NHTSA Complaint #11195041 — 2014 FORD ESCAPE

LOW COOLANT LIGHT APPEARED. HAD OIL CHANGED/FLUIDS TOPPED. A WEEK LATER, COOLANT LIGHT APPEARED AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. TOOK IT BACK TO PLACE THAT CHANGED MY OIL. COOLANT WAS NOT LOW. THEY USED A DIAGNOSTIC CODE READER THAT INDICATED CYLINDER 2 HAD MISFIRED 3 TIMES (I WAS UNAWARE). A FEW DAYS LATER, TOOK IT TO HAVE CHECKED (FIRESTONE). THEY USED A DIAGNOSTIC CODE THAT SAID THE SAME THING BUT ONE OF THE MECHANICS RELATED HE HAD JUST FIXED A FORD ESCAPE HAVING THE SAME ISSUE AND THAT THEY HAD THEN FIGURED OUT THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE PROBLEM. FORD SAYS MY VIN IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THERE HAS BEEN NO LEAK NOTED THIS ENTIRE TIME. THE ENGINE LIGHT WENT OFF. I DROVE IT APPROXIMATELY 25 MINUTES, WENT IN TO A BUSINESS FOR 2 HOURS, CAME BACK OUT AND STARTED THE CAR, PULLED OUT OF THE PARKING LOT AND SAW THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND A MESSAGE THAT THE ENGINE WAS OVERHEATING AND PULL OVER SAFELY (WHICH I DID IMMEDIATELY). THERE WAS NO OBVIOUS SIGN THAT THE ENGINE WAS OVERHEATING (STEAM, ODOR, LEAKING, ETC). THE VEHICLE WOULD ONLY START, BUT WOULD NOT ACCELERATE AT ALL. HAD IT TOWED TO JOHNSON CITY FORD WHICH TOLD ME THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO DROP THE ENGINE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE ($1700) AND THAT THE TOTAL REPAIR JOB WOULD COST BETWEEN $3500-$7000+ DEPENDING ON THE CAUSE AND DAMAGE (MAY HAVE TO HAVE A NEW MOTOR!). HE THEN TOLD ME IT WOULD BE ABOUT 3 +WEEKS BEFORE THEY COULD REPAIR IT SINCE THERE ARE 5 JUST LIKE IT WAITING TO BE SERVICED! I QUESTIONED HIM ABOUT THIS. HE RELATED THAT THERE WERE 5 FORD ESCAPES WITH A COOLANT LOW/OVERHEATING ISSUE CURRENTLY IN THEIR SHOP. MY VEHICLE WAS BOUGHT BRAND NEW. IT IS GARAGE KEPT AND SERVICED REGULARLY. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND HOW A VEHICLE THAT IS WELL-KEPT AND HAS UNDER 90,000 MILES CAN SUDDENLY, WITHOUT WARNING OR REASON, HAVE THIS KIND OF ISSUE? WHY HASN'T THERE BEEN A RECALL ON THIS ISSUE?