NHTSA Complaint #11406634 — 2015 FORD ESCAPE

MY ENGINE FAILED IN 2019. COOLANT ENTERED CYLINDER NO. 2 AND WAS BLOWN OUT THE TAILPIPE. ALL COOLANT WAS LOST. I COULD NOT DRIVE THE CAR AFTERWARDS WITHOUT CAUSING SEVERE ENGINE DAMAGE. ENGINE WAS REPLACED BY FORD. I HAVE SINCE LEARNED THAT HUNDREDS, IF NOT THOUSANDS, OF FORD ECOBOOST ENGINES, E.G., 1.6, 2.0 AND 2.5L, HAVE SIMILARLY FAILED. FORD HAS REPLACED MANY ENGINES UNDER WARRANTY, BUT IN MANY CASES THE VEHICLES WERE JUST OUT OF WARRANTY AND OWNERS HAD TO PAY $8,000 TO $12,000 OUT OF THEIR OWN POCKETS TO HAVE ENGINES REPLACED. THESE ENGINES EXHIBIT A DESIGN DEFECT THAT ALLOWS COOLANT TO ENTER THE CYLINDERS. FORD KNOWS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND SHOULD HAVE ISSUED A RECALL OR EXTENDED THE POWERTRAIN WARRANTY. THE SUDDEN LOSS OF ALL ENGINE COOLANT CAN CREATE A DANGEROUS SITUATION ON THE HIGHWAY. THERE ARE MANY AREAS ON TODAY'S HIGHWAYS WHERE IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO SAFELY STOP. IN MY OWN CASE, FORD REPLACED MY ENGINE UNDER THE POWERTRAIN WARRANTY, BUT KEPT MY VEHICLE AN ENTIRE MONTH WHILE WAITING ON THE NEW ENGINE TO ARRIVE AND FOR INSTALLATION; FORD DID NOT HOOK UP MY BATTERY TO A CHARGER DURING THIS TIME AND THE BATTERY RAN DOWN, LIMITING ITS REMAINING USEFUL LIFE. I HAD TO COMPLAIN TO GET A LOANER VEHICLE WHILE MY VEHICLE WAS IN THE SHOP. SHORTLY AFTER THE NEW ENGINE WAS INSTALLED, THERE WAS A TERRIBLE RATTLING NOISE UNDER THE HOOD THAT WAS DUE TO A FAULTY TRANSMISSION FLYWHEEL--POSSIBLY DAMAGED DURING THE ENGINE REINSTALLATION. THESE ECOBOOST ENGINES ARE A DISASTER. MY ENGINE FAILED AT 36,000 MILES--MANY FAIL JUST OUT OF WARRANTY. BUT, SINCE YOU NEVER KNOW WHERE YOU MIGHT BE WHEN AN ECOBOOST ENGINE FAILS, IT'S ALSO A SAFETY PROBLEM.