NHTSA Complaint #10482919 — 2011 MERCURY MARINER

I WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AT ABOUT 65MPH. VEHICLE BECAME UNRESPONSIVE TO THE GAS PEDAL INPUT. CHECK ENGINE (YELLOW WRENCH) LIGHT CAME ON. I HAD TO CROSS OVER TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD, WHILE COASTING WITH THE ENGINE AT IDLE. CAME TO A STOP AND THAT'S WHEN I REALIZED THAT THE CAR WAS AT IDLE AND WOULD NOT RESPOND TO THE GAS PEDAL. TURNED OFF THE CAR, AND IT RESTARTED AFTER A LONGER THAN NORMAL AMOUNT OF CRANKING. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS OUT. CAR DROVE NORMALLY TO MY DESTINATION. TOOK CAR TO ALAN VIGIL FORD. THEY SAID IT HAS NO STORED CODES, BUT IT WOULD NEED THE THROTTLE BODY REPLACED, BUT IT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE 5/60K POWERTRAIN WARRANTY. I ALSO CALLED FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY SAID THE SAME THING. THEY CHARGED $99.95 DIAGNOSTIC FEE FOR THIS. THEY TOLD ME TO KEEP THE RECEIPT, INCASE OF A FUTURE RECALL. SAME PROBLEM OCCURRED ON 10/31/12, AT ALMOST THE SAME PLACE ON THE INTERSTATE. I RESTARTED IT AND NOW I AM ORDERING A NEW THROTTLE BODY. IT CAN BE FOUND ONLINE, FROM A FORD DEALER FOR $120, BUT ALAN VIGIL FORD WANTED $475 TO REPLACE THIS PART THAT TAKES NO MORE THAN 10 MINUTES TO REPLACE. FORD IS AWARE OF THIS. THE PART # IS 9L8Z9E926A THAT IS REPLACED BY DS7Z9E926A. MAYBE THEY HAVE A NEW VENDOR, THAT MAY BE MORE RELIABLE. THIS IS WRONG FOR FORD TO MAKE MONEY ON CONSUMERS, ON AN ITEM THAT MAY BE A SAFETY ISSUE. WHAT IF THIS WERE TO FAIL, WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN, IN FRONT OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC. I WILL NOT LET MY DAUGHTER DRIVE MY CAR AGAIN. *TR