NHTSA Complaint #11560865 — 2015 FORD ESCAPE

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Escape. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, he noticed a burning odor. Additionally, the contact stated that while making a right turn from a complete stop, he depressed the accelerator pedal, but the vehicle hesitated to respond. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated while driving several days later, the vehicle made an abnormal winding and knocking sound. An independent mechanic inspected the vehicle at the residence and determined that the abnormal sound was due to the torque converter not receiving enough fluid from the transmission pump. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure recurred while driving. The contact stated that while accelerating from a Four-Way Stop, the vehicle failed to respond. The contact was able to push the vehicle to the side of the road with the assistance of bystanders. The contact stated that he turned off and restarted the vehicle, and he was able to drive to the nearby independent mechanic. The mechanic referred the contact to a Ford dealer for assistance. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with internal transmission failure, which caused the low transmission fluid pressure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 87,265.