PREMiERdrum Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 (edited) Ford Motor Company is taking quick action on behalf of its customers by conducting a voluntary safety recall of 2013 model year Ford Escape vehicles equipped with the 1.6-liter engine, which were built through July 11, 2012; Escapes equipped with the 2.0-liter and the 2.5-liter engines are unaffected The recall is being taken to replace an engine compartment fuel line, which could split and leak fuel, potentially resulting in an underhood fire; no injuries have been reported Ford is advising affected owners not to drive their vehicles and to contact their dealers immediately for the needed repair. Dealers will deliver a loaner vehicle to customers and will then transport their 2013 Escape to the dealership until the repair has been completed Ford dealers will stop delivering or conducting demonstration drives of the 2013 Escape vehicles equipped with 1.6-liter engines until the issue has been resolved The repairs should take less than an hour for the dealership to complete, pending parts availability; If affected customers quickly take action and contact their dealers as advised, all vehicles potentially can be remedied in less than two weeks Ford Motor Company today announced a voluntary safety recall of 2013 model year Ford Escape vehicles equipped with the 1.6-liter engine built through July 11, 2012. Ford estimates that there have been approximately 11,500 of these vehicles produced and distributed for sale in North America, with most in the U.S. market. Ford is voluntarily recalling Escapes with 1.6-liter engines to replace an engine compartment fuel line, which could split and leak fuel, potentially resulting in an underhood fire. No injuries have been reported. The issue does not affect other 2013 Escape models. The condition also does not present itself in vehicles when the engine is not running. As an additional safety precaution, customers who already own 2013 Escape vehicles with the 1.6-liter engine are being advised to stop driving their vehicles and to immediately contact their dealers. Dealers will deliver a loaner vehicle to these customers and will transport their 2013 Escape to the dealership for the necessary repairs. The company is working to make parts available as quickly as possible and customers will keep the loaner vehicle at no charge until the repairs on their vehicle are completed. The company’s dealers will stop delivering or conducting demonstration drives of these vehicles so that proper steps can be taken to remedy the issue at the dealership first. "We have identified an issue and are taking quick actions in the best interest of our customers,” said Ray Nevi, assistant director, Ford Automotive Safety Office. “Our intensive investigation and testing has identified the area of concern and we are moving as quickly as possible to repair vehicles for our customers. In the meantime, it is extremely important that affected customers not ignore this recall and immediately contact their dealer." The repairs are straightforward and should take dealers less than an hour to complete, pending parts availability. If affected customers quickly take action and contact their dealers as advised, all vehicles can be remedied in less than two weeks. Customers may get further information about these and other recalls at www.fordowner.com or they may contact Ford's Customer Relationship Center at 1-866-436-7332. DETROIT (AP) - Ford is telling some buyers of 2013 Escape small SUVs not to drive them because the engines can catch fire. The company is recalling 11,500 Escapes in the U.S. and Canada because the fuel lines can crack and leak. The recall affects only models with 1.6-liter four-cylinder engines that were built from early April through July 11 this year. Ford is taking the unusual step of picking up the SUVs and leaving loaner cars with customers. The company says it has three reports of fires, two at the factory and one while a customer was driving an Escape. No one was injured. About 4,800 defective Escapes were sold. The rest are on dealer lots and will be repaired. Ford says customers should call dealers to get the problem fixed. Edited July 19, 2012 by PREMiERdrum 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvrsvt Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 Eh NOT GOOD... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PREMiERdrum Posted July 19, 2012 Author Share Posted July 19, 2012 Eh NOT GOOD... They're doing a good job in getting out in front of it, and 10k customers isn't disasterous, but I wonder if a string of negative stories could soften sales temporarily. PS: It's nice to be back here after a crazy 2 weeks. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvrsvt Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 They're doing a good job in getting out in front of it, and 10k customers isn't disasterous, but I wonder if a string of negative stories could soften sales temporarily. Its good that they are going that, but its still "Bad" that its happening. I wonder if this is a supplier issue or design issue? Crap happens, but I hope this doesn't wind up like the First Escape launch back in 1999. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twmalonehunter Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 In before Borg says its the end of the world for Ford. But seriously, shouldn't an issue like this have been discovered during testing, long before the vehicles were launched? 