NHTSA Complaint #11459527 — 2015 FORD ESCAPE

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at 45 MPH, he noticed that the front end of the vehicle was vibrating. A bystander informed the contact that a part had detached and was dragging underneath the front end of the vehicle. The contact veered to the side of the road and noticed that the skid plate or engine splash guard had detached. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed that the skid plate and inserts needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact purchased the skid plate and screws from the dealer and the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The independent mechanic replaced the skid plate and the screws; however, the failure reoccurred while driving. The contact stated that the skid plate was replaced two more times and the screws were replaced 3 more times by an independent mechanic; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000.