NHTSA Complaint #11243977 — 2013 FORD ESCAPE

I WAS DRIVING MY FAMILY FROM HOUSTON, TX TO SAN ANTONIO,TX ON JULY 5TH 2019 FOR THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND IN MY 2013 FORD ESCAPE SEL WITH THE 6F35 TRANSMISSION. WE WERE ABOUT 1 HOUR & 30 MINUTES INTO OUR TRIP, 108 MILES, FROM OUR HOME NEAR THE CITY OF FLATONIA, TX WHEN OUR TRANSMISSION HORRIFICALLY FAILED. WHILE I WAS DRIVING I NOTICED THE TRANSMISSION HAD A MADE A HARD SHIFT INTO 6TH GEAR. IT HAD JUMPED A COUPLE OF TIMES UNTIL I ACCELERATED AND THEN IT FINALLY SHIFTED INTO 6TH GEAR. THE NEXT SIGN OF TROUBLE WAS WHEN THE DASH SCREEN TOLD US THE LANE CHANGE SENSOR WAS FAILING. NEXT WE STARTED NOTICING A FAINT BURNING SMELL COMING INTO THE CABIN, WE WEREN'T SURE WHAT IT WAS. A MINUTE LATER ALL THE WARNING LIGHTS TURNED ON IN THE DASH SCREEN. I IMMEDIATELY PUT ON MY TURN SIGNAL SO I COULD GET TO AN EXIT AND WHEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE OUT OF THE WAY OF TRAFFIC, I REALIZED MY FORD ESCAPE WAS NOT RESPONDING TO THE ACCELERATION PEDAL. IT WOULD NOT ACCELERATE AT ALL. SO NOW I COULDN'T SHIFT AND MY GAS PEDAL WAS NOT FUNCTIONING. I FINALLY REACHED THE NEAREST EXIT TURNED ON MY HAZARD LIGHTS AND PROCEEDED TO COAST INTO THE NEAREST GAS STATION SINCE MY GAS PEDAL WAS NOT FUNCTIONING. AS SOON AS I STOPPED & TURNED OFF MY SUV, WHITE SMOKE WAS COMING FROM THE ENGINE BAY. I QUICKLY GOT MY WIFE AND 1 YR OLD DAUGHTER OUT OF THE SUV AND RAN AWAY FROM THE VEHICLE. THANKFULLY THE SMOKE STOPPED AND I OPENED THE HOOD AND SAW TRANSMISSION OIL ALL OVER THE TOP OF THE TRANSMISSION. IT WAS SO HOT IT WAS BOILING IN THE CREVICES WHERE IT HAD SETTLED. THIS TRANSMISSION IS SUPPOSED TO HAVE "A SPECIAL BLEND OF TRANSMISSION FLUID MAINTENANCE FREE FOR THE LIFE OF THE GEARBOX." A COUPLE DAYS PRIOR THE TRANSMISSION WOULD JUMP ERRATICALLY WHEN SHIFTING FROM 2-3 GEAR AND FROM 5-6 GEAR EVEN THOUGH IT WAS AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION.BUT I HAD TAKEN IT TO A FORD DEALER AND THEY DIDN'T HELP AT ALL.