NHTSA Complaint #11123129 — 2013 FORD ESCAPE

I BOUGHT THE CAR 09/03/13. ON 05/26/16, I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK & ON A PARKWAY AS I WAS ACCELERATING TO 45 MPH, THE ENGINE REVVED TO APPROXIMATELY 6500 RPMS WITHOUT ENGAGING THE GEAR, THEN SHIFTED. ABOUT 15 MINUTES LATER, I STOPPED AT A LIGHT ON A THREE-LANE ROAD (40 MPH SPEED LIMIT). WHEN THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN, I PUSHED THE GAS PEDAL AND THE ENGINE REVVED BUT DID NOT ENGAGE; I SLID BACKWARD. I BRAKED TO STOP FROM HITTING THE CAR BEHIND, LET THEM PASS, THEN TURNED OFF THE CAR, AS I SMELLED BURNING. I TURNED THE CAR ON & PUSHED THE GAS PEDAL UNTIL EVENTUALLY IT ENGAGED IN FIRST GEAR & WAS ABLE TO DRIVE ENOUGH TO GET OFF THE ROAD. THE CAR HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALER, WHERE THERE WAS A LEAK FOUND TO BE DUE TO TSB 3B16-0043. TRANSMISSION HAD TO BE DISASSEMBLED, CLEANED, AND REBUILT DUE TO HIGH AMOUNTS OF DEBRIS. EVEN AFTER THE REPAIR, THE CAR WOULD STILL SHUDDER INTERMITTENTLY WHEN I SHIFTED FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE & WENT TO ACCELERATE. ON 02/12/18, THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AGAIN WHILE I WAS IN MOTION AT APPROX. 25 MPH IN STOP & GO TRAFFIC. I PUSHED THE GAS, THE TRANSMISSION DIDN'T RESPOND; THE ENGINE JUST REVVED. I WAS STILL IN MOTION, SLOWED DOWN, THEN PUSHED THE GAS AGAIN & IT SHUDDERED THEN SHIFTED. I PULLED OVER IMMEDIATELY & PUT THE CAR IN PARK. I TESTED IT BY TRYING TO DRIVE FORWARD; THE CAR SLID BACKWARDS. I DIDN'T PUSH THE PEDAL ENOUGH TO ENGAGE FIRST GEAR AS I DIDN'T WANT TO CAUSE DAMAGE. I WAS AGAIN TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND AGAIN THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED A TEARDOWN, CLEANING, & REBUILD DUE TO DEBRIS. BASED ON BOTH TICKETS, I BELIEVED THE CENTER SUPPORT IS A DEFECTIVE PART; I LEARNED TODAY THERE IS A NEW RECALL, 18V471000, FOR A BUSHING THAT ATTACHES THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTER CABLE TO THE TRANSMISSION. UNKNOWN IF THIS IS THE CAUSE. CAR IS AGAIN SHUDDERING WHEN SHIFT R TO D THEN ACCELERATING. I HAVE SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT.