NHTSA complaint: 2009 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: IN LATE MAY 2009 I PURCHASED A 2009 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID, FROM STONEHAM FORD IN STONEHAM, MASSACHUSETTS AND WITHIN A PERIOD OF A MONTH PLACED THE VEHICLE INTO SERVICE AS A TAXI CAB. ON THE NIGHT OF SEPTEMBER 10, 2009 AT APPROXIMATELY 11:00PM, AFTER THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN SITTING UNATTENDED IN OUR YARD FOR A PERIOD OF TWO HOURS THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE AND WAS DESTROYED. IN A REPORT COMPILED BY THE BOSTON FIRE INVESTIGATION UNIT DATED SEPTEMBER 14, 2009, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE FIRE WAS UNINTENTIONAL AND DID NOT RESULT FROM HUMAN FACTORS. THE REPORT FURTHER STATED THAT THE SOURCE OF IGNITION WAS LOCATED IN AN 'ELECTRICAL WIRE CABLE', ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE ENGINE WIRE HARNESS IN THE AREA OF THE ABS UNIT UNDER THE HOOD. AFTER BEING INSPECTED BY FORD MOTOR COMPANY PERSONNEL, FORD RECENTLY INFORMED US OF IT'S CONCLUSION THAT THE FIRE DID NOT RESULT FROM ANY DEFAULT IN THE MANUFACTURING OR DESIGN OF THE CAR. I AM TRYING TO ASCERTAIN WHETHER ANY SIMILAR UNDER-THE-HOOD FIRES INVOLVING FORD ESCAPE HYBRID AND NON-HYBRID SIMILAR VEHICLES HAVE BEEN REPORTED TO YOU. KINDLY FORWARD TO ME ALL DOCUMENTATION RELATING TO SIMILAR UNDER-THE-HOOD FIRES WITHIN THE LAST 3 YEARS INVOLVING BOTH FORD ESCAPE HYBRIDS AND NON-HYBRID ESCAPE. IN ADDITION, PLEASE NOTIFY ME WHETHER THIS MODEL HAS EVER BEEN THE SUBJECT OF ANY RECALL NOTIFICATIONS WITHIN THE LAST 3 YEARS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COOPERATION IN THIS MATTER. *TR GEORGE SUMMERS
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation