NHTSA Complaint #10490851 — 2010 FORD FUSION

FIRST EVENT WAS WHILE EXITING A MALL PARKING LOT; STEPPED ON GAS PEDAL, AND INSTEAD OF ACCELERATING THE CAR SEEMED JUST ABOUT TO STALL. I GOT OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, AND BEFORE SHUTTING OFF THE ENGINE NOTICED THE "WRENCH" SYMBOL ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. I WAITED A FEW MINUTES AND STARTED THE CAR, NOTING THE "WRENCH" WAS NO LONGER ON, PUT IT IN GEAR AND DROVE OFF. THE CAR RAN FINE UNTIL 12/28/12, WHEN WHILE TRAVELING AT APPROX 70MPH ON I-90 THE ENGINE BEGAN TO AGAIN DOWN SHIFT AND LOSE POWER. THE THIRD OCCURRENCE WAS THE MORNING OF 12/29/12; IN EACH ABOVE INCIDENT I WAS ABLE TO GET OFF THE TRAFFIC WAY, PARK, SHUT OFF THE CAR, RESTART IT AND DRIVE AWAY. THE WRENCH WAS ILLUMINATED EACH TIME. ON 01/03/13 MY CAR WAS SERVICED BY THE DEALER FROM WHERE I PURCHASED IT, AND THEY SAID THE PROBLEM WAS THE THROTTLE BODY. THEY HAD ONE IN STOCK AND REPLACED IT. KUDOS TO THEM, BUT, MORE THAN A LITTLE UNNERVING. AND IF IT WAS REPLACED WITH THE SAME STYLE UNIT, HOW DO I KNOW IT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN, PERHAPS AT A MOST INOPPORTUNE TIME? AT THE TIME OF WRITING THIS I DON'T HAVE THE VIN AVAILABLE, HOWEVER, FWIW, THE BUILD DATE IS JUNE 2010. IT IS THE SEL AWD WITH THE V-6 ENGINE, 3.0L I BELIEVE. *TR