The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently started jerking. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact veered to the side of the road and opened the hood of the vehicle. The contact stated that he noticed that the vehicle did not have coolant and he refilled the coolant. The contact stated that as he continued to drive the vehicle, the vehicle started jerking significantly and was misfiring. The contact checked the engine coolant level and noticed that it was almost empty 15 minutes later. The contact stated that he added distilled water to the coolant reservoir. The contact stated that as he continued to drive that same day, the vehicle was jerking significantly. The contact turned off the vehicle and was unable to restart the vehicle without a jump start. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The vehicle was then taken to the independent mechanic who diagnosed that the head gasket was fractured and there was water in the engine oil reservoir. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was also taken to the dealer who informed the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired as his VIN was not included in any recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired since the VIN was not included in a recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 107,000.

- West Palm Beach, FL, USA