NHTSA Complaint #11244121 — 2012 FORD ESCAPE

UPON LEAVING WORK ON JULY 31ST 2018 I NOTICED AN ODD SMELL AS I APPROACHED MY 2012 FORD ESCAPE LIMITED. UPON GETTING CLOSER TO THE CAR I NOTICED THE SMELL WAS GAS. I WAS ALARMED THINKING MY VEHICLE MAY NOT START OR COULD POSSIBLY EXPLODE IF I TRIED. WHEN OPENING THE DOOR THE SMELL WAS UNBEARABLE. AFTER CALLING MY SON HE SAID THAT THERE WAS A RECALL FOR MY GENERATION FORD FOR A CRACKING FUEL PUMP. HE SAID IT WILL BE SAFE TO START BUT WILL BE LEAKING GAS EVERYWHERE SO KEEP AN EYE ON THE GAUGE. AFTER STARTING THE CAR I NOTICED THAT THE GAS LEVEL WAS ALMOST 1/2 A TANK LOWER THAN WHEN I ARRIVED JUST 8 HOURS BEFORE. I ROLLED ALL FOUR WINDOWS DOWN AND DROVE THE CAR THE SHOP I'VE BEEN VISITING AND TRUST. THEY TOOK MY VEHICLE IN ON AUGUST 1ST 2018 AND SAID THAT THEY WILL LOOK INTO IT. AFTER DIAGNOSING THE PROBLEM THEY DISCOVERED IT THAT THE FUEL PUMP WAS CRACKED. WITH ONLY 31,000 MILES. AFTER ATTEMPTING TO REACH THE DEALER AND THE FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE PROGRAM THEY TOLD ME THAT THE VEHICLE IS NOT COVERED UNDER THE RECALL ISSUED BY NHTSA. THIS VEHICLE SEEMS TO FALL IN EVERY CATEGORY OTHER THAN A SEVEN MONTH DIFFERENCE ON THE BUILD NUMBER. FORD SAID THAT THEY ARE UNABLE TO ASSIST ME IN RECOVERING MY MONEY FOR A RECALL THAT IS ON THE SAME YEAR MAKE MODEL AND TRIM LEVEL.