NHTSA Complaint #10522168 — 2010 FORD FUSION

SINCE I HAVE OWNED THE CAR IT WOULD OCCASIONALLY FAIL TO START ON THE FIRST TURN OF THE KEY. THE ENGINE WOULD CRANK FOR 5+ SECONDS UNTIL I TURNED THE KEY TO THE "OFF" POSITION, REMOVED THE KEY AND TRIED AGAIN. IT WOULD ALWAYS START ON THE SECOND TRY... JUST RECENTLY (BEGINNING OF JUNE 2013) I NOTICED MY TACHOMETER WAS GOING FROM 7000 TO 4000RPM AT STOP SIGNS AND TRAFFIC LIGHTS BUT THE CAR NEVER STALLED. ON 6/26/13 AFTER ACCELERATING FROM A STOP SIGN TO ABOUT 30 MPH THE CAR LOST POWER, THE WRENCH LIGHT CAME ON BUT THE CAR DID NOT STALL. I GRADUALLY PULLED OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITH MY HAZARDS ON TRYING NOT TO CAUSE ALARM TO THE VEHICLES BEHIND ME. I PUT THE CAR IN PARK, TURNED THE IGNITION KEY OFF AND REMOVED THE KEY FOR 10-20 SECONDS AND RESTARTED THE CAR. EVERYTHING SEEMED TO BE OK SO I DROVE THE CAR HOME. ON 6/27/13 I DROVE MY CAR APPROXIMATELY 100 MILES TO MY DESTINATION WITHOUT ANY PROBLEMS BUT ON THE WAY BACK I WAS 20 MILES INTO MY RETURN TRIP AND DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 65MPH ON THE GARDEN STATE PARKWAY WHEN I EXPERIENCED THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM FROM THE DAY BEFORE (YESTERDAY). THIS TIME I WAS IN HEAVY RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC COMING OUT OF NYC. I WAS VERY FORTUNATE TO GET TO THE SHOULDER OF THE GSP. AGAIN I WAITED 10-20 SECONDS AND RESTARTED. THE IDLE WAS ROUGH FOR A FEW SECONDS BUT WAS FINE AFTER THAT SO I MERGED BACK ONTO THE HEAVILY CONGESTED ROAD. AFTER ANOTHER 20-30 MILES THE CAR FAILED FOR THE 3RD TIME. THIS TIME I WAS ABLE TO GET TO THE SHOULDER EASILY BECAUSE I STAYED IN THE RIGHT LANE KNOWING A POWER LOSS WAS JUST A MATTER OF TIME. I HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE SO FAR BECAUSE THE CAR HAS STARTED BACK UP AND IT WAS STILL DAYLIGHT. MY FEAR IS TRAVELING AT NIGHT ON A ROAD WITHOUT A SHOULDER WHICH I DO A LOT AND NOT GETTING IT STARTED. *TR