Towing vehicle, 2011 Ford Escape. Automatic transmission started smoking on hwy. 40E near Dickson, Tenn. Delivered defective unit to Ford dealership in Dickson. Investigation by service tech. indicated that a new Trans. was required. Unfortunately, there was a back order for this trans. and one would no be available until May 19, 2014? As we live in Ontario Canada I will have to fly back to Nashville when vehicle is repaired and ready for pickup. This is a total mess, had transmission serviced at a Ford Dealership, 47,900 KL, prior to leaving Canada to head south for winter vacation. Ford Motor Company advises that this particular vehicle can be towed with all four wheels down. Only requirement is that every six hours the engine be started and run in neutral for a specific period of time and then in forward and reverse. We are in full compliance with all warranty requirements and this concern should be covered by the Ford Warranty Program. Time will tell and I will be reporting on this concern when all is finalized.

Ford engineers have not fixed their Escape 4 wheels down towing issue where the transmission overheats and burns up the transmission. My 2011 Escape is a November 2010 built unit and the book has all the new since October 2010 built lawyer talk about Ford Authorized fluid level adjustment, which I had done and had a copy of the repair order. Ford is now holding my Escape hostage with no way for me to get the Escape back. My story...

This was my first trip towing the Escape behind my motorhome. After 320 miles of towing, 100 miles since my last stop, The car started smoking. Called Ford Roadside and they dispatched a tow truck which towed the Escape 2 miles to Midway Ford Truck Center in Kansas City. I spent 3 hours at Ford waiting for someone to tell me if the transmission was ruined or driveable. Bad news was it was overheated and needed to be overhauled. Ford warranty would cover the overhaul.

Before I left the dealer, I was promised that the Escape would be towable on July 9th...either on it's own 4 wheels or on a trailer because I lived 320 miles away. They said the Escape would be repaired and ready on July 6th, well before the 9th deadline. On the morning of July 7th, I called Ford. The service writer said the car had not moved. I told him I would make arrangements to tow the car to my local Ford dealer on a trailer. I reserved a trailer from U-Haul for the 9th of July. I then called Ford back and told them I would be hauling the car home on a trailer on the 9th. They agreed to help me load the Escape on the trailer. Three hours later, the Ford dealer called me and told me they had rolled the Escape into the shop and ordered a new transmission which should arrive on the 11th. I told them no good, the car was going on the trailer or they would be shipping it to me. Midway Ford refused to release the car to me.

Now I am back at work. The Escape is repaired and 320 miles away. I do not have any vacation time left. I have asked Ford Customer Service to ship the car to me. So far, no return calls and no emails.