NHTSA Complaint #10525543 — 2011 MERCURY MILAN

ON TWO OCCASIONS ON THE SAME DAY (7/17/13), ONCE AT LOW SPEED (LESS THAN 15 MPH) AFTER TURNING INTO A PARKING LOT AND LATER THE SAME DAY AT 65 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY, MY 2011 MERCURY MILAN WENT INTO "LIMP" MODE WITH THE WRENCH LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CAR LOST ADEQUATE POWER OTHER THAN TO ESSENTIALLY COAST TO REST. ONCE AT REST, IT WOULD NOT MOVE AND THE ENGINE BEGAN TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY WHILE IDLING. UPON RESTARTING THE CAR, THE WRENCH LIGHT WENT OFF ONLY TO COME BACK ON AGAIN AFTER ATTEMPTING TO MOVE THE CAR. AT THIS POINT, I HAD IT TOWED TO THE NEAREST FORD DEALER'S SERVICE DEPT. BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO REPLICATE THE ISSUE OR DEFINITIVELY DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM BUT "SUSPECTED" IT MIGHT BE DUE TO THROTTLE BODY ISSUES (WHICH AS I UNDERSTAND IS CURRENTLY UNDER INVESTIGATION AS NOTED BELOW): INVESTIGATION SUBJECT : ELECTRONIC THROTTLE BODY MALFUNCTION DATE INVESTIGATION OPENED: FEB 21, 2013 DATE INVESTIGATION CLOSED: OPEN NHTSA ACTION NUMBER: PE13003 COMPONENT(S): ENGINE AS THE LOCAL FORD SERVICE DEPARTMENT WAS UNABLE TO DEFINITIVELY DIAGNOSE OR REPLICATE THE ISSUE DURING IN-SHOP TESTING OR WHILE ROAD TEST DRIVING IT THEMSELVES FOR 9 MILES, THEY RETURNED THE CAR TO ME. WHILE I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM THE DEALERSHIP, THE ISSUE OCCURRED AGAIN (LESS THAN 9 MILES AWAY).....THIS TIME AT FULL HIGHWAY SPEED (APPROX 65 MPH). ONCE AGAIN, THE CAR WENT INTO "LIMP MODE" WITH THE WRENCH LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. UPON RE-STARTING THE CAR, I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE REST OF THE WAY HOME WITHOUT ANY ADDITIONAL ISSUES. WHILE IT HAS NOT HAPPENED AGAIN YET (I'VE ONLY DRIVEN TO WORK THE FOLLOWING DAY SINCE ALL THIS OCCURRED), THIS ISSUE IS MOST CERTAINLY AN UNPREDICTABLE, SERIOUS DANGER TO MYSELF AS WELL AS OTHER MOTORISTS. *TR