2017 Ford Escape

OPEN THE LIFTGATE WITH HANDS FREE TO LOAD GROCERIES INTO CAR. AS I LOAD FROM CART TO TRUNK THE LIFTGATE WILL AUTOMATICALLY BEGIN TO CLOSE HITTING ME ON THE HEAD. AFTER GETTING HIT IT STARTLES ME SO MUCH NOT SURE IF IT GOES BACK UP FROM THE HITTING MOTION OR ME PUSHING IT OR I HAVE REACHED FOR THE BUTTON TO OPEN IT. BUT IT DOES GO BACK UP AND I HAVE NOT BEEN TRAPPED JUST BANGED ON THE HEAD OR SHOULDERS. THERE IS A VERY QUIET BEEPING SOUND HOWEVER IN A PARKING LOT IT IS TOO QUIET TO HEAR. I ASKED AT THE DEALER IF IT WAS POSSIBLE TO MAKE THIS LOUDER OR A PROBLEM WITH SOMETHING I'M DOING OR A SENSOR AND THEY COULD NOT HELP ME. I HAVE ONLY OWNED THE CAR ABOUT 6 MONTHS AND THIS HAS HAPPENED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE CAR IS NOT RUNNING IT'S IN PARK IN A LOT AND THE KEY FOB IS IN PURSE OR POCKET. I AM MOVING AROUND HOWEVER TO OPEN THE LIFTGATE YOU DO HAVE TO SWING THE FOOT SOMEWHAT UNDER TO GET IT TO OPEN. I HAVE BEEN CAREFUL WHERE MY FEET ARE TO TRY AND MAKE SURE THAT I AM NOT EFFECTING IT TO CLOSE. I LIKE THE HANDS FREE FEATURE OR I WOULD DISABLE IT BUT I DON'T LIKE GETTING HIT IN THE HEAD. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO BOTH MY HUSBAND MYSELF AND BOTH OF US LOADING TOGETHER.

JUST PULLED OUT OF THE GAS STATION. HEARD A LOUD BOOM. PULLED INTO NEARBY PARKING LOT. DISCOVERED PASSENGER REAR TIRE HAD BLOWN AND KNOCKED THE REAR BOTTOM DOOR PANEL OFF. THE CONDITION OF THE TIRE WAS HORRIFIC! IF I HAD BEEN ON THE HIGHWAY TRAVELING AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED THE RESULTS COULD HAVE BEEN FATAL. THE ORIGINAL TIRES WHEN I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE FROM MY LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP. MICHELIN X GREEN 235/55 R17. THE BEST WAY I CAN DESCRIBE THE TIRE IS THAT IT LOOKED DRY ROTTED OR AS IF IT HAD BEEN IN A SHREADED. COMPLETELY DISSATISFIED WITH THE CUSTOMER SERVICE I RECEIVED FROM DEALERSHIP, MICHELIN, AND THE INITIAL CALL TO MY INSURANCE CARRIER. ACCUSING ME OF HITTING A POT HOLE OR OTHER NEGLIGENCE ON MY PART THAT MUST HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE TIRE BLOWING OUT. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT MY SAFETY AND THAT OF OTHERS WITH THE SAME TIRES.

I LEASED A NEW 2017 FORD ESCAPE WITH 379 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. WHEN I DROVE THE CAR HOME FROM THE DEALERSHIP, IT MADE A CREAKING NOISE BY MY RIGHT EAR WHEN I PULLED INTO THE DRIVEWAY. I TOOK VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER A FEW DAYS AFTER THE NOISE WAS MADE. THE DEALERSHIP AND A FORD ENGINEER TRIED SEVERAL TIMES TO FIX THE NOISE WITH NO RESULTS. THE NOISE REMAINED. I WAS IN CONTACT WITH FORD MOTOR COMPANY ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. FORD SENT THE SAME ENGINEER BACK TO WORK ON THIS VEHICLE. THIS TIME THE DEALERSHIP AND FORD ENGINEER FOUND THAT THERE WERE MISSING WELDS BELOW THE FRONT LEFT DOOR. THE MISSING WELDS WERE WHERE THE ROCKER PANEL WELDS TO SEVERAL OTHER PIECES OF STEEL, UNDER THE VEHICLE. THIS REPAIR TOOK ALMOST 2 WEEKS TO COMPLETE. THE VEHICLE ONLY MADE THE NOISE WHEN THE BODY WOULD FLEX(GOING FROM THE STREET INTO THE DRIVEWAY OR SIMILAR PLACES THAT MADE THE BODY FLEX). THE AREA WELDED LOOKS LIKE IT IS A STRUCTURAL PART OF THE VEHICLE. I STILL AM CONCERNED THAT THE STRUCTURE OF THIS VEHICLE IS NOT AS IT WAS DESIGNED TO BE. I ALSO WORRY THAT THERE COULD BE MANY OTHER 2017 FORD ESCAPES THAT MIGHT NOT BE AS STRONG AS THEY SHOULD BE IN THE EVENT OF A COLLISION.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 FORD ESCAPE. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH OR ABOVE, THE CONTACT HEARD A RATTLING SOUND COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE, AND FELT SHAKING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO BOB TOMES FORD (950 S CENTRAL EXPY, MCKINNEY, TX 75070), BUT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. LATER, WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE DRIVER'S SIDE UNDERBODY COVER BECAME LOOSE AND BEGAN TO DRAG ON THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE SHOOK AND THE CONTACT HEARD A SCRAPING SOUND. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR INDEPENDENT MECHANIC; HOWEVER, THE CONTACT MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH BOB TOMES FORD FOR REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000.

