NHTSA Complaint #11221480 — 2013 FORD EDGE

I BOUGHT A USED 2013 FORD EDGE: SPORT TRIM, 3.7L AWD WITH 84,000 MILES ON JUNE 8TH. INSPECTION WAS FINE. I DROVE IT HOME 1400 MILES THE NEXT 2 DAYS, AND NEVER DROVE IT HARD AT ALL. IT RAINED THE WHOLE WAY. DRIVING FELT A BIT ODD AT TIMES, THOUGH I ATTRIBUTED THAT TO MY UNFAMILIARITY WITH THE NEW VEHICLE. UPON ARRIVING HOME I HAD THE OIL CHANGED AND WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS A MAJOR TRANSMISSION LEAK. UPON MY RE-INSPECTION, IT WAS DRIPPING AT EVERY STOP, SOMETIMES LEAVING 2-5" DIAMETER PUDDLES. I TOOK IT TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY DIAGNOSED THAT TRANSMISSION WAS FINE, BUT THE POWER TRANSFER UNIT WAS LEAKING AND THE ENTIRE UNIT NEEDED REPLACEMENT. COST OF REPAIR, $1800. UPON RESEARCHING, THE UNIT WHICH CLAIMS TO HAVE A "LIFETIME FLUID" OF GEAR-OIL HAS A SERIOUS DESIGN FLAW IN WHICH THE UNIT IS NOT PROPERLY COOLED, AND THE "LIFETIME FLUID" BREAKS DOWN DUE TO HEAT, CAUSING THE UNIT TO FAIL. THIS SERIOUS DESIGN FLAW COULD HAVE CAUSED MY TRIP THROUGH THE RAIN TO HAVE RESULTED IN A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE THAT WOULD HAVE ENDANGERED MY SAFETY, THE VEHICLE'S PERFORMANCE IN THE RAIN, AND THE LIVES OF OTHERS. THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. I AM NOW STUCK UNABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE BECAUSE I CAN'T AFFORD THE $1800 REPAIR, AND DRIVING THE VEHICLE IN THIS CONDITION IS DANGEROUS. THIS PART NEEDS TO BE RECALLED ASAP, AND FORD NEEDS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS DEFECTIVE PART BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED.