July 23, 2018—The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says in documents posted on its website Friday that it has 40 complaints from consumers about stalling, including two alleging that the engines caught fire, reported USA Today.
The investigation covers about 127,000 Escape small SUVs in the U.S. from the 2013 model year that have 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engines, according to the report.
Investigators will determine the cause of the engine stalling, how often the problem happens, which vehicles are affected and whether a recall is warranted.
Ford said in a statement Friday that it is cooperating with the investigation as it always does, reported USA Today.
In one of the complaints involving a fire, an Escape owner in Dozier, Alabama, reported that on June 6, the engine stalled while being driven, and the SUV coasted to a gas station, where it caught fire. There were no injuries.
Last week, Ford recalled approximately 550,000 vehicles including Ford Fusion and Ford Escape models to replace shifter cable bushings.
