NHTSA Complaint #10525145 — 2012 FORD ESCAPE

I PULLED OUT OF A POST OFFICE PARKING LOT ONTO A TWO LANE ROAD AND BEGAN TO ACCELERATE. MY VEHICLE STARTED SLOWING ON ITS OWN EVEN THOUGH I WAS PUSHING THE ACCELERATOR. IT WAS CREEPING ALONG, BARELY MOVING, AND WAS UNRESPONSIVE TO ME PUSHING THE ACCELERATOR. THE VEHICLE SPUTTERED A LOT BUT NEVER COMPLETELY STALLED. POWER STEERING, INTERIOR LIGHTING, ETC., WAS ALL WORKING FINE. THERE WAS A WARNING LIGHT ON SHAPED LIKE A WRENCH. I PUT MY HAZARD LIGHTS ON AND CONTINUED COASTING IN THIS MANNER TO THE NEXT AVAILABLE SPOT I COULD PULL OVER. AFTER PULLING OVER, I TURNED OFF THE CAR. I TURNED THE CAR BACK ON, AND THEN IT SEEMED TO BE IDLING AND RUNNING FINE. THE WARNING LIGHT SHAPED LIKE A WRENCH IS A "THROTTLE/POWERTRAIN" ISSUE INDICATOR. AFTER CHECKING ONLINE, I FOUND SEVERAL ARTICLES INDICATING THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH FORD ESCAPES. THE NORTH CAROLINE CONSUMERS COUNCIL RECOMMENDED OWNERS WHO EXPERIENCE THIS ISSUE FILE A COMPLAINT. I FELT LUCKY THAT I DID NOT PULL OUT INTO A BUSY ROAD AND LOSE THROTTLE POWER LIKE THAT AND BE AT RISK OF GETTING T-BONED BY ANOTHER CAR. I AGREE THAT THIS PROBLEM IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. *TR