NHTSA Complaint #763533 — 2001 FORD ESCAPE

I CONTINUE TO HAVE A PROBLEM WITH MY VEHICLE STALLING FOR NO APPARENT REASON. IT HAPPENED TWICE IN OCTOBER 2001. THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP TO SEE IF THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE ESCAPE. I WAS TOLD THERE WAS NO PROBLEM & THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH MY VEHICLE BUT CALL IF IT HAPPENS AGAIN. MY VEHICLE STALLED THE NEXT DAY. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE STALL. THEY CONTACTED THEIR REPAIR HOTLINE FOR SUGGESTIONS. THERE WAS APPARENTLY NO REAL ANSWER BUT IT WAS SUGGESTED TO REPLACE A VARIETY OF PARTS. MY VEHICLE HAD NO PROBLEMS UNTIL 06/25/02 WHEN IT STALLED AGAIN FOR NO REASON. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. IN EACH INSTANCE I WAS TRAVELLING AT APPROXIMATELY 45MPH ON A DOWNHILL (WITH PLENTY OF GAS IN THE TANK) AND THE VEHICLE STALLED W/OUT ANY WARNING. MY RADIO & LIGHTS CONTINUED TO WORK JUST FINE. NEEDLESS TO SAY I LOST MY POWER STEERING AND BRAKES ON EACH OCCASION. THE FIRST 2 OCCASIONS I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO MUSCLE MY CAR ONTO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD W/OUT INCIDENT. I PUT IT IN PARK & IT STARTED RIGHT UP. THE LAST TIME I HAD TO SHIFT IT INTO NEUTRAL ON THE FLY & RESTART THE ENGINE. LUCKILY FOR ME IT RESTARTED AS I HAD NOWHERE TO PULL OVER AS I WAS HEADED TOWARDS A TWO LANE BRIDGE OVER THE RIVER WITH NO SHOULDER TO PULL ONTO. I HAVE BEEN VERY LUCKY IN THAT I HAVE NOT BEEN INJURED NOR HAVE I INJURE ANYONE ELSE. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS DEFECT AND A POTENTIALLY DEADLY ONE. I KNOW FROM DOING SOME RESEARCH THAT THERE ARE QUITE A FEW OTHERS WITH THIS PROBLEM ON BOTH THE 2001 & 2002 MODELS. THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED QUICKLY BEFORE THERE IS A FATALITY. A BRAND NEW CAR SHOULD NOT STALL AT RANDOM TIMES WITH NO WARNING WHILE TRAVELLING AT A PRETTY GOOD SPEED.*AK