NHTSA Complaint #10468462 — 2010 FORD ESCAPE

THE CAR LITERALLY DIED WHILE DRIVING. I PULLED OVER (COASTED MORE LIKE), TURNED OFF THE ENGINE AND THEN TRIED TO RESTART (IT DID). THEN IT DID THE SAME THING AN HOUR LATER. I WAS TOLD BY A TRUSTED MECHANIC IT'S LIKELY A DEFECTIVE THROTTLE BODY ASSEMBLY (TBA) AND THAT THERE'S A NOTE IN THE DATABASE INDICATING THERE MIGHT BE A PROBLEM. I WON'T KNOW FOR SURE UNTIL IT'S REPLACED ON THURSDAY. I CALLED FORD AND THEY SAID IT'S POSSIBLE IT COULD BE COVERED UNDER THEIR 60,000/5YR POWER TRAIN WARRANTY BUT THAT A DEALER MIGHT SAY IT'S UNDER THE 3 YR WARRANTY AND THUS PASSED COVERAGE. I WENT TO A NEARBY FORD DEALERSHIP AND SURPRISE, SURPRISE IT'S NOT COVERED. HOW CAN A CAR LITERALLY DYING WHILE ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY NOT BE DUE TO A DEFECTIVE PART?! IT'S A 2010 MODEL. I'VE GOT LESS THAN 50,000 MILES ON IT. ALSO THE EMISSIONS WARRANTY BOOK SPECIFICALLY LISTS THE TBA AS COVERED AND IT'S NOT LIMITED TO 3 YEARS. THIS LOOKS LIKE AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. IT'S NOT A MINOR PROBLEM LIKE THE AIR CONDITIONING GOING OUT. AND I DON'T THINK THIS IS AN ISOLATED INCIDENCE IF THERE IS SUFFICIENT CONCERN THAT A MECHANIC CAN SEE A WARNING ON THE PART. HOPE I'M WRONG. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR