NHTSA Complaint #11166803 — 2014 FORD ESCAPE

JANUARY 9, 2019 AT 10:39PM MY 2014 FORD ESCAPE CAUGHT ON FIRE. DRIVING DOWN INTERSTATE 81, GOING SPEED LIMIT 70 MPH, VEHICLE SHUT OFF AND SAID "SERVICE ENGINE NOW". STEERING AND BRAKES DID NOT LOCK UP BUT THE VEHICLE LOST RPMS AND WAS NOT RUNNING AS I PULLED OVER TO THE RIGHT HAND SHOULDER, I WAS IN THE LEFT HAND LANE WHEN MY VEHICLE SHUT OFF. AS I STOPPED, I PUT VEHICLE IN PARK AND TURNED KEY OFF, ALL WHILE IT SAID "SERVICE ENGINE NOW". I TURNED MY HAZARDS ON AND GOT OUT MY PHONE TO CALL SOMEONE FOR HELP. AS I LOOKED UP I SEEN FLAMES COMING FROM THE WINDSHIELD WIPER AREA AND SMOKE IN FRONT OF MY LIGHTS, I GRABBED MY WORK BAG AND JUMPED OUT OF THE VEHICLE, JUMPED ACROSS THE GUARD RAIL, AND IMMEDIATELY CALLED 911 FROM A SAFE DISTANCE. IN APPROXIMATELY 6-9 MINUTES THE ENTIRE FRONT END OF MY VEHICLE WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES AS I WAS ON THE PHONE WITH 911. TOOK RESPONDERS ABOUT 15 TO 20 MINUTES TO ARRIVE AND TO PUT OUT THE FIRE. AS SOON AS RESPONDERS FINALLY SHOWED, I COULD HEAR BOTH TIRES EXPLODE A FEW MINUTES APART FROM EACH OTHER. ONCE FIRE WAS SAFELY PUT OUT, THE ENTIRE FRONT END OF MY VEHICLE WAS MELTED AND THE INSIDE AS WELL WAS BEYOND RECOGNIZABLE. I WAS TOLD MY VEHICLE IS TOTALLED, OBVIOUSLY, AND I GOT A TOW TO TAKE VEHICLE TO MY HOUSE WHERE THE 2014 FORD ESCAPE IS SITTING IN MY YARD. I FIGURED MY INSURANCE COMPANY MIGHT COME LOOK AT IT BUT THEY DIDN'T BECAUSE ALL I HAD WAS LIABILITY ON IT. I DID NOT KNOW UNTIL A COUPLE DAYS LATER THERE WAS IN FACT A RECALL ON MY VEHICLE, DUE TO RISK OF ENGINE FIRE.