NHTSA Complaint #10487928 — 2010 FORD ESCAPE

SERIOUS AND LIFE-THREATENING MALFUNCTION IMPEDED MY ABILITY TO CONTROL MY 2010 ESCAPE OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING 50MPH ON A VERY BUSY HIGHWAY. MY ESCAPE STALLED SUDDENLY WITHOUT ANY WARNING WHAT SO EVER IN THE MIDDLE OF THE LANE WHILE DRIVING ON THE BUSY HIGHWAY. AS I TRIED TO CONTINUE DRIVING, PUSHING THE THROTTLE PEDAL, THE ESCAPE WOULD NOT GO,IT SLOWED DOWN SUDDENLY ON IT'S OWN. I WAS ABLE TO EASE OFF THE PAYMENT TO THE SIDE OF THE LANE; HOWEVER, I WAS ALMOST HIT IN THE REAR BY A AUTO BEHIND ME BEFORE I COULD GET OFF THE PAYMENT. I WAS FORTUNATE TO HAVE BEEN AT A PLACE WHERE I COULD EASE OFF THE PAYMENT. THE HIGHWAY IS CURVY AND HILLY. THIS SCARED ME TO DEATH. A WRENCH LIGHT CAME ON INDICATING A MALFUNCTION OF THE THROTTLE/POWERTRAIN. THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING FINE. I TURNED OFF THE ENGINE AND WAITED A FEW MINUTES, THEN I CRANKED IT AND IT CRANKED FINE. THE WRENCH LIGHT WENT OFF. I TRIED DRIVING IT AGAIN, AND ONCE I PULLED BACK INTO THE HIGHWAY, GIVING IT GAS, IT WOULD BARELY GO, SO I EASED BACK AGAIN. I CALLED ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE AND HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. AFTER IT WAS INSPECTED I WAS TOLD THE ELECTRIC THROTTLE BODY HAD MALFUNCTIONED AND NEEDED REPLACING. IT WAS THE CAUSED OF THE SUDDEN STALLING WHILE I WAS DRIVING. MY LIFE AS WELL AS OTHERS WERE PUT IN A DANGEROUS SITUATION BECAUSE OF THIS MALFUNCTION. I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF COMPLAINTS LIKE MINE ALREADY FILED HERE. FORD SHOULD ISSUE A RECALL IMMEDIATELY BEFORE ANY DEATHS OCCUR. I HAD TO PAY $470 TO GET THIS TAKEN CARE SINCE MY WARRANTY WAS OUT 3/36,000. I WAS TOLD THAT THIS WAS NOT COVERED BY THE POWERTRAIN 5/60,000. *TR