2016 Ford Escape

JAN. 24, 2019 POWER STEERING ASSIST LIGHT CAME ON HAD NO POWER STEERING. CONTACTED LANGLADE FORD IN ANTIGO, WI TOOK IT THERE THEY TOLD ME I HAD TO REPLACE THE EPAS COMPLETE SYSTEM AND IT WAS DONE ON FEB. 1, 2019 AT COST OF $1683.41 AS MY 3 YEAR WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED. I WROTE TO FORD IN DEARBORN, MI ABOUT IT, AND RECEIVED A LETTER FROM THEM ON MAR. 8, 2019 THEY STATED "COMMENTS WERE RECEIVED, DOCUMENTED AND SENT TO THEIR APPROPRIATE DEPARTMENT". THEY NEED TO HAVE A RECALL ON THIS AS IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE IT AT ALL WITH NO POWER STEERING I AM FORTUNATE IT DID NOT LOCK UP ON ME. THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME SUBMIT THIS, I KNOW I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE THAT'S HAD THIS PROBLEM.

WE FREQUENTLY DRIVE FROM MIDWAY, UT TO SALT LAKE CITY, UT ON I-80 WHERE THE HIGHWAY GOES THROUGH PARLEY'S CANYON AND EXPERIENCES 6-7% GRADES. WE WERE DRIVING HOME IN THE FAR LEFT LANE OF I-80 WHEN, WITHOUT WARNING, THE CAR LOST SPEED FROM 70 MPH TO 40 MPH. WE TRIED TO ACCELERATE TO NO AVAIL. WE MOVED AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE TO THE FAR RIGHT LANE AND EXITED THE HIGHWAY. THE MESSAGE THAT DISPLAYED LISTED ENGINE OVERHEATING AS THE ISSUE BUT THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE SHOWED NORMAL TEMPERATURE. WE CONTACTED OUR FORD DEALER ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED AND LEARNED THAT THERE IS A SENSOR ON THIS CAR THE DETECTS POSSIBLE ENGINE OVERHEATING AND AUTOMATICALLY REDUCES YOUR SPEED. WE WROTE TO FORD MOTOR COMPANY CUSTOMER SERVICE TO MAKE THEM AWARE OF WHAT WE BELIEVE IS POTENTIALLY A DANGEROUS SITUATION. WHILE THIS MAY BE THE DESIGN POINT OF THE SENSOR, IT IS CERTAINLY DANGEROUS FOR DRIVERS, ESPECIALLY AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, TO HAVE THE CAR LOOSE SPEED WITHOUT WARNING. WE WERE VERY FORTUNATE TO BE ABLE TO EXIT THE INTERSTATE WITHOUT INCIDENT. FORD WROTE BACK TO US AND INFORMED US THAT THIS SENSOR IS TO PREVENT DAMAGE TO THE ENGINE AND TO ALLOW US TIME TO GET TO A SERVICE FACILITY. WHILE WE APPRECIATE THE VAST ARRAY OF TECHNOLOGY ADVANCEMENTS NOW AVAILABLE THAT PROVIDE THE PUBLIC SMARTER AND SAFER VEHICLES, TAKING THIS KIND OF CONTROL AWAY FROM A DRIVER AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS WITHOUT ANY WARNING BASED ON OUR EXPERIENCE IS QUITE UNSAFE. OBVIOUSLY THE SENSOR IS NOT SENSING THE DRIVER'S SITUATION OR LOCATION WHEN THE CAR SUDDENLY LOOSES SPEED. FORD HAS FURTHER SUGGESTED THAT WE SHARE OUR EXPERIENCE ON FORD SOCIAL WHERE WE CAN POST QUESTIONS FOR FORD'S ENGINEERS AND DESIGN TEAM. IS THE NHTSA AWARE OF THIS ISSUE? IF SO, WHAT IS THEIR OPINION ABOUT THIS TECHNOLOGY? ARE WE OVERREACTING?

STEERING ASSIST FAULT - SERVICE REQUIRED MESSAGE SHOWED UP DURING A ROAD TRIP APPROX 325 MILES AWAY FROM HOME ON STARTUP AFTER A REST STOP. STEERING WAS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE. FAULT CLEARED AFTER RESTARTING CAR SEVERAL TIMES, AND STEERING PERFORMANCE WAS BACK TO NORMAL. CONTINUED HOME, WHILE STOPPING THE CAR FOR FUEL ONCE AND TURNING OFF AND BACK ON THE ENGINE, WITH NO FAULT. UPON ARRIVING HOME, FAULT APPEARED NEXT TIME ON VEHICLE STARTUP. FAULT DOES NOT CLEAR ANYMORE. STEERING IS VERY DIFFICULT.

