NHTSA Complaint #11396950 — 2013 FORD ESCAPE

WHILE IN MOTION ON THE FREEWAY IN A BUSY METRO AREA, TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STALLED WITH AN INSTANT LOSS OF POWER AND FLASHED A CODE THAT SAID THERE WAS AN 'ENGINE MALFUNCTION' AND 'SERVICE NOW'. I WAS ABLE TO COAST TO THE SIDE OF THE FREEWAY WITHOUT INCIDENT, HOWEVER, THIS COULD HAVE BEEN DISASTEROUS AT THOSE SPEEDS ON A METRO FREEWAY. I WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE WITH THE PUSH BUTTON START AND ALTHOUGH IT STARTED SLUGGISH, IT RESUMED DRIVING WITH NO CODES AS IF NOTHING HAD HAPPENED. UNTIL AN HOUR LATER, WHEN THE SAME REPEAT INCIDENT OCCURRED. THE CAR WAS FUNCTIONING COMPLETELY NORMAL WITHOUT ANY WARNING INDICATOR THAT THERE WAS AN ISSUE....UNTIL THE VEHICLE INSTANTLY SHUT DOWN AT A HIGH SPEED. THIS IS ABSOLUETLY HAZARDOUS AND THE DEALERSHIP SAID THERE IS NO OPEN RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE, DESPITE THE MULTIPLE ONLINE REPORTS OF OTHER CONSUMERS EXPERIENCING THE IDENTICAL ISSUE. THE CAUSE OF THIS ISSUE IS UNKNOWN AS ALL LEVELS ON THE DASHBOARD INDICATED THE VEHICLE WAS IN GOOD OPERATING CONDITION UNTIL IT SHUT DOWN FOR NO APPARENT REASON. I REPEAT......IT WAS A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER IN FREEWAY TRAFFIC AT HIGH SPEEDS. VEHICLE CODE READERS DISPLAY NO CODE WHEN I HAVE HAD THEM READ. THIS VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED USED FROM A DEALERSHIP AND WAS INSPECTED LESS THAN 3 MONTHS AGO.