LAFAYETTE, Ind. — A big part of shopping for a used car is researching potential problems.
An Indiana family wants answers after their car's engine failed with relatively low mileage.
A reliable car is a must for most of us and for the Yoder family, it's how they get their son, Levi, to his appointments. His Down syndrome, autism and hearing impairment all require regular medical attention.
"He has Monday through Friday daily therapy sessions at an autism center," said Levi's father, Steve. "Then, usually a couple times a month, he will have doctor's appointments somewhere in Lafayette."
The family thought they had a solid set of wheels, until their 2018 Ford Escape broke down on Interstate 65 and got towed to the dealer.
"We were told that the engine had failed due to a known design flaw and the car only had 60,000 miles on the engine," Yoder said. "We were told by Ford that there was really nothing they could do about it."
The repair estimate was $10,000 — that's on top of the $10,000 or so they still owe on the car.
"If we have it repaired at another shop in town, it only costs $7,000, but we won't be reimbursed by Ford if there's a recall. So our plan right now is to go through the dealer," Yoder said.
When he researched the problem further, he learned his family is not alone.
Their car's make and model is named in a pending class action lawsuit against Ford. The complaint alleges certain Fords and Lincolns "have a critical defect that causes engine coolant ... to leak into the engine's cylinders." The case claims that can cause overheating and possible "total engine failures and engine fires."
Yoder's dealer diagnostic sheet confirms overheating and an empty coolant reservoir.
After learning of the class action suit, Yoder looked his car up on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's website. On the site, you can search a database for complaints about car makes or models.
Another place you can look for issues?
"I would recommend going into forums, owner forums or individual cars that you're interested in, because that's when people are reporting on issues that they're having," said Ronald Montoya with Edmunds, a car information resource center.
Montoya said you can take what you learn to a local mechanic who specializes in that automaker and ask if they're seeing the same issues.
You can also take those keywords you find in an online forum back to the NHTSA database.
But remember, forums are often designed to highlight issues.
"It's easy to get scared off when all you see is people chiming in when something has gone wrong, but they don't always do that when something has gone right," Montoya said.
While the Yoder family liked a lot of things about their car, the ongoing repair changed their mind.
"I hope that Ford stands by its product and, first of all, does recall, because I do believe it's a safety issue," Yoder said.
Ford told 13News they do not comment on litigation and reached out to Yoder directly, but told him the same thing — no recall, no coverage.