NHTSA Complaint #11396333 — 2020 FORD EDGE

RECENTLY, MY 2020 FORD EDGE, WITH 1,800 MILES, DISPLAYED A WARNING THAT THE PRE-COLLISION ASSIST WAS NOT AVAILABLE. AFTER COMPLETING THE POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS INDICATED BY THE OWNER'S MANUAL WITHOUT SUCCESS, I TOOK THE EDGE INTO A FORD DEALERSHIP. THE SERVICE TECH'S ATTEMPT TO REPROGRAM THE UNIT REVEALED THE FRONT CENTER CAMERA WAS OFFLINE. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE BRACKET THAT HELD THE CAMERA AND RADAR COMPONENTS OF THE 2020 EDGE WERE DAMAGED REQUIRING REPLACEMENT. THE FORD TEAM THEORIZED A STONE HIT A 2 MM PLASTIC GRILL TRIM BREAKING IT, THEN THE SAME STONE RICOCHETED AND DAMAGED THE PLASTIC BRACKET HOLDING THE CAMERA AND RADAR COMPONENTS OF THE PRE-COLLISION ASSIST RENDERING IT USELESS. NO SIGN OF ANY IMPACT. TO REPLACE THE BRACKET HOLDING THE PRE-COLLISION HARDWARE COSTS $80. HOWEVER, LABOR WAS $600. NO CHOICE BUT TO HAVE IT REPAIRED. THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY DETERMINED, USING AN UNKNOWN METRIC, THAT THE REPAIRS WERE NOT COVERED BY THE THREE-YEAR BUMPER-TO-BUMPER WARRANTY. THE FINAL COST TO ME OF THE REPAIRS: $671. DURING THE REPAIR, I LEARNED THAT THE EDGE MODEL YEARS PRIOR TO 2020 HAD A METAL BRACKET TO PROTECT THE PRE-COLLISION CAMERA AND RADAR COMPONENTS. HOWEVER, FOR THE 2020 EDGE MODEL YEAR AND BEYOND, FORD REPLACED THE METAL BRACKET WITH A PLASTIC BRACKET. IN SHORT, THE BRACKET WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN DAMAGED IF HIT BY A STONE IF THE METAL BRACKET HAD NOT BEEN REPLACED BY FORD WITH A PLASTIC BRACKET. I BELIEVE THAT THIS PLASTIC BRACKET IS NOT ONLY A THREAT TO ME AND MY PASSENGERS SAFETY, THE PROPER FUNCTIONING OF THE PRE-COLLISION ASSIST, BUT ALSO AN OUTRAGEOUS EXPENSE FOR FORD CUSTOMERS WHO MAY NOT AFFORD TO HAVE IT REPAIRED. THUS, EXPOSING CUSTOMERS TO UNSAFE DRIVING CONDITIONS. THE METAL BRACKET SHOULD REPLACE THE PLASTIC BRACKET. INCLUDED IS A PICTURE OF THE FRONT GRILL AREA CRACKED BY A STONE.