NHTSA Complaint #760639 — 2002 FORD ESCAPE

ON FIRST OCCASION VEHICLE SHUT DOWN, DASH LIGHTS CAME ON, POWER STEERING AND BRAKES FAILED. NEEDED TO COAST INTO A PARKING LOT. VEHICLE RESTARTED AND WAS ABLE TO GET HOME. ONLY HAD VEHICLE 1 MONTH. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP, (NOT POINT OF SALE) AND HAD VEHICLE INSPECTED. WAS TOLD THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM AND THAT IT WAS DUE TO EXCESSIVE AMOUNT OF OTHER KEYS ON PRIMARY KEY RING, TO REMOVE THE KEYS DUE TO THEY WERE INTERFERING WITH THE PATH AND SHUTTING DOWN VEHICLE. REMOVED THE KEYS AND CONTINUED TO DRIVE. ON 4/9/02 WAS DRIVING IN EXACT LOCATION AS PREVIOUS INCIDENT, GOING ABOUT 35-40 MPH AND SAME THING HAPPENED. HAD PUT A FILE CABINET KEY ON KEY RING, THOUGHT WAS SAME ISSUE, DIDNT' REPORT AGAIN. ON 4/11/02 WHILE TRAVELING ON MUCH BUSIER AND MUCH MORE DANGEROUS ROAD, VEHICLE AGAIN STALLED. NO SAFE SHOULDER TO PULL OFF ONTO AND UNABLE TO RESTART WHILE IN PROCESS. WAS LUCKILY ABLE TO COAST ONTO SIDE STREET, BREAKS AND STEERING WERE NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY, HAD TO ROLL TO STOP. ABLE TO RESTART AND GET TO WORK. WILL NOTIFY DEALERSHIP ASAP.*AK