NHTSA Complaint #737252 — 2001 FORD ESCAPE

WE PURCHASED THE VEHICLE NAMED IN THIS COMPLAINT IN OCT. 2000 AND WITHIN FOUR DAYS OF THE PURCHASE RETURNED IT TO THE DEALER BECAUSE WE EXPERIENCED GASOLINE FUMES (NOT EXHAUST) COMING THROUGH THE AIR VENTS WITH EITHER HEAT/AIR OR A/C ON. THE DEALER KEPT THE CAR FOR OVER A WEEK AND SAID THAT NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH IT, THOUGH SERVICE PEOPLE SMELLED THE GAS FUME SMELL. WE RETURNED THE CAR A SECOND TIME AS THE SMELL WAS GETTING STRONGER. IT OCCURS ON WARM STARTS, NEVER WHEN THE CAR IS STARTED UP COLD. THE FUME SMELL IS APPARENT FOR 5-10 MINUTES, AND THINS OUT WHEN THE CAR IS RUNNING AT HIGH SPEEDS AND AIR IS COMING IN. THE SECOND TIME THE DEALER HAD THE CAR THEY KEPT IT A WEEK AND COULD NOT FIX IT. THEY AGREED TO REPLACE THE VEHICLE WITH ANOTHER. TEN DAYS LATER WE TOOK OWNERSHIP OF ANOTHER VEHICLE EXACTLY LIKE THIS ONE. FORTY-EIGHT HOURS INTO DRIVING IT THE GAS SMELL WAS NOTICEABLE AGAIN. WE NOTIFIED THE DEALER WHO SAID THAT FORD HAS NO FIX FOR IT. THE DEALER HAD NO COMMENT OR IDEA ON WHEN/IF/HOW THIS WOULD BE RESOLVED. WE WENT OUT TO THE INTERNET AND IN SEVERAL LOCATIONS, EDMUNDS.COM AND YAHOO ESCAPE CLUB AMONG OTHERS, WE FOUND TESTIMONIAL AFTER TESTIMONIAL OF CUSTOMERS OWNING THE V-6 ESCAPE, AND THE MIRROR CAR, THE MAZDA TRIBUTE, HAVING EXACTLY THE SAME PROBLEMS WE HAVE EXPERIENCED. THIS IS CLEARLY NOT AN ISOLATED EXCEPTION WITH OUR VEHICLE. ONE PERSON EXPERIENCED HIS CAR BURNING TO THE GROUND WITH 800 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. WE WANT TO ALERT YOU TO THIS PROBLEM AND THE FACT THAT FORD/MAZDA ARE BEING TOTALLY UNCOMMUNICATIVE TO THE CUSTOMER ABOUT THIS SERIOUS DESIGN FLAW. WE DO NOT KNOW IF THE CAR IS EVEN SAFE TO DRIVE. OUR DEALER HAS NO INFORMATION ON A FIX AND HAS NOT OFFERED TO TAKE THIS CAR BACK. WE INTEND TO MEET WITH THEM AGAIN, BUT IF THEY FOLLOW THE SAME SUIT AS MOST OF THE DEALERS THAT OTHER TROUBLED ESCAPE CUSTOMERS HAVE APPROACHED, IT WILL BE A PROBLEM. *AK