NHTSA Complaint #10508166 — 2011 FORD ESCAPE

VEHICLE PURCHASED JANUARY 2013 WITH ~37K MILES. FIRST MONTH OF OWNERSHIP, I HAD CODE INDICATING A FUEL DELIVERY PROBLEM BUT IT CLEARED ON ITS OWN. I ATTRIBUTED IT TO BAD GAS, THOUGH IT MAY HAVE BEEN THE WARNING SIGN I MISSED. TODAY ON THE HIGHWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 60MPH, IT FELT LIKE THE VEHICLE SHIFTED OUT OF SEQUENCE, NOTICING THE LACK OF POWER/LOW RPMS I TRIED TO GIVE IT GAS TO NO AVAIL. I SAFELY NAVIGATED TO THE SHOULDER AS IT COASTED DOWN TO A STOP. THE ORANGE WRENCH LIT UP. UPON STOPPING THE CAR SPUTTERED HARD AND THREATENED TO STALL. THE GAS PEDAL WAS USELESS. I SHUT THE CAR OFF, SHUT OFF THE RADIO/AC AND GAVE IT A MOMENT. IT RESTARTED WITH MINOR HESITATION. THE ORANGE WRENCH HAD CLEARED BUT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME IN (IT STAYED IN THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THIS POST). IT IDLED OK, ALLOWED ME TO ADMINISTER FUEL AND REV THE ENGINE. THINKING THE PROBLEM HAD PASSED, I MERGED BACK ONTO THE HIGHWAY AND CAME UP TO SPEED. ABOUT A HALF A MILE LATER I FELT THE NOTED LOSS OF ENGINE POWER (I BELIEVE THIS IS THE "LIMP-HOME" METHOD THAT IS CITED IN SOME THINGS I HAVE READ TODAY). AGAIN, MY GAS PEDAL IS USELESS AND I RE-ENGAGE THE HAZARDS AND MOVE OFF OF THE ROAD. THIS TIME THE CAR DOES NOT STALL BUT IDLES AROUND 900RPM WITH SOME SPUTTERING. GAS PEDAL IS STILL USELESS. I RINSE AND REPEAT THE ABOVE PROCESS A THIRD TIME, WHEN IT DOES THE SAME THING ANOTHER HALF MILE LATER, I GIVE UP AND CALL A MORE CAR SAVOY FRIEND. HIS FIRST GUESS IS ALSO FUEL PUMP/SOMETHING CLOGGED BUT WE ARE BOTH BAFFLED BECAUSE THE SYMPTOMS ARE NOT CONSISTENT WITH ANY CONDITION WE HAVE EVER ENCOUNTERED. DECIDING IT COULD BE NURSED HOME, THE FOURTH ATTEMPT AT STARTING IT, I MADE THE LAST 2 MILES STAYING 40MPH OR BELOW. THERE WAS NO SPUTTERING/LOSS OF FUEL DELIVERY CAPABILITIES DURING THIS ATTEMPT. AFTER SOME RESEARCH, IT SOUNDS LIKE THE COMMON THROTTLE BODY ISSUES FOUND ME... *TR