NHTSA Complaint #11472351 — 2021 FORD ESCAPE

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Escape. The contact stated while reversing down her driveway, that as soon as she had placed the vehicle in reverse, it independently accelerated to approximately 20 MPH. The contact attempted to depress the brake pedal and did not have any brake function. The contact stated she did not notice any warning light being illuminated. The contact stated she began to drive backward with the vehicle turning in circles, and crashed into a fire hydrant. The vehicle crashed into the hydrant on the passenger rear bumper side which was crushed. The contact stated that the engine was still running but that the vehicle had been stopped by the hydrant. The police arrived on the scene and filed a report. The contact had injured her back on impact with the hydrant, however, she did not seek medical attention until later. She went to a chiropractor and not a doctor. The vehicle was taken to a body repair shop and the damage was repaired, however the vehicle had not been taken to a dealer to be diagnosed. The reverse and brake failure had not been diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 250.