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fordmantpw Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 PS: It's nice to be back here after a crazy 2 weeks. Welcome back and congrats! Crap happens, but I hope this doesn't wind up like the First Escape launch back in 1999. My thoughts exactly! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FordBuyer Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 Eh NOT GOOD... The 1.6 I believe comes from Valencia, Spain. Don't know if the fuel line comes with it, but I suspect fuel line comes from U.S. supplier and added during assembly. Not sure what is unique about 1.6 that makes fuel line more susceptible to failure. Also believe 1.6 is first time applied to North America with new Escape. 2.0 has been around here for awhile. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
transitman Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 None of this sounds good, but what makes it sound even worse is the statement, Ford is advising affected owners not to drive their vehicles and to contact their dealers immediately for the needed repair. Dealers will deliver a loaner vehicle to customers and will then transport their 2013 Escape to the dealership until the repair has been completed. Imagine if you were driving along and heard this on the radio. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickF1011 Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 Its good that they are going that, but its still "Bad" that its happening. I wonder if this is a supplier issue or design issue? Crap happens, but I hope this doesn't wind up like the First Escape launch back in 1999. I would hope it was something in the production process that resulted in a bad batch. If Ford hasn't figured out how to properly design a fuel line by now, they're in big trouble. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
97svtgoin05gt Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 They must've had one burst during testing, or perhaps more than one. Kudos for jumping on it quick to get it resolved. Booo for having it get this far out so that it leaves the plant this way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 Yikes. On a side note. Congrats PremierDrum! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
svtenthusiast Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 (edited) The fuel line has mechanical scratches on it where the fitting was pressed on which could lead to failure of the part. So it's a supplier defect. Uncertain when parts will come, minimum of 2 weeks right now. Glad this doesn't affect the 2.0 engine, I wouldn't be happy after waiting 6 months for mine and then not be able to drive it. Feel bad for those who have just bought one with the 1.6 and for the dealers trying to sell Escapes since it's been hard to get them in stock. Edited July 19, 2012 by svtenthusiast Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardJensen Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 I'm not going to go full Borg on this, but I am going to say that Ford's launches have gotten worse lately. Not sure why, but internal priorities need adjustment, pronto. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BORG Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 (edited) LOL, this is AWESOME! They have botched the launch of yet another product with fabulous publicity...but at least they are going the extra mile to fix the problem right? Oh that's right, they might burst into flames if they drive it to the dealership. I'm honestly sick of this already, I'm convinced this company can't stay focused on anything for more than 2 years. Edited July 19, 2012 by BORG 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickF1011 Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 LOL, this is AWESOME! They have botched the launch of yet another product with fabulous publicity...but at least they are going the extra mile to fix the problem right? Oh that's right, they might burst into flames if they drive it to the dealership. I'm honestly sick of this already, I'm convinced this company can't stay focused on anything. So go have fun on the allpar forums instead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PREMiERdrum Posted July 19, 2012 Author Share Posted July 19, 2012 I'm not going to go full Borg on this, but I am going to say that Ford's launches have gotten worse lately. Not sure why, but internal priorities need adjustment, pronto. LOL, this is AWESOME! They have botched the launch of yet another product with fabulous publicity...but at least they are going the extra mile to fix the problem right? Oh that's right, they might burst into flames if they drive it to the dealership. I'm honestly sick of this already, I'm convinced this company can't stay focused on anything. Responses to Ford recalls will now be gauged using a scale of 1 (minor) to 10 (oh noes!) on the "BORG scale". 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BORG Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 Anybody remember how many recalls were on the first Escape? