NHTSA Complaint #10467701 — 2006 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID

I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY IN MY 2006 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID GOING ABOUT 65 MPH AND STARTED TO ACCELERATE TO PASS ANOTHER VEHICLE AND MY CAR SUDDENLY SHUT DOWN. IT WAS AS IF I SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES. AND I COULD NOT PICK UP SPEED AFTER THAT. THERE WAS NO WARNING ON MY DASHBOARD ONLY THE DISPLAY SAYING TO "STOP SAFELY NOW". I PULLED OVER AND LET THE CAR IDLE FOR A MINUTE. THERE WAS STILL NOT OTHER WARNING AND THE CAR WAS NOT MAKING ANY NOISES AND NO STEAM COMING FROM HOOD. I SHUT IT DOWN, WAITED A MINUTE, THEN RESTARTED IT. IT STARTED BACK UP FINE. NOTHING ON THE DISPLAY NOW AND STILL NOT MAKING ANY NOISE. I PULLED AHEAD A LITTLE TO SEE IF IT WOULD MOVE AND IT DID. I LET IT IDLE FOR ANOTHER MINUTE THEN PROCEEDED BACK ONTO HIGHWAY TO TRY TO GET HOME. I GOT UP TO ABOUT 40 MPH AND THE SAME EXACT THING HAPPENED. I PULLED BACK TO SIDE OF HIGHWAY AND CALLED AAA FOR A TOW TRUCK. WHEN THE TOW TRUCK CAME ABOUT 1 1/2 HOURS LATER, MY CAR WOULD NOT START AT ALL AT THAT POINT. TOWED IT TO A SHOP WHO THEN SAID THE CAR'S OIL WAS NOT READING ON THE DIPSTICK. I HAD MY OIL CHANGED IN MARCH BY A REPUTABLE COMPANY AND HAVE ALWAYS HAD MY OIL CHANGED CONSISTENTLY. THEY TOLD ME MY ENGINE WAS GONE AND I NEEDED A WHOLE NEW ONE. I THEN HAD MY CAR TOWED TO A FORD DEALERSHIP, WHERE I BOUGHT, IT FOR A SECOND OPINION AND HE SAID THE SAME THING THAT I NEEDED TO HAVE MY ENGINE REPLACED DUE TO INTERNAL ENGINE NOISE. THEY ALSO TOLD ME I NEEDED THE THROTTLE BODY AND COOLANT PUMP REPLACED. THEY ALSO SAID NO VISIBLE EXTERNAL OIL LEAKS AND NO INDICATION OF INTERNAL ENGINE USE SUCH AS "BLOW-BY". THEIR OVERALL ESTIMATE TO FIX MY CAR, INCLUDING A NEW ENGINE, IS $8000.00. I NEVER HAD AT ANY POINT ANY INDICATION THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH MY CAR. NO NOISES, NO WARNING LIGHTS. I BOUGHT IT BRAND NEW. I CAN'T AFFORD REPAIRS OF THAT MAGNITUDE. I CALLED FORD AND THEY SAID THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO. *TR