NHTSA Complaint #10523156 — 2010 FORD ESCAPE

I WAS DRIVING ALONG AND ALL OF A SUDDEN MY 2010 FORD ESCAPE WENT FROM AROUND 35 MPH ON A BUSY ROAD TO A ROUGH IDLE. THE ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING BUT WOULD NOT RESPOND TO PRESSING ON THE GAS PEDAL, IT JUST STAYED RUNNING ON A ROUGH IDLE. I CONTINUED ON AT 3 MILES AN HOUR WAVING CARS TO PASS ME UNTIL I FOUND A SAFE PLACE TO PULL OVER. I WAITED 20 MINUTES BEFORE STARTING THE VEHICLE AND IT THEN RAN NORMALLY. SO I WENT ON AND ABOUT 5 MILES FURTHER IT DID IT AGAIN. I HAD TO PULL OVER AND I RESTATED THE ENGINE IN JUST A FEW MINUTES AGAIN. IT DID IT AGAIN AND AGAIN SOMETIMES I WOULD ONLY NEED TO SHUT IT OFF FOR A SECOND. I TOOK IT INTO THE FORD DEALER AND THEY CHARGED ME $125.00 FOR A DIAGNOSTIC TEST TO TELL ME IT WAS THE THROTTLE BODY (FORD WOULD NOT COVER THE TEST). THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE PART IN STOCK AND TOLD ME IT WAS ON BACK ORDER AS THE FORD CHICAGO WAREHOUSE WAS OUT OF THEM. THE FORD SERVICE WRITER ALSO TOLD ME THEY HAVE REPLACED A NUMBER OF THEM SINCE HIS HIRING JUST THREE MONTHS PRIOR. HE FIRST TOLD ME A DIRTY AIR FILTER CAUSED THE PART TO FAIL, WHEN I EXPLAINED TO HIM I KNOW WHAT A DIRT AIR FILTER IS AND I DON'T HAVE ONE. THEN HE SAID IT WAS BECAUSE I DIDN'T DRIVE MY CAR ENOUGH AND THERE WAS CARBON BUILDUP CAUSING IT. SO I ASKED HIM IF FORD WAS SAYING THEY DON'T BUILD A GOOD ENOUGH ENGINE. HE ADMITTED HE WAS JUST READING THE PRINT OUT. THEY WOULDN'T HONOR MY POWER-TRAIN WARRANTY OF 5 YEARS OR 50,000 MILES. I WROTE A LETTER AND PERSONALLY DELIVERED IT TO THE FORD DEALER AND NO ONE HAS BOTHERED TO CONTACT ME AND IT'S BEEN EIGHT DAYS NOW. THE MECHANIC ACTUALLY TRIED TO SELL ME TIRES AND GAVE ME BOGUS REASONS WHY THE BACK TWO NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND THE BACK TO HAVE 7/32 LEFT ACCORDING TO A REAL TIRE STORE'S SALESMAN AND ARE ALMOST LIKE NEW. I HAVE BEEN A LOYAL FORD MAN ALL MY LIFE. I MAY NEVER BUY ANOTHER FORD AND IT WILL NOT BE FROM THIS DEALERSHIP IF I DO! *TR