NHTSA Complaint #11288033 — 2013 FORD ESCAPE

A SMALL COOLANT RETURN LINE ON BACKSIDE OF MOTOR WAS MIS-CRIMPED CAUSING IT TO SEPARATE AND COOLANT TO LEAK ONTO MOTOR WHILE DRIVING. THERE WAS NO INDICATOR LIGHT TELLING ME COOLANT WAS LOW. CAR SHUT DOWN DUE TO EXTREME TEMPERATURE, AND MOTOR STARTED SMOKING FROM COOLANT LEAKING ON HOT MOTOR. LUCKILY I WAS ON A CITY STREET AND WAS ABLE TO PULL TO SIDE OF ROAD SAFELY. I CALLED FORD AND THEY SAID IT WAS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO FIX BECAUSE MY VEHICLE WASN'T AFFECTED BY PREVIOUS RECALLS FOR SAME PROBLEM AND WERE VERY RUDE ABOUT IT. THIS IS CLEARLY A MANUFACTURED DEFECT AND LUCKILY THE CAR DIDN'T CATCH FIRE DUE TO THIS DEFECT. AGAIN THERE WAS NEVER AN INDICATION OF LOW COOLANT, JUST A SHUTTING DOWN DUE TO EXTREME TEMPERATURE RIGHT BEFORE CAR SHUT DOWN. *TR