NHTSA Complaint #10412172 — 2010 FORD FUSION

1. ENGINE CHECK LIGHT AND TELLTALE "WRENCH" LIGHT ILLUMINATE. WHILE DRIVING IN HOT WHETHER THE ABOVE OCCURRED 5 TIMES IN A 54 MILE TRIP. ONCE ILLUMINATED, THE CAR HAS NO THROTTLE RESPONSE AND IDLES AT 1000 RPM (LIMP MODE AS DESCRIBED BY FORD). THE 'LIMP MODE' DOES NOT PROVIDE ENOUGH POWER TO PULL OVER AND STOP SAFELY OUT OF TRAFFIC. IN ODOR TO HAVE THE EPROM RESET, THE OPERATOR MUST PLACE THE CAR IN PARK; TURN OFF THE ENGINE FOR APPROX. 2 MINUTES. I FOUND THAT TURNING OFF THE AC, THEREBY REDUCING THE AMBIENT TEMPERATURE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, THAT THE CONDITION RESOLVED ITSELF LONG ENOUGH TO DELIVER THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR DIAGNOSTICS. DEALERSHIP FOUND THAT THE 'THROTTLE BODY" UNIT WAS FAULTY. INITIALLY, I WAS INFORMED THAT THIS WOULD BE COVERED BY WARRANTY. NOW FORD HAS CHANGED THE STATED 'COVERED UNDER WARRANTY" STATEMENT. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE 'THROTTLE BODY' UNITS ARE ON BACK ORDER FOR 10-12 DAYS. SOUNDS LIKE THIS OCCURRING FREQUENTLY TO "THROTTLE BODIES" WITH NO STOCK AND BACK ORDERED. BOTTOM LINE FORD MAY NEED TO INVESTIGATE AND PREPARE FOR A RECALL. *TR