NHTSA Complaint #10474518 — 2010 FORD FUSION

WE WERE TRAVELING ON BUSY I-80 AT APPROXIMATELY 70 M.P.H. DUE TO BUSY VEHICULAR TRAFFIC ON THE INTERSTATE HI-WAY, I WAS NOT USING THE CRUISE-CONTROL. WHEN WE EXPERIENCED THE INCIDENT, I HAD PRESSED ON THE GAS PEDAL TO MAINTAIN SPEED ON AN UPHILL SECTION. ON THE UPHILL SECTION, I NOTICED THE VEHICLE DID NOT ACCELERATE AND THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WARNING LIGHTS STARTED FLASHING. EVEN WITH HEAVY TRAFFIC, I WAS ABLE TO NEGOTIATE MANEUVERING THE VEHICLE TO THE SHOULDER. AS I WAS COASTING ON THE SHOULDER, I SHIFTED THE TRANSMISSION TO NEUTRAL AND TRIED TO START THE ENGINE (EV SYSTEM DID NOT RESPOND EITHER) WITH NO AVAIL. AFTER COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP, I SHIFTED THE TRANSMISSION TO PARK, TURNED-OFF THE CLIMATE CONTROL SYSTEM AND THE AND RADIO. I REMOVED THE IGNITION KEY AND RE-INSTALLED IT AND PROCEEDED TO START THE VEHICLE, THE PROPULSION SYSTEM (EV MODE) RESPONDED. WE ACCELERATED ON THE SHOULDER IN EV MODE AND WE REACHED SPEED THE GAS ENGINE RESPONDED AND WE WERE BACK ON I-80 AND TRAVELING WITH THE TRAFFIC FLOW. THIS IS FIRST TIME THIS HAS OCCURRED WITH US BUT RESEARCHING THIS PHENOMA, THIS EVENT HAS HAPPENED WITH OTHER FORD FUSION HYBRID OWNERS. WE ARE CONCERNED THE PROPULSION SYSTEM MAY SHUT-DOWN IN AN UNSAFE ENVIRONMENT AND CREATE A DANGEROUS SITUATION! *TR