NHTSA Complaint #10519319 — 2010 FORD FUSION

I WAS DRIVING AROUND 70 MILES AN HOUR, SOUTHBOUND IN THE HOV LANE OF I-95 NEAR EXIT 2B IN ALEXANDRIA VA. THE AREA IS A CONSTRUCTION ZONE WITH BARRICADES ON EITHER SIDE OF THE TWO LANE HOV FACILITY. SUDDENLY, AND ABRUPTLY, I LOST ALL ACCELERATION AND HAD TO COAST TO A STOP IN A MANNER THAT BLOCKED THE RIGHT LANE OF THE HOV FACILITY. THE ENGINE REMAINED RUNNING IN A ROUGH IDLE, AND THE ENGINE/WRENCH LIGHT CAME ON. I TRIED RESTARTING THE CAR (SHUTTING OFF AND TURNING THE CAR BACK ON TRYING A VARIETY OF SHIFTING THE TRANSMISSION TO N OR P). THE CAR WOULD RUN, BUT ALWAYS AT A ROUGH IDLE WITH NO ABILITY TO ACCELERATE. DURING THIS TIME, THERE WERE SEVERAL NEAR REAR-END COLLISIONS DUE TO MOTORISTS TRAVELING AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED BEFORE ENCOUNTERING MY COMPLETELY STOPPED VEHICLE. REALIZING THE PERIL I WAS IN, I QUICKLY EXITED THE VEHICLE AND HOPPED THE CONSTRUCTION BARRICADE. I CALLED 911 DUE TO THE DANGER OF THE SITUATION AND IT TOOK AROUND 25 MINUTES FOR THE ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE VEHICLE TO ARRIVE. AFTER THE ENGINE COOLED, THE ISSUE SEEMED TO RESOLVE ITSELF, AND I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO THE NEAREST DEALERSHIP. THE DIAGNOSIS WAS MADE BY THE FORD DEALERSHIP TECHNICIANS WITHIN 90 SECONDS OF ME DESCRIBING THE PROBLEM. THE THROTTLE BODY WAS THE PROBLEM. I RESEARCHED THE ISSUE TO DISCOVER THAT THIS ISSUE IS EXTREMELY COMMON AND WELL KNOWN TO FORD. THE ISSUE IS SO PERVASIVE THAT THERE IS A NATIONWIDE BACK ORDER ON THE PART WITH A LEAD-TIME OF MORE THAN 2 WEEKS. I WAS ANGERED TO LEARN THAT FORD IS AWARE OF THIS ISSUE YET HAS NOT SENT NOTICE OF THE PROBLEM OR A RECALL AND IS CHARGING CUSTOMERS FOR PARTS AND LABOR TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. MOST IMPORTANTLY, I AM ANGERED OF THE PERIL THAT I WAS PLACED IN WHEN THIS KNOWN ISSUE IMPACTED ME IN ONE OF THE WORST POSSIBLE PLACES TO HAVE IT HAPPEN. I CANNOT IMAGINE WHAT I WOULD HAVE DONE IF MY KIDS WERE IN THE VEHICLE. *TR