NHTSA Complaint #11389082 — 2013 FORD ESCAPE

I WAS DRIVING HOME WHEN THE ENGINE TO MY 2013 FORD ESCAPE STARTED SMOKING ENOUGH TO ENGULF THE INSIDE OF THE VEHICLE WITH BLACK SMOKE. THE ENGINE THEN CAUGHT FIRE WHILE I WAS STILL IN DRIVE. I PLACED THE VEHICLE IN PARK AND JUMPED OUT WHEN IN A MATTER OF SECONDS THE ENTIRE ENGINE WAS IN FLAMES, SECONDS AFTER THAT THE WHOLE VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. THE FIRE DEPT. CAME TO PUT IT OUT. THE FIRE DEPT. LEFT AND THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED. APPROXIMATELY 45 MINUTES LATER, THE CAR STARTED ON FIRE AGAIN. THIS TIME IT WAS LETTING OFF SMALL EXPLOSIONS' OF SPARKS. THE FIRE DEPT. CAME AGAIN AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. I ASKED THEM IF THEY HAD ANY IDEA WHAT CAUSED IT. ONE FIRE FIGHTER'S REPLY WAS "NO IDEA, I HAVE NEVER SEEN ANY THING LIKE THIS BEFORE IN MY LIFE" THE CAR HAD 89000 MILES ON AND HAD BEEN INSPECTED BY FORD A FEW MONTHS AGO WITH NO COMPLICATIONS FOUND IN THE ENGINE. THE HEAT GAUGE NEVER RAISED TO MAKE MYSELF, THE DRIVER AWARE OF ANY OVER HEATING. THE FIRE STARTED RIGHT INFRONT OF MY HOME AS I WAS PULLING INTO MY DRIVEWAY WHILE I WAS STILL IN DRIVE/MOTION.