NHTSA Complaint #11290202 — 2014 FORD ESCAPE

AFTER PULLING ONTO THE HIGHWAY, I ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE MY AUTOMATIC 2014 FORD ESCAPE. MY ENGINE REVVED, BUT I HAD NO ACCELERATION. IT SOUNDED AS IF I WAS IN NEUTRAL. I TRIED TO SHIFT GEARS, BUT THE ISSUE PERSISTED AS MY CAR NEARLY CAME TO A HALT ON THE BUSY HIGHWAY. I WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT TO THE RIGHT LANE EVEN THOUGH IT PUT ME IN FRONT OF AN ONRAMP AND GUARD RAIL. I WAS BEGINNING TO LOSE ANY FORWARD MOMENTUM TO THE POINT THAT MY CAR WAS SLIPPING BACKWARD. I PUSHED THE BRAKE. I WAS ABLE TO QUICKLY TURN OFF MY CAR, TURN IT BACK ON, AND ACCELERATE A FEW FEET BEFORE I LOST ACCELERATION AGAIN. I DID THIS 3 TIMES BEFORE BEING ABLE TO SAFELY PULL OFF THE HIGHWAY PAST THE ONRAMP AND GUARDRAIL. I WAS ABOUT 15 MINUTES FROM MEETING UP WITH MY HUSBAND AND TWO YOUNG GIRLS TO TRAVEL FURTHER ONTO A BUSY HIGHWAY TOWARD FRIDAY AFTERNOON BOSTON TRAFFIC. I FEEL FORTUNATE THAT THE TIMING WAS WHAT IT WAS, BUT UNFORTUNATELY, THE ISSUE WAS MY TRANSMISSION FAILED AT ONLY 92,000 ON A VEHICLE FROM 2014. I JUST HAD THE VEHICLE IN THE MECHANIC SHOP ON THE TUESDAY PRIOR TO THIS FRIDAY EVENT, AND WAS TOLD THERE SHOULD BE NO ISSUES TAKING IT ON THE HIGHWAY FOR A TRIP WITH THE FAMILY. MY VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE LOCAL VIP FOR AN ASSESSMENT. WE WERE TOLD IT WAS LIKELY THE TRANSMISSION, WHICH THEY SAID WAS A "KNOWN ISSUE" IN THIS MAKE AND MODEL. FUMING AT THE THOUGHT OF THIS BEING A "KNOWN ISSUE" AND UNDERSTANDING THE IMPLICATIONS OF THIS COST, I DID A QUICK SEARCH. SURE ENOUGH, THERE ARE MYRIAD PEOPLE THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS AT 40,000, 70,000 AND 90,000 MILES ON THIS SAME MAKE AND MODEL. WE HAD IT TOWED TO OUR LOCAL MECHANIC WHO ASSESSED IT INDEPENDENTLY OF VIP AND SHARED AGAIN THAT THIS IS A "KNOWN ISSUE" WITH THIS MAKE AND MODEL. I HAVE TO WONDER WHY THIS "KNOWN DANGEROUS ISSUE" HAS NOT PROMPTED A RECALL. HAPPY TO PROVIDE MY BILL FOR THE REPAIR, WHICH WILL TAKE PLACE 12/30. *JS