NHTSA Complaint #11414292 — 2014 FORD ESCAPE

THE CAR SUDDENLY LOST ACCELERATION POWER WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH. DRIVER PULLED TO SAFE AREA AND STOPPED CAR AT WHICH POINT IT WOULD NOT MOVE. NO WARNING/EMERGENCY LIGHTS DISPLAYED IN THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER (NO CHECK ENGINE, BATTERY, OVERHEAT, OR OTHER HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY DISPLAYED). TOWED TO CLOSEST FORD DEALER. DIAGNOSTICS STATED TRANSMISSION FAILURE (92,000 MI; BOUGHT USED FROM FORD DEALER IN 2017 WITH 60K MILES). TRANSMISSION REPLACED. DURING TEST DRIVE FOLLOWING REPLACEMENT, FORD DEALER MECHANIC IDENTIFIED A RATTLING NOISE. THIS NOISE WAS NOT HEARD PRIOR TO THE FAILURE BUT MAY HAVE BEEN PRESENT DURING THE TRANSMISSION FAILURE BUT NOT HEARD BECAUSE OF THE SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER/ABILITY TO ACCELERATE WHILE DRIVING IN TRAFFIC. THE MECHANIC RETURNED TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE FURTHER INSPECTION REVEALED A CRACKED FLYWHEEL/FLEXPLATE. RESEARCH SHOWS THAT THERE HAS BEEN A RECALL FOR SIMILAR FORD CARS (I.E. EDGE) FOR THIS EXACT ISSUE AND REPAIRS INCLUDED IN THE RECALL INCLUDED REPAIRS OF TRANSMISSION. ADDITIONALLY, TRANSMISSION/FLEXPLATE FAILURES IN THE 2014 ESCAPE IS INCLUDED IN A 2020 CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT ALLEGING FORD ACTIVELY CONCEALED ENGINE & TRANSMISSION FAILURES. VEHICLES IDENTIFIED IN THIS SETTLEMENT SHOULD BE RECALLED. CONSUMERS WHO HAVE ALREADY PAID FOR IDENTIFIED FAILURES SHOULD BE REIMBURSED PARTS/LABOR BY FORD. THE VEHICLE IN THIS INCIDENT WAS ALSO INCLUDED IN A PRIOR ENGINE RECALL. THE ENGINE WAS REPLACED BY A FORD DEALER IN MAY 2018.