NHTSA Complaint #11141891 — 2014 FORD ESCAPE

WHILE DRIVING UPHILL ON I-80 ON A COOL DAY IN OCTOBER, SPEED LIMIT 65MPH, OUT OF NO WHERE, MY 2014 ESCAPE ILLUMINATED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED BY AN "ENGINE TEMP HIGH, PLEASE STOP SAFELY" ON THE SCREEN. I HAD NEVER SEEN EITHER OF THESE WARNINGS BEFORE SO I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY AND TURNED OFF THE ENGINE AS IT BEGAN SMOKING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. AT THIS TIME THE OIL WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED RED - WITHIN APPROX. 60 SECONDS, THE ENGINE MADE A LOUD POPPING NOISE AND EXPLODED INTO FLAMES. I QUICKLY EVACUATED THE VEHICLE AND RAN DOWN THE HIGHWAY, WITHIN MINUTES THE ENTIRE CAR WAS IN FLAMES AND WAS LATER RULED A TOTAL LOSS. THIS VEHICLE HAD BEEN SERVICED BY THE HYUNDAI DEALERSHIP IT WAS PURCHASED FROM 6 DAYS PRIOR AND WAS GIVEN A "CLEAN BILL OF HEALTH" BY THE MECHANICS.