NHTSA Complaint #11658712 — 2015 FORD ESCAPE

Vehicle Information Make: Ford Model: Escape Model Year: 2015 Component: Power Train (Transmission) Date of Incident (approximate): 2021 (first signs) — Ongoing I purchased my 2015 Ford Escape new in 2015. Around 2021, I began experiencing intermittent stalling issues. If I ran errands and made multiple short trips, the vehicle would sometimes stall after restarting, especially on the second or third trip. If I allowed the car to rest between trips, the problem would occasionally not occur. I reported the issue to Briarwood Ford multiple times. Each time, they told me they couldn't replicate the problem and, since the check engine light wasn’t on, there was "no issue." Eventually, the check engine light did activate. Briarwood Ford then replaced an airflow valve, kept the car for a few days, but again said they couldn’t replicate the stalling. Shortly after that, following a standard oil change, the transmission failed completely. I contacted several dealerships before having the vehicle towed to Hillsdale Ford. They took approximately four weeks to replace the transmission, which cost me $7,000 out of pocket. Even after the transmission replacement, the car continued to drive poorly. It began accelerating inconsistently, sometimes surging or hesitating, and I noticed a burning smell. I informed the dealer, and they said there was a recall involving a brushless component, which they replaced. However, they said they couldn't detect any burning odor. Now, three years later, the vehicle still doesn’t accelerate smoothly. It’s overly sensitive to throttle input and sometimes seems to hesitate or get stuck when trying to accelerate. I am concerned that this ongoing issue is part of a larger safety problem related to the transmission or powertrain that Ford has not addressed properly