NHTSA Complaint #11604141 — 2017 FORD ESCAPE

We have only had our 2017 Ford escape for less than two years. We are the second owners of the vehicle and have maintained its prestigious service record with none stating that the transmission was or is faulty. Woke up one morning, driving to work and all of a sudden I go to press the gas and it felt like I hit a brick wall. It was the scariest thing! My head almost hit the steering wheel!!! I was NOT expecting that at all! Took it to our mechanic on a trailer and they stated that the transmission did NOT even come up on the diagnostic computer. They informed me that they tested the fluid and that was OK. They called me to come pick it up. I told them there’s no way it’s OK because of what happened. My dad went and picked it up he was only a minute or two down the road and it happened to him . He called our mechanic back, put it back on my dad‘s trailer with help from a friend. Got it back to their service department and again hooked it up to the computer and it did not say the transmission. But with the mechanics expertise, it was the transmission. They also stated that for this particular vehicle you cannot “rebuild the transmission” it is a “throwaway transmission” and you have to buy a whole new one. This is a huge safety concern. Like I mentioned, it felt like hitting a brick wall. It just completely stopped with no indication that there’s even a transmission issue or signal on my dashboard and now this is going to cost about $7000 to replace. We have to get it fixed. When we purchased the vehicle a year and a half ago it was over $20,000. This is a major issue for me and my family because we will not be able to afford this, but this needs to get fixed somehow. If someone in your department can escalate this and give me a call I would greatly appreciate it. We can provide any documentation needed from two different Mechanic shops. The place where we bought it where I get it regularly maintained, and the mechanic that informed us that it is the transmission.