2016 Ford Escape

VEHICLE STATISTICS: STATIONARY, NOT IN MOTION, IN PARKING LOT. FAULT/PROBLEM: UNANTICIPATED, UNINTENTIONAL, ERRATIC AND ERRANT CLOSURE OF AUTOMATIC LIFTGATE. CAUSE OF SAFETY RISK: POORLY POSITIONED/CALIBRATED SENSOR WHICH TRIGGERS AUTOMATIC CLOSURE OF REAR LIFTGATE IN SPITE OF FOLLOWING OWNERS MANUAL INSTRUCTIONS. THIS FEATURE IS ONLY SUPPOSED TO BE ACTIVATED WHEN MAKING A FORWARD AND BACK KICKING MOTION OF THE FOOT UNDER THE REAR BUMPER. SUMMARY: WAS LOADING GROCERIES INTO BACK OF VEHICLE AT LOCAL WAL-MART EVENING OF 03/14/17 APPROX. 6:30 P.M. CST. I HAD LEANED OVER PLACING BAGS INTO CARGO AREA OF VEHICLE, FEET WERE TOGETHER ON GROUND BEHIND REAR BUMPER, I STRAIGHTENED AND SMASHED MY HEAD INTO THE METAL FLAT EDGE OF THE LIFTGATE WHICH WAS COMING DOWN ON IT'S OWN WITHOUT ME PRESSING BUTTONS OR MAKING GESTURE TO INITIATE AUTOCLOSE FEATURE. AUDIBLE NOTICE OF CLOSURE WASN'T HEARD DUE TO AMBIENT NOISE - WIND, ETC (THE NOTICE NOISE IS EXTREMELY QUIET). I HIT THE TAILGATE HARD ENOUGH THAT I NEARLY KNOCKED MYSELF OUT, AND MY WIFE WHO HAD ALREADY GOTTEN INTO THE PASSENGER SEAT FELT THE VEHICLE MOVE AND HEARD A LOUD NOISE FROM MY HEAD MAKING CONTACT WITH THE LIFTGATE. I COLLECTED MYSELF, FINISHED LOADING THE GROCERIES AND WENT HOME. PAIN IN MY HEAD INCREASED, NECK PAIN PRESENTED AND INCREASED IN INTENSITY, NAUSEA AND SENSITIVITY TO LIGHT. WIFE RECOMMENDED AND TRANSPORTED ME TO ER. ER VISIT INITIATED APPROXIMATELY 8:30 P.M. AT TIME OF TRIAGE, I WAS DRY HEAVING AND WAS GIVEN AN ANTI-NAUSEA MEDICATION. THE ER DOCTOR ORDERED A CT OF MY HEAD BASED ON SYMPTOMS PRESENT WHICH CAME BACK OK, BUT IT WAS DETERMINED I RECEIVED A CONCUSSION AND WAS PRESCRIBED MEDICATIONS APPROPRIATELY. HEADACHE AND NECK PAIN/STIFFNESS ARE PERSISTENT TODAY 03/15/16. WILL FOLLOW-UP WITH PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN AS INSTRUCTED WITHIN 48-72 HOURS. BEFORE MAKING THIS INFO PUBLIC, PLEASE REMOVE ATTACHMENT.

IN JULY,, 2016 THE "STEERING ASSIST FAULT" SENSOR LIGHT CAME ON AS I WAS BACKING OUT OF DRIVEWAY. I WAS UNABLE TO TURN WHEEL. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO DEALERSHIP WHERE PURCHASED WHERE THEY FOUND A "FAULTY STEERING RACK" THAT, I ASSUME WAS REPAIRED. TODAY, MARCH 8, 2017 I WAS PARKING THE VEHICLE IN TOWN AND THE "STEERING ASSIST FAULT" SENSOR LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. I WAS UNABLE TO TURN THE WHEEL. IT WAS, AGAIN, TOWED TO THE SAME DEALERSHIP. LUCKILY, BOTH TIMES I WAS NOT IN TRAFFIC BUT ON A SIDE STREET. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED WHILE ON A HIGHWAY OR A MAJOR ROAD THINGS MAY HAVE TURNED OUT DIFFERENTLY AND COULD HAVE BEEN LIFE-THREATENING.

THE BACK HATCH CAN BE FOOT ACTIVATED, BUT ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS, SUCH AS SITTING ON THE BACK BUMPER AND PUTTING ON GOLF SHOES, I'VE ACCIDENTALLY SLIPPED A FOOT BACKWARDS WHILE BENDING OVER, WHICH HAS ACTIVATED THE HATCH TO CLOSE, AND IT'S CLOSED ON MY HEAD SEVERAL TIMES. ALSO, WITH THE BACK SEATS FOLDED DOWN, AND TRYING TO PUSH SOMETHING AS FAR FORWARD AS POSSIBLE, MY FOOT WOULD SLIP UNDER THE CAR ENOUGH TO ACTIVATE THE DOOR, CLOSING ON ME. IT'S ALSO HAPPENED WHILE UNLOADING GROCERIES IF MY FOOT GETS TOO CLOSE TO THE BUMPER. I'VE HAD THE BACK HATCH HIT MY HEAD WELL OVER A DOZEN TIMES SINCE I LEASED THIS VEHICLE. AT ALL TIMES THE CAR WAS PARKED, AND NOT TURNED ON. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP TO SEE IF THIS FEATURE (FOOT ACTIVATION ONLY) COULD BE DEACTIVATED, BUT THEY TELL ME IT CANNOT BE. SOMEBODY IS GOING TO GET SERIOUSLY HURT BY THE HATCH CLOSING ON THEIR HEAD.

SOMETIMES WHEN THE VEHICLE IS SHIFTING IT HESITATES AND OTHER TIMES IT SHIFTS HARD LIKE IT FEELS LIKE IT'S GONNA BREAK I GUESS YOU CAN SAY IT CLUNKS OR JERK'S YOU IN YOUR SEAT A BIT I JUST BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE ON 2/20/17 TODAY IS 2/26/17 MY WIFE WAS DRIVING WHEN THE VEHICLE KINDA THREW HER BACK WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS SHIFTING THREW THE GEARS THIS VEHICLE IS A CERTIFIED PRE OWNED THIS HAPPENS IN TOWN OR ON THE INTERSTATE I WILL BE CONTACTING MY DEALERSHIP ON 2/27/17 TO LET THEM NO WHAT IS GOING ON