2016 Ford Escape

On October 16, 2022, I purchased a 2016 Ford Escape from the Stowasser Buick GMC car lot. I have had numerous problems with this vehicle since the beginning. On November 1, 2022, I took my car to their service department because it was running poorly. The mechanics worked on my vehicle and returned it to me. However, on January 8, 2023, I had to take my vehicle back to Stowasser shop because it was again running poorly. This time, they had to install a new motor. At that time, my mileage was 49,000, but when the vehicle was returned to me, it had 75,000 miles on it. I asked why the mileage had increased so significantly, but they kept changing the subject and never provided an answer. When I went to pick up my vehicle, the salesperson who sold me the vehicle whispered to me that my vehicle needed new tires badly. I feel this was something the dealer should have addressed. I had not put many miles on my vehicle for the tires to be so worn. On January 18, 2023, I had to put new tires on this vehicle, which cost me $756.00. It was difficult for me to come up with this money, but I had no choice if I needed reliable transportation. I had traded in my older vehicle because I needed transportation, I could count on in my retirement years. On October 2, 2024, I needed new brakes, which were badly worn down. This expense cost me $900.00. The mechanic told me the oil level was very low and asked if a red light had come on to warn me. I said, "No, there was no sensor light." If it had not been for the thoroughness of my mechanic, I would have driven off with no oil in the engine. Right now, my car is parked because another senor light came on and I was told that it is the catalytic converter. I am distraught because I trusted Stowasser that they would take care of me because they knew I was retired and needed a reliable vehicle. I have lost my job, exhausted my unemployment benefits, and now live on Social Security. I cannot afford to fix this lemon of a car I was sold.

My Ford mechanic states that my lug nuts are swollen. This would make it impossible for me to change my tires if something happened and I had a flat tire on the road. This seems a like a clear manufacturing defect and should be addressed at their expense not mine. Ford is quoting a price of $276 (without taxes) to replace all lug nuts. This is ridiculous.

There was a flat on the left rear tire last Friday, Aug 2. It had to be changed at home because it was ruined and could not be aired up. When I tried to take the lug nuts off, the plastic coating on the nuts (whose stupid idea was that!!) made it impossible to get the Ford lug wrench on the nuts. Since my options at that time were very limited, I hammered the lug wrench on by force and finally got the nuts off. It did not improve their looks or usefulness a bit. After buying a new tire I went to the Ford dealer to get some usable lug nuts. They had nothing to offer, but did say their mechanics frequently complained that the lug nuts were faulty. Who would have ever imagined a manufacturer would ever screw up something as basic as lug nuts!! Next car or truck I buy will not have such nonsense or I won't buy it.

The front driver side tire went flat. When a friend tried to remove lug nuts it was discovered that the lug wrench supplied by Ford with the vehicle would not fit over 3 of the 5 nuts. In a youtube video search from home I discovered that Ford had applied a metal coating to the outside of the lug nuts that in time tends to swell and prevents a socket from from going over the lug. Several videos showed people using hammers to force a larger socket over it and using an impact hammer to get the lugs off. Some took 20 mins. to remove. Since our lugs could not be removed on the roadside, a can of FIX-A-FLAT and a short drive on the near flat to a service station allowed them to get the car to a safe place for the night. The next day a call to the SERVICE MANAGER at Dick Hannah Ford dealership in Sandy Oregon (503-809-4711) was no help and he said he had never heard of this before. I called a local outlet (Estacada, Or.) (503-210-5111)of regional tire repair company Les Schawb Tires, and the manager there told me that he sees this all the time. He even completed my description of the problem with added details. He says that he has been recommending the complete removal of all lugs on any trucks or cars that come in with these lugs for years. He is saving all the lugs that come off of my car and has agreed to attest to the facts of what he finds and his past experience with this issue. I will keep the lugs if you would like to inspect them. No one was endangered in this incident. It happened on a dry day in the early afternoon just miles from a friends home. But I can't believe that no one has ever found themselves in a dangerous situation with a flat tire that can't be replaced with the very tool that FORD has provided in their vehicle for doing so. No warning has been issued, no recall initiated, and FORD keeps putting these useless tools in cars and trucks letting people believe that they will work. Several Youtube videos have documented the issue.

A hole the size of a quarter suddenly blew out of the inside section of the metal wheel while driving 65 mph, and the tire instantly went flat. There was nothing in or on the road, no prior accidents that may have damaged the wheel, and there was no existing or resulting damage to the tire. Thankfully the wheel was on the rear passenger side. If it had been on the front end, the driver most likely would have lost control of the vehicle, causing a serious accident at a high rate of speed.

TRIED TO REMOVE THE TIRES ON MY 2016 FORD ESCAPE TO ADD BRAKE PADS. THE TIRE TOOL IN CAR WOULD NOT FIT ON ANY OF THE TIRE NUTS. THE TOOL WOULD FIT ON THE JACK CONNECTOR. ALSO TRIED 19MM SOCKET. GOOGLE SEARCH SAID A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE HAVING THIS PROBLEM. I HAD THE FORD DEALERSHIP REPLACE MY TIRES 2 MONTHS AGO AND THEY SAID NOTHING ABOUT THE SWOLLEN LUG NUTS.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while the vehicle was at the dealer for an oil change and tire rotation, the contact was informed that the lug nuts on all four wheels had become swollen and could not be removed. The vehicle was not repaired. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 49,436.

Since purchasing this vehicle there have been many issues. I had purchased the additional warranties also only to have the dealership say they were not covered. First my roof leaked. Had to take to a repair shop through the dealership, luggage racks had to be taken off and welds redone. Next the catalytic converters went bad with only approximately 50,000 miles. Ford would not talk to me and the dealership stated it is not covered under the extended warranty. Somehow I paid minimal repairs but during that time their best mechanic was fired. Next the Continental tires pealed. I had the tire warranty and the dealership would not cover. I called Continental they stated that they knew these tires were bad but yet they were still sold on vehicles! After much complaining and stress all but $400 was covered by Continental. The dealership did very little. At approximately 65,000 the engine blew. I found out by a local repair shop that Ford had an Escape safety issue on their site about the engines. After speaking with Ford twice they refused to speak to me any longer and only the dealership if I wanted the engine replaced. I did and was given numerous different amounts it would cost me. Since this was Ford's manufacturing issue I should have paid nothing. It took over 4 months to repair my vehicle. I had to complain to Ford and the dealership to get a loaner. I am a 66 year old single women who depended on the quality of Ford. I had tried to email Ford representatives and call with no reply ever. Each of these issues had no warnings lights nor were there any problems prior to the issues occurring. These issues could have caused major accident by the engine quitting in traffic or blowing, and the tires pealing. Ford motor needs to pay for all these issues. There needs to be a class action suit.