NHTSA Complaint #11706266 — 2018 FORD ESCAPE

While driving down the interstate the engine light started to flash and the engine started to stutter. It would rev up and down. This incident occurred while traveling at approximately 70mph with no prior warning. We exited the highway as soon as possible and towed the vehicle to a Ford dealership. They performed a diagnostic and found that a spark plug had broken and that there was coolant intrusion in 3 of the 4 cylinders. There were no prior engine warning lights. The only potential prior warning to this was the coolant was low during a oil change performed 2 weeks before. The dealership informed me that total engine failure was imminent and inevitable. The engine would need to be replaced for $13,000. The vehicle broke down approximately 100 miles from home. It is not available for inspection as bringing it home was cost prohibitive. I've already sold the car to a wrecking company, Peddle, LLC. The car broke down on 12-12-25. The mileage at the time of the breakdown was 74315. This was recorded at the Ford dealership. Car maintenance was up to date and routinely performed.