NHTSA Complaint #10321296 — 2007 FORD FUSION

WHEN BACKING UP HILL INTO A PARKING SPOT, THE CAR DOES NOT OBEY THE COMMANDS OF THE DRIVER. SINCE THERE IS AN EXCESSIVE DELAY IN THE THROTTLE, I END UP RELEASING THE ACCELERATOR COMPLETELY WHEN I NEED TO SLOW DOWN BECAUSE THE CAR DOES NOT SLOW DOWN RIGHT AWAY. THE CAR THEN GOES INTO A "HOLD" MODE WHERE IT PREVENTS THE CAR FROM ROLLING FORWARD. ONCE IT IS IN THAT MODE, IT DOES NOT RESPOND TO THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL UNTIL ABOUT ONE SECOND AFTER THE PEDAL HAS REACHED A LEVEL WHERE THE RPM OF THE ENGINE WOULD INCREASE SIGNIFICANTLY BEYOND THE HOLDING RPM. DUE TO THE DELAY AND LACK OF RESPONSE DURING THE FIRST PART OF THE PEDAL TRAVEL, THE ACCELERATOR IS DOWN TOO FAR WHEN THE CAR FINALLY RELEASES THE "HOLD" ON THE THROTTLE AND THE CAR GOES BACKWARD AT A MUCH HIGHER RATE OF SPEED THAN DESIRED. THE ONLY WAY I CAN BACK UP HILL SAFELY IS TO APPLY THE BRAKES FULLY WITH MY LEFT FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, REV THE ENGINE UP WITH MY RIGHT FOOT ON THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND CONTROL THE SPEED OF THE VEHICLE BY PARTIALLY RELEASING BRAKE PEDAL WITH MY LEFT FOOT WHILE HOLDING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL STEADY WITH MY RIGHT FOOT. THE BRAKES DON'T HAVE A DELAY TO THEM. THE VEHICLE IS A 2007 FORD FUSION SE 3.0 LITER V6 WITH 6 SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. *TR