MY WIFE WAS DRIVING OUR 8 YEAR OLD TWINS TO A PIANO RECITAL IN MY 2001 FORD ESCAPE, AND, WHILE GOING UP A STEEP HILL ON A FOUR-LANE ROAD, THE ENGINE DOWNSHIFTED AND THE CAR ACCELERATED OUT OF CONTROL. WHEN SHE REALIZED THAT SHE THE CAR WAS SPEEDING FORWARD WHEN SHE WAS NOT PRESSING ON THE ACCELERATOR, SHE APPLIED THE BRAKES HARD, BUT NOTHING HAPPENED. IN AN ATTEMPT TO AVOID THE CARS, SHE TOOK AN OFF-RAMP BUT QUICKLY REALIZED THAT TRAFFIC WAS STOPPED THERE AS WELL. IN DESPERATION, MY WIFE PULLED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. THE CAR THEN STOPPED, BUT THEN LOST SHE LOST EVERYTHING. MY ESCAPE STARTED ROLLING BACKWARDS DOWN THE HILL, EVEN WITH THE EMERGENCY BRAKE ON. AGAIN, THE FOOT BRAKE DIDN'T RESPOND. SHE WAS HEADED BACKWARDS DOWN THE 1/2 MILE, STEEPLY GRADED HILL INTO THE CARS COMING UP THE HILL. SHE TURNED THE WHEEL TO BACK UP THE STEEP EMBANKMENT ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. AFTER BOUNCING BACKWARDS THROUGH THE STEEP DITCH AND TRAVELING ABOUT 14 FEET UP THE EMBANKMENT, THE CAR PAUSED FOR A MOMENT AND THEN SLAMMED FORWARD BACK INTO THE DITCH. OUR CHILDREN WERE NOT HURT. MY WIFE HAS SUFFERED WHIPLASH WHICH IS REQUIRING MEDICATION, PHYSICAL THERAPY, AND GIVES HER CONSTANT PAIN. MY LOCAL FORD DEALER HAS BEEN HONEST THAT A CRUISE CONTROL WIRE WAS FRAYED, AND EVEN THOUGH SHE WAS NOT USING THE CRUISE CONTROL, IT WAS MOVING IN PARALLEL TO THE ACCELERATOR CABLE. THE FRAYED CRUISE CONTROL CABLE STUCK AND CAUSED THE ACCELERATOR TO COMPRESS AND STICK. THEY HAVE NO EXPLANATION FOR THE LOSS OF BRAKES AND THE FAILURE OF THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. HOWEVER, AFTER THE HONEST ASSESSMENT, POOR TREATMENT ENSUED. THE DEALERSHIP IS FIXING THE CABLE, TRANSMISSION, AND BRAKES UNDER OUR EXTENDED WARRANTY AND NOT TAKING OWNERSHIP FOR THE ACCIDENT. THEY HAVE HAD MY CAR FOR 1 MONTH TODAY, AND I STILL DO NOT HAVE IT BACK. I WILL HAVE TO PAY THE $1000 DEDUCTIBLE FOR THE AUTO BODY WORK.
2014
POWER TRAIN
PICKED UP 2014 FORD ESCAPE 1.6 ECOBOOST- OCTOBER 2013- ENGINE RPM' S REV TO 3-4 FOR NO REASON - SPORADICALLY- WHEN REMOTE STARTED, AND WHEN ELECTRIC STARTING CAR. BRAKES LOUD WHISTLING NOISES- COMES AND GOES- AUTO LIFT GATE OPENS HALF WAY SOMETIMES, CLOSES ON YOU WHEN YOUR LOADING THINGS SOMETIMES, REAR DOOR BEHIND DRIVER -CHILD LOCKS ON- CANT TURN OFF- PASSENGER CANT GET OUT OF THAT SIDE OF CAR- NO HEAT! TEMP GAUGE JUMPS FROM C TO H THEN BACK TO C. NO HEAT IN CAR EVEN AFTER REMOTE STARTING VEHICLE 2-3 TIMES AND LETTING IT RUN- CAR IS ICE COLD INSIDE. DEFROST DON'T WORK UNLESS ON MAX DEFROST AND ON HI - BLOWER DOESN'T SEEM TO BLOW ANYTHING - WHEN PUT ON DEFROST AND FEET IT BLOWS OUT VENTS INSTEAD. DUE TO NO HEAT INSIDE VEHICLE. FREEZE EVERY DAY DRIVING TO WORK.. BY THE TIME I GET TO WORK IT FINALLY HEATS UP- APPROX. 20 MIN DRIVE. PULLED IN DRIVEWAY FROM WORK- 20 MIN DRIVE AND CAR WAS OVERHEATING- BUFFALO NY - TAKING CAR IN TODAY WITH LIST OF ISSUES. *TR
