NHTSA Complaint #11706397 — 2022 FORD ESCAPE

A Terrifying Ordeal and a Broken Promise: M.A’s Story A Known Danger Ignored In August 2025, M.A, a [XXX] woman living with Multiple Sclerosis, received a letter from Ford Motor Company. It was a recall notice for her 2022 Ford Escape, warning that a defect in the turbo system could cause engine fires. Despite this known danger, the letter contained a chilling instruction: there was "no recommendation to stop operating the vehicle." Trusting the manufacturer, M.A continued to drive her car—her essential link to independence. A Nightmare on the Road Two months later, in October 2025, that trust nearly cost M.A her life. While driving in Windsor, Ontario, she saw smoke, then flames erupt from under the hood. In a horrifying instant, the engine compartment burst into fire. Paralyzed by panic—a "brain freeze" moment where she couldn't even unlock her door—she was trapped. Only with the help of bystanders was she pulled to safety, where she watched helplessly as her car and everything she owned—clothes, jewelry, two laptops, an iPad, and three suitcases—were consumed by flames. Physical and Emotional Devastation The fire was extinguished, and the car was towed away, but the damage to M.A’s life was just beginning. The traumatic event triggered a severe relapse of her Multiple Sclerosis, worsening her physical disability. The profound stress and sadness have been overwhelming. She is now without a vehicle, struggling daily with lost mobility and independence. Abandoned by the Company at Fault When M.A contacted Ford for help, seeking accountability for the defect they had already acknowledged, she was met with indifference. Customer service representatives, both by phone and on Facebook, directed her only to her insurance company, washing their hands of responsibility for the catastrophic failure their recall had warned about INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)