NHTSA Complaint #11317455 — 2013 FORD EDGE

THE VEHICLE BEGAN EMITTING A SMELL INTERMITTENTLY, WHICH WAS LATER DETERMINED TO BE GEAR OIL FROM THE TRANSFER CASE. EVENTUALLY, THE CAR BEGAN TO MAKE A GRINDING SOUND WHILE STEERING AND STOPPING UNTIL THE TRANSFER CASE BLEW UP AND DESTROYED THE TRANSMISSION. THE TRANSFER CASE AND TRANSMISSION WERE REPLACED, WAS TOLD THAT THIS TRANSFER CASE WAS AN "ISSUE" IN THESE CARS. AFTER REPAIR, THE CAR BEGAN TO MAKE NOISES AGAIN, GEAR OIL SMELLS IN THE PASSENGER CABIN, AND SUBSEQUENTLY, THE TRANSFER CASE AGAIN BLEW UP, FILLING THE PASSENGER CABIN WITH SMOKE AND DISABLING THE VEHICLE ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY LESS THAN 100 MILES AFTER PREVIOUS REPAIR. TRANSFER CASE REPLACED AGAIN, WAS DRIVEN BY THE MECHANIC FOR 26 MILES, AND AGAIN BLEW UP LEAVING THE VEHICLE DISABLED. THE TRUE FAILURE APPEARS THAT THE CAR IS FAILING TO SWITCH FROM AWD TO FWD WHEN IT GETS UP TO HIGH SPEEDS CAUSING REPEATED FAILURES TO THE ENTIRE SYSTEM AND DISABLING THE CAR PUTTING ME AND MY FAMILY AT RISK EACH TIME. FORD IS AWARE THAT THIS IS AN ISSUE. THE PARTS DEPARTMENT HAS DOZENS OF TRANSFER CASES AND REAR DIFFERENTIALS AVAILABLE TO CONTINUE REPLACING AND THEY KNOW THAT THEY ARE PUTTING THEIR CUSTOMERS AT RISK. MY TRANSFER CASES FAILURES HAPPENED ON A CITY STREET (1ST TIME) TURNING LEFT, MAJOR HIGHWAY @ 70MPH GOING STRAIGHT DOWN A HILL AND COASTING (2ND TIME), CITY STREET GOING STRAIGHT (3RD TIME). THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION AND NEEDS TO BE RESOLVED WITH ON MULTIPLE AWD VEHICLES THAT FORD HAS MADE WITH THIS SYSTEM.