I preface my comments by stating that I am a powertrain engineer for an american auto manufacturer. I owned a 2003 Ford Escape which I sold to my mother-in-law in 2011. We have experienced throttle sticking with the vehicle both before and after the cruise control recall. After receiving a frantic call from her this evening that the throttle had stuck while traveling 70 mph on the highway, I have grown sick of remaining silent. There is another large problem that the cruise control recall does not address. In cold temperatures, the throttle can freeze due to introduction of humid air from the PCV (positive crankcase ventilation) system. The humid air combines with the sub-freezing fresh air to freeze on the throttle valve and render the gas pedal useless. While I owned the Escape from 2007-2011, I experienced the frozen throttle several times. After the dealership was unable to resolve the problem, I grew frustrated knowing that the vehicle was unsafe but was morally withheld from selling the vehicle to an unsuspecting customer. I began to investigate the issue and the circumstances which caused it. This was when I discovered the PCV issue. I created a fix for the system and saw all throttle sticking/freezing issues go away. After driving the vehicle for two years with no issues, I felt comfortable selling the vehicle to my mother-in-law. However, when she took the vehicle to the dealership this summer for the cruise control recall, the dealership removed the PCV fix I had in place. I was unaware of this until tonight when I received her frantic call that the throttle was stuck (it is 15 deg F here). Upon inspecting the vehicle, I saw that the PCV system had been restored to the original faulty configuration by the dealership which created the freezing conditions again. Disaster was avoided tonight, but I don't want it to happen again.

- Madison Heights, MI, USA

The contact owns a 2003 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving 55 mph, he heard a noise coming from under the hood. He pulled over and opened the hood when the smell of fuel and smoke emitted from under the hood near the spark plugs. The vehicle was towed to the dealer for diagnosis. The dealer stated that they needed to replace the head of the engine. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that there were no recalls for the failure. The failure and the current mileage was 100,200. Updated 09/11/12 the consumer stated the spark plugs blew out of the engine head and stripped the treads in the heads. Updated 09/13/12

- Levittown , NY, USA

The contact owns a 2003 Ford Escape. The contact stated there was a recall associated with NHTSA campaign id number 12V353000 (engine and engine cooling). The authorized dealer and manufacturer were notified and they both informed the contact that the part was unavailable. The dealer stated until the part became available a temporary repair would be performed which consisted of disconnecting the cruise control cable. The contact had concern of the safety issue regarding the recall temporary repair. The contact had not experienced a failure.

- Darien, IL, USA