT WAS UNABLE TO MAKE IT AS WE RECEIVED A LOT OF SNOW AND SCHOOLS WERE CANCELLED AND SUCH. I HAD KNOWN OF THE RECALL SINCE LAST YEAR SINCE I ALREADY WAS INVOLVED IN ANOTHER RECALL WITH THE LATCH. I TRIED TO GET THEM TAKEN CARE OF AT THE SAME TIME, BUT THE REMEDY WAS NOT AVAILABLE AND WOULDN'T BE FOR SOME TIME. I RECEIVED A NOTICE DIRECTLY FROM FORD BETWEEN ONE AND TWO WEEKS AGO AND CALLED ZIEGLER IN ELKHART TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT, BUT THEY WEREN'T AVAILABLE FOR ALMOST A WEEK. IT IS OBVIOUS THE DAMAGE WAS ALREADY DONE WITH MY CAR ANYWAY, CONSIDERING THE DESCRIPTION OF THE RECALL, WHICH A WHOLE PROCESS OF THE CYLINDER HEAD CRACKING, COOLANT LEAKING OUT AND THAT POTENTIALLY CAUSING A FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. I AM THANKFUL THAT THE CAR WAS JUST WARMING UP IN OUR DRIVEWAY AND NEITHER MY KIDS NOR MYSELF WERE INSIDE. I AM ALSO GRATEFUL THAT OUR HOUSE DIDN'T CATCH FIRE AND JUST SUSTAINED SOME COSMETIC DAMAGE DUE TO THE HEAT. I DO NOT HAVE THE REPORT FROM THE FIRE DEPARTMENT YET, BUT THEY SAID IT WOULD BE AVAILABLE SOON. IT WAS THE PENN TOWNSHIP FIRE DEPT THAT RESPONDED AND I TALKED TO DURGAN SPINSKY WHOSE WORK NUMBER IS 5742555075 * (RECALL RELATED INCIDENT) TS