NHTSA Complaint #10512096 — 2010 MERCURY MILAN

DRIVING ABOUT 40-50MPH IN TRAFFIC, THE CAR SUDDENLY JERKED, FELT LIKE A HARD GEAR-SHIFT. THE GREEN WRENCH LIGHT & ORANGE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE THROTTLE WAS UNRESPONSIVE. THE CAR STILL HAD POWER BUT NO ACCELERATION, ENGINE SPUTTERED, HAD TO PULL OFF THE ROAD WHILE COASTING, CAR WAS IDLING VERY ROUGH SO WAS SHUTDOWN. I WAS ABLE TO RESTART IT BUT THE PROBLEM RECURRED FOUR TIMES THE NEXT TWO DAYS. STOPPED AT ADVANCE AUTO PARTS SINCE IT WAS EARLY EVENING, THEY PULLED DTC P2111 "THROTTLE ACTUATOR CONTROL SYSTEM STUCK OPEN" FROM CAR'S COMPUTER AND HE SAYS THE THROTTLE VALUE IS STICKING. SCHEDULED SERVICE AT WORLD FORD DEALERSHIP WHERE CAR WAS PURCHASED JUST FOUR MONTHS PRIOR. I WAS TOLD THE THROTTLE BODY NEEDED REPLACING "THIS IS VERY COMMON, WE REPLACE THEM ALL THE TIME" HE SAID. I PURCHASED A POWERTRAIN EXTENDED WARRANTY WITH THE CAR THAT STATES IT COVERS THE "THROTTLE VALVE" AMONG ITS COVERED PARTS BUT THE SERVICE MAN FIRST SAYS THAT'S DIFFERENT THAN THE "THROTTLE BODY" (MY UNDERSTANDING IS THE THROTTLE VALVE IS THE PLATE INSIDE THE THROTTLE BODY THAT OPENS/CLOSES CONTROLLING AIRFLOW TO THE MANIFOLD, IT THAT IS "STUCK OPEN", IT SHOULD BE COVERED). HE THEN SAYS HE DOESN'T EVEN KNOW WHAT A "THROTTLE VALUE" IS AND SAYS IT WILL COST APPROX $350 TO REPAIR. THEY OBVIOUSLY KNOW THIS IS A PROBLEM AND ARE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THEIR CUSTOMERS REPLACING THE FAULTY PARTS. *TR