NHTSA Complaint #10487344 — 2011 FORD FUSION

DRIVING A 2011 FORD FUSION SEL AWD 3.0L 6-CYL TRAVELING APPROX. 65MPH ON INTERSTATE 88, VEHICLE SHUDDERED, WRENCH LIGHT LIT AND NO THROTTLE CONTROL. NO POWER. I NEARLY WAS REAR ENDED DUE TO SIGNIFICANT SPEED REDUCTION. RE-CYCLE OF THE ENGINE CAUSES THE LIGHT TO GO OUT AND YOU CAN CONTINUE ON YOUR DRIVE. AN IDENTICAL EVENT (SET OF SYMPTOMS) HAPPENED IN TRAFFIC TWO WEEKS EARLIER AT APPROX 20MPH AFTER LEAVING A STOP LIGHT. I EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF ALL POWER IN TRAFFIC CAUSING MY CAR TO NEARLY BE STRUCK. WHEN RECYCLING THE ENGINE, THE CODE THAT CAUSES THE WRENCH LIGHT TO COME ON IS RE-SET AND FORD IS UNABLE TO DETECT THE ERROR AND REFUSES TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THERE IS SIGNIFICANT EVIDENCE ON THE INTERNET THAT THESE SYMPTOMS ARE POINTING TO A FAILURE IN THE THROTTLE BODY (ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL). I FEEL THAT THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED IMMEDIATELY BY FORD WHO NEEDS TO DIAGNOSE BY SYMPTOM AS WELL AS BY CODE. THEIR SOFTWARE DOES NOT PRESERVE A SAFETY CRITICAL CODE ACROSS VEHICLE RE-STARTS WHICH IS A MAJOR ISSUE IN MY OPINION. FORD WARRANTY DOES NOT WANT TO RECOGNIZE THE ISSUE OR REPLACE THE "THROTTLE BODY" WITHOUT A CODE BEING CAPTURED BUT THEIR SOFTWARE IS NOT DESIGNED TO PRESERVE THE CODE (CATCH 22). *TR