NHTSA Complaint #10493054 — 2013 FORD C-MAX HYBRID

VEHICLE WAS PARKED FOR APPROXIMATELY 45 MINUTES. UPON RETURN TO THE KEY WAS INSERTED AND THEN TURNED TO START. THE GASOLINE ENGINE IMMEDIATELY STARTED AND WENT TO MAX ENGINE RPM THEN APPEARED TO SHUT DOWN VIA THE ENGINE OVERSPEED SENSOR. AS SOON AS THE ENGINE SPEED DROPPED TO ZERO, IT AGAIN REPEATED THE HIGH RPM OVERSPEED. THIS TIME THE KEY WAS TURNED TO THE OFF POSITION. IT WAS NOTED THAT NO WARNING LIGHTS OR MESSAGES WERE DISPLAYED. THE INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE WAS EXAMINED AND NOTHING WAS NEAR THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THE KEY WAS RETURNED TO THE START POSITION WITH THE SAME OVERSPEED CONDITION HAPPENING AGAIN. THE KEY WAS IMMEDIATELY TURNED TO OFF. AGAIN NO WARNING LIGHTS OR MESSAGES APPEARED. THE VEHICLE WAS ALLOWED TO SET FOR ABOUT 5 MINUTES. THE KEY WAS TURNED TO START. THE ENGINE DID NOT OVERSPEED, BUT WAS NOTABLY SURGING AT IDLE. VEHICLE WAS PLACED IN GEAR AND DRIVEN FOUR BLOCKS, WITH THE ENGINE SURGING, TO THE OWNERS DRIVEWAY AND PARKED. THE FORD DEALER WAS CONTACTED. THEY ADVISED TO "DRIVE IT IN SO WE CAN LOOK AT IT". I ADVISED THAT I FELT IT WAS UNSAFE TO OPERATE TO THE POSSIBLE RAPID ENGINE ACCELERATION. A WRECKER WAS CALLED, UPON IT'S ARRIVAL, THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED BY THE WRECKER DRIVER, HE STATED THAT THE CAR SEEMED TO BE FINE. WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE ONTO THE WRECKER BED, HE EXPERIENCED THE SUDDEN ENGINE OVERSPEED. HE THEN STATED, "NOW I SEE WHY YOU DON'T WANT TO DRIVE THIS". THE VEHICLE WAS THEN DELIVERED TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP FOR EXAMINATION, AND HOPEFULLY, REPAIR. *TR