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickF1011 Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 And what is this "fabulous publicity" you are referring to BORG? This isn't being reported on any of the major news sites today. They are all, however, reporting the 172,000 vehicles Honda just recalled (including the brand new CR-V). But of course, it's only Ford having trouble with vehicle launches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BORG Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 (edited) And what is this "fabulous publicity" you are referring to BORG? This isn't being reported on any of the major news sites today. They are all, however, reporting the 172,000 vehicles Honda just recalled (including the brand new CR-V). But of course, it's only Ford having trouble with vehicle launches. The Escape was recalled twice the same week, one of which asks owners to stop driving their vehicle immediately because it might burst into flames. Yeah, not headline grabbing at all. You know, just the worst fear of any consumer besides unintend acceleration...which the Escape is battling on another front of course. Look, I know shit happens and I'm blowing it out of proportion, but I have no faith in this company when it comes to launching a vehicle and I was REALLY hoping the Escape would change that. And now my hopes are dashed in a big way. So I'm ticked. Big deal, who cares. Edited July 19, 2012 by BORG 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grbeck Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 (edited) I'm not going to go full Borg on this, but I am going to say that Ford's launches have gotten worse lately. Not sure why, but internal priorities need adjustment, pronto. Perhaps because not only is Ford launching a string of new vehicles, but they are really NEW. The 2012 Honda Civic, on the other hand, is basically a revamped interior and exterior with a tweaked version of the prior platform and drivetrains. Edited July 19, 2012 by grbeck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NickF1011 Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 The Escape was recalled twice the same week, one of which asks owners to stop driving their vehicle immediately because it might burst into flames. Yeah, not headline grabbing at all. You know, just the worst fear of any consumer besides unintend acceleration...which the Escape is battling on another front of course. And both of those recalls combined account for about 1/10 of the vehicles Honda just recalled, hence the lack of mainstream media coverage...and rightfully so. :shrug: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FordBuyer Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 Anybody remember how many recalls were on the first Escape? I believe it was 5-6 recalls first year on Escape and up to 11 on Focus back in 2000 or so. Escape didn't get as skewered as first year Focus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FordBuyer Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 The Escape was recalled twice the same week, one of which asks owners to stop driving their vehicle immediately because it might burst into flames. Yeah, not headline grabbing at all. You know, just the worst fear of any consumer besides unintend acceleration...which the Escape is battling on another front of course. Look, I know shit happens and I'm blowing it out of proportion, but I have no faith in this company when it comes to launching a vehicle and I was REALLY hoping the Escape would change that. And now my hopes are dashed in a big way. So I'm ticked. Big deal, who cares. Borg, sometimes you remind me of the Bill Paxston character in Alien ll when the Sigourney Weaver character has to calm him down as the Aliens got closer and closer according to their telemetry devices. Take a deep breath and calm yourself and say, "Ford will get through this and not panic." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BORG Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 (edited) Perhaps because not only is Ford launching a string of new vehicles, but they are really NEW. The 2012 Honda Civic, on the other hand, is basically a revamped interior and exterior with a tweaked version of the prior platform and drivetrains. The Escape is an MCE of the Kuga, but the engine causing this issue is new. They've done this before with excellent results, they can do this right if they are comited to the methods they've deployed successfully before. But obviously they've tossed them out or they haven't been deployed correctly in the way they are developing cars now (globally). When it comes to the cheap cars, Ford has a poor track record of quality launches. The 2006 Edge comes to mind as a vehicle Ford went above and beyond at launch to ensure quality, including a prolonged hold-time while they sorted out issues. The Escape never got that, which is more obvious when you see they missed the assembly issues with the carpeting. Edited July 19, 2012 by BORG 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FordBuyer Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 And both of those recalls combined account for about 1/10 of the vehicles Honda just recalled, hence the lack of mainstream media coverage...and rightfully so. :shrug: I believe Ford has made about 60,000 Escapes so far and about 11,000 of them are the 1.6. Looks like Ford built many more with 2.5 or 2.0 engines which are NOT AFFECTED by recall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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