NHTSA Complaint #10448468 — 2008 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID

I WAS TRAVELING THROUGH NYC ON RT 95 DURING RUSH HOUR, BUMPER TO BUMPER TRAFFIC. ALL 3 LANES WERE TRAVELING AT 65 MPH WITH NO BREAKDOWN LANE DUE TO CONSTRUCTION IN THE AREA. THE CAR FOR NO APPARENT REASON DISPLAYED THE "STOP SAFELY NOW" MESSAGE AND THE ENGINE DIED. BY SOME MIRACLE THE JERSEY BARRIERS BLOCKING THE BREAKDOWN LANE OPENED UP FOR ABOUT 100 FT AND I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER. THE CAR LOSES ALL POWER WHEN THE STOP SAFELY NOW MESSAGE APPEARS. THIS IS A HAZARD AND THIS CAR SHOULD BE RECALLED FOR THIS PROBLEM. IT TURNED OUT THE COOLING PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. NO CAR SHOULD SIMPLY SHUT OFF WHEN DRIVING. IT CREATES AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION. I HAD 18 WHEELERS AND A STREAM OF CARS BEHIND ME AND HAD THE BREAKDOWN LANE NOT BEEN AVAILABLE, THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A MULTIPLE CAR CRASH WITH POTENTIAL DEATHS. IT IS HARD TO BELIEVE THAT THERE HAVE BEEN NO ACCIDENTS DUE TO THIS PROBLEM. THIS CAR IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE BECAUSE YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHEN THE ENGINE WILL SHUT OFF. THE CAR NEEDS TO BE REDESIGNED SO THAT THE STOP SAFELY NOW MESSAGE NEVER SHUTS DOWN THE ENGINE. *TR