DandSW
West Michigan
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mlh - You may want to read this thread on another forum which relates that Ford has now stated the 2012 Escape is NOT TOWABLE.
http://www.irv2.com/forums/f85/it-is-off........ord-escape-no-longer-towable-121263.html
Dave
2010 Newmar CS3647 / 2010 Ford Escape
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mlh
Walker, Louisiana
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I just checked that link. On the document they referenced, at the bottom in the footer, it says 1st printing February 2012. That tells me that it is for a 2013 model. The first printing of a 2012 model will not be in February of the model year. There would be a lot of 2012 Escapes on the road without an owner's manual by February.
I did recheck the Ford site and looked up the owners mnuals again (1st and 2nd printing). There was no mention of it not being towable. There were also no notices or recalls posted for my particular VIN number. I will continue to be cautious when towing and maybe have a litte overkill when it comes to the transmission procedures, but at this point, that is all I can do, as long as Ford continues to stand by it.
2010 Sunseeker 3170DS
2012 Ford Escape
Roadmaster Falcon 2 tow bar
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Viewfinder
Western, NJ
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I don't think the sky is falling..........I think mlh may be correct since I believe the 2013 will be a 'half year model' due out soon and it is a different car than the escape we know. IMHO the tranny is not the problem, the techs and owners may be. Please let me know where to find a tech who checks the tranny level at 185 degrees like they should. I have not yet read of a failure where the setting of the level has been set at this temp. I know that I may be the next one to go FORD (Found On the Road Dead)with this problem and only state my opinions.
jim
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DandSW
West Michigan
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If you dig a little further you will see the document is actually a supplement to the 2012 Owner's Manual. If I had a 2012 model, I would definitely check with my dealer as to the ramifications of any warranty claim. I would also ask them to buy me a Remco pump or a dolly if I bought the 2012 model with the intent of towing based on what the original manual said. The whole thing is a little ridiculous in my view as, to this point, they haven't revised earlier model year manuals which have the same drive train. Good Luck!
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ScottMack
Oklahoma
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I know several different dealers and/or transmission shops here in Oklahoma that can properly follow the instructions on a TSB.
I also know owners that can produce detailed log sheets showing that the owner actually went above and beyond Ford's towing instructions and yet, still managed to blow a transmission.
2010 Winnebago Outlook 29B
2010 Ford Escape (1 blown tranny at 4876 towing miles)
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wny_pat
Western NYS
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tried to post a copy of the supplement, but it was not readable. But it is a supplement to the 1st edition of the 2012 model year Excape manual.
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mlh
Walker, Louisiana
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I checked a little further by going to the motorcraftservice web site and it does appear to be a supplement to the 2012 manual. I emailed Ford to find out whether this was accurate or not since this does not appear anywhere on their site and there aren't any notices or recalls on their site. I also asked that if it was accurate, how does Ford intend to remedy the situation with us RV owners that bought the Escape specifically for that purpose. I will let you know if/when I get a response.
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DandSW
West Michigan
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Let's hope you get a meaningful response from Ford. When I contacted them for information on a TSB relating to towing procedures, the response I got was "check with your dealer". This whole transmission issue may be bigger than I thought if Ford is now flipping 180 degrees on towability of the 2012 model. Like I stated before, it is ridiculous to me to say the 2012 won't tow but earlier models (2009-2011) are ok.......they are the SAME tranny. By the way, the Remco site still shows(as of today)the 2012 towable as is.
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mlh
Walker, Louisiana
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I have not received an email, but I did speak to someone on the phone with Ford's customer service. They asked for my VIN and then checked their list of vehicles that can be towed. I was informed that the Escape Hybrid is the only Escape model that can be towed for 2012. I asked her how Ford intends to remedy the situation and she stated that I needed to contact the dealer. I called the dealer and he had not heard of the issue. They have a call into Ford to determine how to handle the situation.
What are your opinions on how Ford would remedy this? The manual clearly stated that it can be towed in January when I bought it. The salesman knows and remembers that that was the reason that I bought it. I had the TSB done at the dealer and on the service ticket it stated that the customer would continue to follow the correct towing procedures. Now the manual states and Ford states it can't be towed. I know GM had a similar issue with the Cruze and they remedied the situation several different ways.
I would be OK if they installed the lube pump AT NO COST to me as long as the full warranty still applies to my transmission. I would even be willing to give them back the vehicle if they returned my down payment and reimbursed me the cost of the baseplates. I would consider the two or three payments I made to be rental payments and would consider it squared away. A dolly is not an option for me. If I wanted a dolly, I would have kept my old vehicle and just purchased a dolly. They could just do an even swap for a hybrid, but I doubt that would happen. What do you guys think?
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DandSW
West Michigan
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mlh - You pretty well nailed my thoughts in your last paragraph but I don't think a couple of your scenarios are likely......primarily the ones involving a buy-back from Ford or the dealer and I agree the dolly would be a poor choice. Since some on the forums have stated Ford paid for a Remco pump installation, that is a viable option for you as you have precedent set in your favor. In those cases, however, I believe the posters had a transmission fail prior to the pump install.
If I were you, I would try to get some sort of agreement in writing from your dealer stating you will be covered in case of transmission failure or get them to install the pump. Guess I'm lucky to have a 2010 model which is still covered on warranty to this point. 
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