NHTSA Complaint #11100622 — 2013 FORD ESCAPE

ENGINE WIRING HARNESS AND SENSOR PROBLEMS IN 2013 FORD ESCAPE WITH 2.0 LITER ENGINE THAT WAS NOT INCLUDED IN PREVIOUS SAFETY RECALL. WHILE ON A VACATION TRIP IN FEBRUARY, 2018, THE ENGINE FAULT WARNING LIGHT CAME ON IN OUR 2013 FORD ESCAPE TITANIUM WITH THE 2.0 LITER ENGINE AFTER RESTARTING THE CAR AND ENTERING THE HIGHWAY. IT WAS FOLLOWED BY THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. AS WE DROVE TO THE NEAREST FORD DEALERSHIP, THE CAR WAS INCREASINGLY HESITATING AND SEEMED TO BE MISFIRING, A DANGEROUS SITUATION SINCE HIGHWAY DRIVING WAS REQUIRED. THE SERVICE TECHNICIAN AT THE DEALERSHIP DID AN ANALYSIS AND DETERMINED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS IN THE MAP SENSOR. HE REPLACED THAT SENSOR UNDER WARRANTY AND THE PROBLEM WAS APPARENTLY FIXED UNTIL JUNE 4, 2018, WHEN IDENTICAL PROBLEMS APPEARED AFTER A STOP ON A LOCAL TRIP.THE CAR WAS PARKED AT A SAFE LOCATION AND ON JUNE 6 DRIVEN TO A LOCAL DEALERSHIP FOR SERVICE AND REPAIR. ANALYSIS BY THE TECHNICIAN SHOWED THAT THERE ARE PROBLEMS IN THE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS THAT ARE DISRUPTING SIGNALS FROM THE MAP SENSOR AND THE CAM SENSOR, AND THAT REPLACEMENT OF THE COMPLETE ENGINE WIRING HARNESS IS REQUIRED TO FIX THE PROBLEM. ALTHOUGH THIS CAR WAS BUILT DURING THE SAME PERIOD AS THE CARS COVERED BY NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER 14V495000 AND IT HAS THE SAME ENGINE SPECIFICATIONS AND THE SAME APPARENT PROBLEMS, IT WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THAT RECALL. IT IS CLEAR TO ME IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN. FURTHER, IT SEEMS THERE ARE POTENTIAL SIGNIFICANT SAFETY CONCERNS REGARDING ALL 2013 AND 2014 FORD ESCAPES WITH THE 2.0 LITER ENGINE THAT WERE NOT INCLUDED IN THE ORIGINAL RECALL.