Car Moon

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said it has opened a preliminary investigation concerning 200,000 Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner SUVs from the 2010 and 2011 model years, after receiving several complaints that the window glass in the tailgate allegedly shattered without warning.

The safety agency said it received 18 complaints noting that “the liftgate window glass shattered spontaneously, while opening the liftgate or while closing the liftgate. In one alleged injury incident, the complainant and her 10 year old son were cut by glass fragments."

Unveiled at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show, the Vertrek Concept previews Ford’s next global compact SUV, set to replace both the European Kuga and North American Escape models. While it’s not so different compared to the Kuga, the concept car is certainly more modern than the current Ford Escape.

These are the first official photos of Ford's Detroit Show-bound Vertrek concept study, which previews a common replacement for the European market Kuga crossover and the North American Escape SUV.

The compact-sized model is based on the underpinnings of the Focus hatch and is powered by Ford's 1.6-liter turbocharged EcoBoost petrol engine featuring start and stop technology for improved fuel efficiency.

Ford is gearing up for next year’s Detroit Motor Show with an almost production-ready concept version previewing a common replacement for the European market Kuga crossover and the North American Escape SUV. According to an inside source talking to Automotive News Europe, the new compact-sized crossover model will go into production in the second half of 2012 as a 2013 model.

Not to be left behind in the quest to clean up our planet, the NYPD announced that it will be adding 200 hybrid vehicles to its fleet in the form of Ford Fusion and Escape Hybrids.

The announcement comes after officers across the five boroughs began testing copped-out Nissan Altima hybrids this time last year.

NYPD spokesman John McCarthy explains, "These [Altimas] were the first hybrids outfitted with a police package being used for patrol. We wanted to see how they held up after being subjected to use on patrol. After a year of use, the feedback has been positive."

Today, Ford Motor Company celebrated the production of its 100,000th hybrid SUV at the Kansas City Assembly Plant, which employs 4,100 people. The U.S. automaker launched the Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner hybrid SUVs five years ago. The 2009 model year Escape and Mariner hybrids deliver 34 mpg in city driving and 31 mpg on the highway.