NHTSA Complaint #10496029 — 2007 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID

I WAS TRAVELING NORTHBOUND ON I-95 IN MARYLAND, ABOUT 10 MILES SOUTH OF ELKTON. WHILE DRIVING IN THE SECOND FROM THE RIGHT LANE, IN HEAVY TRAFFIC JUST AFTER DARK, THE ENGINE COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN, WITH NO WARNING. MY INFORMATION SCREEN SAID "HYBRID SYSTEM FAILURE, PULL OVER IMMEDIATELY." I HAD NO POWER OF ANY KIND, HAD TO NAVIGATE HEAVY TRAFFIC AT HIGH SPEEDS, AND PULL OVER TO THE SHOULDER. IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT AND VERY DANGEROUS TO NAVIGATE. AFTER SITTING ON THE SHOULDER FOR SEVERAL MINUTES, THE CAR FINALLY STARTED, AND I WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE ON FOR A FEW MILES BEFORE IT HAPPENED AGAIN. AT LEAST I WAS IN THE RIGHT LANE THIS TIME. I AGAIN WAITED, AND ONCE AGAIN THE ENGINE STARTED. I PULLED OFF AT THE ELKTON EXIT, AND SPENT THE NIGHT AT A LOCAL HOTEL. THE NEXT MORNING, I CALLED THE LOCAL FORD DEALER, AND WAS TOLD THAT, SINCE I WAS NOT A REGULAR CUSTOMER, THEY COULD NOT HELP ME FOR TWO DAYS. AFTER TOWING THE CAR TO MY HOME DEALER, ABOUT 75 MILES, I WAS INFORMED THAT IT WAS A WATER PUMP FAILURE, NOT A HYBRID SYSTEM FAILURE, AND THEREFORE NOT COVERED BY THE WARRANTY. THIS SEEMED CURIOUS TO ME AS THERE WAS NO INDICATION THAT THE ENGINE WAS OVERHEATING, AND THE CAR ITSELF INDICATED THAT THERE WAS A HYBRID SYSTEM FAILURE. WHY WOULD THEY DESIGN A VEHICLE TO COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN, WITH NO WARNING. I CAN NOT IMAGINE THE PANIC THIS MAY HAVE CAUSED WITH A LESS EXPERIENCED DRIVER. THIS HAD DISASTER WRITTEN ALL OVER IT. FURTHER, I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THIS WAS NOT A WARRANTY ISSUE. THE HYBRID SYSTEM IS SUPPOSEDLY WARRANTED FOR 100,000 MILES. THE SYSTEM SHOULD BE DESIGNED TO WARN THE DRIVER THAT A PROBLEM IS IMMINENT, AND THE ENGINE WILL SHUT OFF IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. AS DESIGNED, THIS IS A TERRIBLE AND DANGEROUS WARNING SYSTEM, AND THE WARRANTY SERVICE FROM FORD IS VAGUE AND AWFUL. *TR