WHILE DRIVING THE CAR, THERE WAS A SUDDEN LOSS OF CONTROL OVER GEAR SELECTION. REGARDLESS OF SHIFT LEVEL POSITION, "D" OR "S", GEARS WILL NOT SHIFT ABOVE 1ST GEAR, FORCING SPEED TO DECELERATE TO ONLY ABOUT 10 MPH. PARKING POSITION BECAME INOPERATIVE AS WELL, AND THE CAR CONTINUED TO MOVE FORWARD WHILE IN "P". NO ALARMS OR WARNING LIGHTS APPEARED. THE CAR WAS NOT ABLE TO CLIMB AN INCLINE, MEANING THAT EVEN 1ST GEAR IS NOT REALLY ENGAGED. THE PROBLEM SOUNDS LIKE A SIMILAR PROBLEM TO A RECALL ISSUED FOR 2013 AND 2014 ESCAPE MODEL YEARS, WHEN THE BUSHING THAT ATTACHES THE SHIFTER CABLE TO THE TRANSMISSION DETACHES. WE ARE STILL WAITING FOR A DIAGNOSIS FROM THE DEALER.

AFTER THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE SPARK PLUGS AND COIL IN CYLINDER 2 LAST WEEK, THEY NOTED COOLANT IN THE CYLINDER. NOT EVEN A WEEK LATER, THE ENGINE IS LEAKING COOLANT INTO THE CYLINDER. THIS SITUATION HAS BEEN KNOWN TO CAUSE DAMAGE TO THE CYLINDER AND CAUSE AN OIL LEAK WHICH CAN CAUSE FIRE. THE MECHANICS SAY THEY CAN DO NOTHING ELSE TO FIX IT AND FORD REFUSES TO FIX THE ISSUE. I KNOW THIS HAS BEEN A KNOWN ISSUE IN EARLIER MODELS OF FORD ESCAPES AND IT LOOKS LIKE IT IS THE SAME ISSUE.

BOUGHT NEW TIRES AT 44,500 MILES (MUSH SOONER THAN EXPECTED ) AND INSTALLER COULD NOT REMOVE LUGS AS THEY WERE "SWOLLEN". WENT TO SAM PACK FORD, LEWISVILLE, TX WHERE I BOUGHT VEHICLE. WAS TOLD BY SERVICE ADVISORS "SWOLLEN" LUG NUTS WERE A KNOWN ISSUE AND THE DEALERS USED SPECIAL 19 1/2 METRIC SOCKETS TO REMOVE THEM. THEY TOLD ME IT COST $10.00 PER LUG TO REPLACE WITH FORD ORIGINAL LUGS OR THEY WOULD SELL ME AN AFTER MARKET SET FOR $50 AND I HAD TO PAY TO HAVE "SWOLLEN" LUGS REMOVED AND NEW ONES RESTORED. THEY REITERATED FORD AND ALL DEALERS WERE WELL AWARE OF THE ISSUE BUT FORD CONTINUES TO INSTALL THE PROBLEM LUGS ON NEW VEHICLES. THE LUG WRENCH SUPPLIED WITH THE AUTOS NO LONGER WILL FIT THE "SWOLLEN" LUGS SO YOU WOULD BE STRANDED IF A FLAT OCCURS.

MY CAR HAD A PROBLEM IDLING LAST WEEK. GOT IT TO THE MECHANIC. MECHANIC TRIED TO CHANGE THE SPARK PLUG DUE TO A PROBLEM IN THE CYLINDER BUT SPARK PLUG WAS FROZEN. FOUND COOLANT UNDERNEATH. MECHANIC HAD WORKED AS A MECHANIC AT A FORD DEALERSHIP, SAID THIS PROBLEM WAS PREVALENT WITH FORDS. I CONTACTED FORD. THE FORD REPRESENTATIVE SAID I HAD NO EXTENDED WARRANTY AND THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL ON THE PRODUCT SO THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. THE ONLY LONG-TERM FIX IS AN ENTIRELY NEW ENGINE BECAUSE COOLANT IS LEAKING FROM THE ENGINE. THE CAR IS ONLY THREE YEARS OLD.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 FORD F-150. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO GRAPPONE FORD (530 NH-3A, BOW, NH 03304, (855) 902-0274) FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE AND WAS ALERTED ABOUT A LUG NUT FAILURE. ALL 20 LUG NUTS WERE CORRODING FROM ROAD SALT AND COULD NOT BE REUSED OR BE REMOVED IF PLACED ON THE RIM AGAIN. THE MANUFACTURER PROVIDED A CASE NUMBER AND PROMISED A CALL BACK. THE CONTACT HAD NOT YET RECEIVED A RESOLUTION. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,962.*BF CONSUMER WAS TOLD IT COULD HAPPEN AGAIN FROM THE DEALER.*JB