NHTSA Complaint #10062045 — 2002 FORD ESCAPE

I BOUGHT A NEW 2002 FORD ESCAPE XLT 4X4. 4 MONTHS AFTER RECEIVING IT FROM THE FACTORY, IT LOST POWER AND DIED SUDDENLY WHILE DRIVING. I PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND RESTARTED IT. I TOOK THE CAR TO A FORD DEALERSHIP AND THEY "REPROGRAMMED AND RESET THE RELAY SWITCH" SAYING THAT WOULD CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THEN LAST WEEK, I WAS TRAVELLING 30 MPH ON A BUSY ROAD WHEN THE EXACT SAME THING OCCURRED. THE ENGINE STOPPED AND I LOST ALL POWER, INCLUDING POWER STEERING. THIS WAS VERY DANGEROUS AS I WAS GOING AROUND A CURVE AND NEARLY WENT INTO THE ONCOMING LANES AND I WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD JUST AROUND A CURVE, WHERE A CAR COULD COME AROUND THE CORNER AND NOT BE ABLE TO STOP IN TIME BEFORE HITTING ME. LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO COAST FOR A FEW FEET AND THEN RESTART THE CAR AGAIN. I RETURNED TO THE SAME FORD DEALERSHIP AGAIN AND THEY "REPROGRAMMED THE COMPUTER AGAIN" I HAVE HAD NEW CARS BEFORE AND HAVE NEVER HAD THIS HAPPEN OR HEARD OF THIS HAPPENING. I DO NOT FEEL IT IS SAFE TO HAVE A CAR'S ENGINE JUST STOP WHILE DRIVING AT 30 MPH ON A ROAD. I FEEL THERE IS SOMETHING DEFECTIVE WITH THE COMPUTER THAT CAME WITH THE VEHICLE AND THE COMPUTER NEEDS TO BE RECALLED.*AK