NHTSA Complaint #10428317 — 2011 FORD FUSION

ON SEPTEMBER 15, 2011 I WAS DRIVING MY 5 MONTH OLD 2011 FORD FUSION HYBRID WITH 5700 MILES ON IT WHEN A BRAKE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AND A WARNING TONE SOUNDED IN MY VEHICLE. I PULLED OVER AND STOPPED THE VEHICLE. I CALLED WALKER FORD IN CLEARWATER AND THEY SAID IT PROBABLY WAS ONLY A DEFECTIVE REAR BRAKE LIGHT AND BRING IT IN WHEN YOU HAVE TIME. I RESTARTED MY VEHICLE AND THE WARNING LIGHT AND TONE WERE GONE. I CONTINUED DRIVING HOME AND WHEN I WAS ALMOST HOME, THE BRAKE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN AND SO DID THE WARNING TONE. BUT THIS TIME I NOTICED MY ESTIMATED MILES PER GALLON ON THE ONBOARD COMPUTER SYSTEM WAS GOING UP AND DOWN AND THE VEHICLE NO LONGER WENT INTO THE ELECTRIC HYBRID MODE. I CALLED WALKER FORD AND TOLD THEM I WAS GOING TO BRING THE VEHICLE IN ON THE MORNING OF SEPTEMBER 16TH. I BROUGHT IT IN AND ALL DAY LONG THEY TROUBLESHOOT IT AND WALKER FORD COULD NOT FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS WRONG WITH IT. THEY PUT A CALL INTO THE FORD TECHNICIAN HOTLINE TO FIND OUT WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. AT THE END OF THE DAY THEY DID NOT HEAR BACK FROM THE HOTLINE AND I NEEDED A VEHICLE TO GET HOME. WALKER FORD WANTED TO GIVE MY VEHICLE BACK TO ME TO DRIVE HOME AND USE OVER THE WEEKEND. I REFUSED SAYING THAT THE MANUAL SAID TO BRING THE VEHICLE IN FOR SERVICE FOR THE BRAKE WARNING LIGHT AND THE ELECTRIC/HYBRID SYSTEM NOT WORKING. NOTHING IN THE MANUAL SAID TO CONTINUE DRIVING THE VEHICLE. SO WALKER FORD FINALLY GAVE ME A LOANER TO DRIVE. MONDAY SEPTEMBER 19TH THEY GOT AN ANSWER FROM THE HOTLINE AND IT SAID A VACUUM HOSE/ASSEMBLY WAS BAD AND THEY PUT ONE ON ORDER. THE NEXT DAY THE PART WAS NOT DELIVERED BUT A NOTICE THAT THE PART WAS NOT AVAILABLE BUT BACK ORDERED AND IT WOULD BECOME AVAILABLE SOMETIME AROUND OCTOBER 14TH. I CONTACTED FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE AND MADE A COMPLAINT CASE # [XXX]. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR