This past week, Ford announced that it was recalling approximately 421,000 Escapes manufactured from 2001-2004 due to a defect that causes unintended acceleration in the vehicles. The defect at issue resulted from cruise control cables being damaged during an unrelated recall earlier this year. The defect could prevent a fully depressed gas pedal from returning to its normal position, thus leading to an unintended acceleration.
According to Ford, this recall resulted from an investigation of an Arizona car crash in which the driver of a 2002 Ford Escape lost her life. Ford also said that owners of these vehicles could take their vehicles to dealers to have the cruise control disconnected until the necessary parts for the recall are available.
As a Chicago car accident attorney, I am urging all owners of Ford Escapes manufactured between 2001 and 2004 to get their vehicles inspected immediately. Unintended acceleration is a very serious defect in automobiles, which can directly lead to fatal car accidents. For your own safety and the safety of all others on the road, owners of this type of vehicle must treat this recall with the utmost concern.
