NHTSA Complaint #11460415 — 2017 FORD ESCAPE

On 31-October-2021, I was driving my 2017 Ford Escape SE 1.5l turbo (87,094 miles) on the highway, just prior to my exit ramp, I noticed a slight shudder in the power train. After exiting and arriving to the stop light, all seemed normal... until I took my foot off the brake and pressed on the accelerator.... Nothing. Like I was in neutral... I put my hazard lights on and turned the car off. After 4 or 5 minutes, I started the car, put it into Drive and slowly accelerated. I was able to drive about .5 miles where it slipped out of gear again. I safely coasted into a parking lot and turned off the car. After 5-10 minutes, I started the car, put it in Drive, and was able to reach my intended destination less than .5 miles away. From there, I had the vehicle towed to the dealership where I purchased it. The dealership where I had every manufacturer recommended service complete. I was told the transmission was bad. The options I was given was a rebuilt trans $5700 or a used transmission $5300. I opted to have it rebuilt by a 3rd party for $3100. On 28-March-2022, (90,991 miles) I was driving, approximately 45 MPH, when the car became abruptly sluggish. Then I noticed in my rearview mirror that a massive plume of white smoke was coming from my exhaust. At that point, the cabin began to fill with smoke and the engine light, oil light, and alert screen became alive. I immediately pulled over and exited the vehicle. I had the car towed to the closest shop. There they found a hole in the block about the size of a silver dollar. Diagnosis - Major Internal Engine Failure. Cost for a used to rebuilt motor, $5000 - $9000.... These things SHOULD NOT happen at 87K and 90K miles! While there is currently no recall for this engine or power train, I find it most interesting that a Class Action Lawsuit is currently underway for major internal engine failure (between 60K and 100K miles) for the this exact motor and manufactured year