NHTSA Complaint #10522507 — 2010 FORD ESCAPE

ON SATURDAY, JUNE 22, 2013, I DROVE 2.5 HOURS NORTH FOR ONE OF MY BEST FRIENDS WEDDINGS. I WAS ON THE INTERSTATE WITH CRUISE CONTROL SET AT ABOUT 70 MPH WHEN SUDDENLY MY CAR LOST POWER. I WAS IN THE LEFT LANE WITH A SEMI BEHIND ME. LUCKILY THE SEMI DRIVER WAS PAYING ATTENTION AND WAS ABLE TO MOVE INTO THE RIGHT LANE BEFORE REAR-ENDING ME. I WAS ABLE TO MOVE ON THE SHOULDER OF THE INTERSTATE AND COME TO A STOP. AS I DID, MY ESCAPE ACTED AS THOUGH IT WAS GOING TO DIE BUT DID NOT COMPLETELY. I NOTICED AN OPEN-ENDED WRENCH IN THE BOTTOM LEFT OF MY INSTRUMENT PANEL AND MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON. I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND LOOKED THROUGH THE MANUAL TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE WRENCH LIGHT MEANT. IT SAID THROTTLE CONTROL/POWERTRAIN. I WAS RUNNING LATE TO BEGIN WITH SO I STARTED FREAKING OUT. I TURNED MY ESCAPE BACK ON AND EVERYTHING SEEMED TO BE FINE. BOTH LIGHTS WENT OFF SO I PUT IT IN DRIVE AND GOT BACK ON THE INTERSTATE WITHOUT ANY MORE PROBLEMS. AT FIRST I THOUGHT MAYBE IT WAS CRUISE CONTROL GOING OUT SO I DIDN'T USE IT THE REST OF THE WAY. ONCE I GOT OFF THE INTERSTATE, I STOPPED AT A LIGHT AND WHEN THE LIGHT CHANGED I PROCEEDED THROUGH IT WITH MY ESCAPE STALLING AS SOON AS I TURNED, ALONG WITH BOTH LIGHTS BACK ON. I KNEW IT WAS SOMETHING OTHER THAN THE CRUISE. ONCE I GOT TO THE NEAREST TOWN, I STOPPED AT AUTOZONE AND HAD THEM TEST IT. THEIR COMPUTER SHOWED TPS/THROTTLE BODY FAILURE. I IMMEDIATELY STARTED DOING SOME RESEARCH TO FIND THIS PART SINCE AUTOZONE DOESN'T CARRY IT. I WAS SURPRISED TO FIND OUT THAT NO ONE CAN GET THIS PART AND FORD HAS BEEN ON BACK ORDER FOR QUITE A FEW MONTHS. AFTER THE WEDDING, I DROVE BACK HOME WITH MY CAR STALLING MANY MORE TIMES. SINCE THEN, IT HAPPENS AT LEAST ONCE A DAY, IF NOT MORE. TWICE, MY CAR HAS STALLED IN THE MIDDLE OF A VERY BUSY HIGHWAY INTERSECTION ON MY WAY TO WORK, FREAKING ME OUT I WAS GOING TO GET HIT. HELP NEEDED SOON! *TR