NHTSA Complaint #11495187 — 2014 FORD ESCAPE

After accelerating from a stoplight on a 55mph four lane highway, a thud noise came from under the hood, the RPMs went all the way up, and my car started accelerating and lurching forward before finally falling to a cruise. The gears shifted in a wild manner for 15 seconds while the car continued to cruise and I tried to slowly accelerate to keep up with the speed of traffic. I was able to pull into the right lane of the shoulderless road, turn off and exit the vehicle and get myself to safety. The road has lots of industrial facilities, so lots of trucks and commuters alike, so while standing there waiting for the local PD there were several close calls with people slamming into the back of my stopped and stalled out car. Had the car in front of me rapidly decelerated while my car was mysteriously accelerating, I could have easily rear ended them. Further, with my car stalled out in the middle of what is a shoulderless busy highway, there was a huge opportunity for either me or somebody else to have been involved in a tragic crash involving a disabled vehicle. My car was towed to a repair shop nearby and they were able to replicate the result. They advised to take it to a Ford dealership which is where I had it towed next. The dealer confirmed the torque converter failed and caused debris (metal fragments) to enter and essentially destroy the transmission. Police helped keep my vehicle and I safe with their lights and helped me push my car to the nearest cross street to wait for a tow truck. They did not investigate the issue, but one independent mechanic and the Ford dealership service tech did. There were no warning lamps, engine lights, or other symptoms prior to and during this event. Only after I stopped in the middle of the road did the standard check engine light come on. The torque converter issue is known by Ford after speaking to their corporate "Customer Care" team, and I (and others) are lucky to have avoided serious injury/incident