MY CAR WAS STOPPED ON THE PROPERTY'S DRIVEWAY, TRANSMISSION WAS IN PARK. I WAS STANDING OUTSIDE THE CAR, AND AS I OPENED THE DRIVER'S DOOR TO GET IN, THE BOTTOM CORNER OF DOOR GOUGED MY LOWER LEFT LEG AND PEELED BACK A SIGNIFICANT CHUNK OF TISSUE. UPON CLOSER INSPECTION, I OBSERVED THAT THIS PIECE OF BLACK TRIM (WHICH COVERS THE ENTIRE BOTTOM SIDE OF THE ESCAPE) IS DESIGNED TO FLARE OUT TO A SHARP POINT ON BOTH FRONT DOORS OF THE ESCAPE. IN MY OPINION, THIS IS A GROSSLY NEGLIGENT DESIGN. IT BORDERS ON AN INTENTIONALLY SUBSTANDARD DESIGN, ELEVATING THE CONTINUITY OF THE BLACK TRIM ABOVE SAFETY CONCERNS. IN MY OPINION, THAT HAZARDOUS POINT FAILS TO MEET EVEN THE MINIMUM THRESHOLD REQUIREMENTS OF A COMMERCIALLY FIT AND MERCHANTABLE VEHICLE. RESULT: TEN STITCHES TO REPAIR MY LEG; TETANUS SHOT; ORAL ANTIBIOTICS; COMPLETE DISRUPTION TO QUALITY OF LIFE AS MOBILITY IS AN ISSUE AND I ATTEMPT TO KEEP THE WOUND CLEAN, DRY AND UNINFECTED.

FRONT PASSENGER DOOR LATCH PERIODICALLY DOES NOT CLOSE - MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO SECURELY CLOSE DOOR. SO FAR, IT HAS CORRECTED ITSELF SOMETIMES AFTER ONE OR TWO ATTEMPTS AND OFTEN AFTER MANY MORE. SO FAR, THIS HAS ONLY HAPPENED WHEN CAR WAS PARKED (NOT YET MOVING). I NOTICED THERE IS A RECALL UNDERWAY FOR FORDS UP TO YEAR 2016 (SO FAR).

DOOR LATCH HANDLES ON ALL EXTERIOR DOOR POSITIONS DO NOT RETURN TO THE 'HOME' POSITION, POSSIBLY DUE TO A WEAK OR POORLY ADJUSTED LATCH HANDLE SPRING OR OTHER PART OF THE MECHANISM. WHEN IN THIS POSITION IT IS POSSIBLE TO PUSH THE DOOR OPEN WITHOUT TOUCHING THE RELEASE HANDLE FOR THE DOOR LATCH(ES). THIS CAN CREATE A HAZARDOUS SITUATION WHEN THE DOOR OPENS UNINTENTIONALLY WHILE THE VEHICLE IS UNDER WAY, OR AN OCCUPANT LEANS ON THE DOOR, CAUSING IT TO OPEN WITHOUT WARNING. THIS CONDITION IS REPLICABLE ON ALL DOORS, AND COULD BE REPLICATED WHILE VEHICLE IS MOVING, BUT SAFETY DICTATED THAT WE NOT ATTEMPT A MOVING REPLICATION OF THE HAZARD. A COMPARISON TO A DIFFERENT VEHICLE OF THE SAME MODEL, BUT ONE YEAR OLDER INDICATES THE DOOR LATCHES ON THE SUBJECT VEHICLE REQUIRE EXTRA FORCE TO OPERATE. VEHICLE IS SCHEDULED FOR DIAGNOSIS AND REPAIR AT AN AUTHORIZED FORD DEALER ON 3/20/16.