NHTSA Complaint #10526226 — 2010 FORD ESCAPE

WHILE DRIVING AT A CONSTANT SPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, VEHICLE SUDDENLY STALLED WITHOUT WARNING OR HESITATION. I COASTED TO A STOP IN A NEARBY PARKING LOT (LUCKILY!), TURNED IGNITION OFF AND VEHICLE RESTARTED AND RAN WITH NO PROBLEMS FOR ALMOST TWO WEEKS. ON SATURDAY, JULY 13TH WHILE DRIVING IN A SIMILAR SITUATION, THE VEHICLE AGAIN STALLED AND WOULD NOT RESTART UNTIL I COASTED TO A STOP ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND TURNED THE IGNITION OFF. SINCE THEN THE VEHICLE HAS DONE THIS ABOUT A HALF DOZEN TIMES BUT NOT ALWAYS BY JUST STALLING. THE VEHICLE HAS ALSO WENT INTO 'LIMP HOME' MODE ON AT LEAST ONE OCCASION WHEN MY SON WAS DRIVING AND HE WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE CLOSE TO A FRIEND'S HOUSE WHERE IT SAT OVERNIGHT. WHEN WE STARTED IT THE NEXT TIME IT RAN LIKE IT WAS MISFIRING VERY BADLY, SO WE TURNED THE IGNITION OFF AND TAPPED ON THE THROTTLE BODY WITH THE HANDLE OF A SCREWDRIVER. IT THEN STARTED AND IDLED NORMALLY AND WE WERE ABLE TO DRIVE IT ABOUT THREE MILES HOME. IT ALSO HAS SPUTTERED ERRATICALLY SIMILAR TO A VERY BAD REPEATED MISFIRING UNTIL STOPPING AND TURNING THE IGNITION OFF. IT DID THIS TWICE WITHIN A QUARTER MILE AND THEN RAN FINE FOR OVER 15 MILES THAT I DROVE IT TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP WHO WANTED $107 DOLLARS TO DIAGNOSE A PROBLEM THAT I AM FAIRLY CERTAIN I ALREADY HAD FIGURED OUT. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THEIR 'SPECIALLY TRAINED' TECHNICIANS MAY FIND A DIFFERENT CAUSE THAN THE P2111 CODE I HAD READ WITH A SCANNER FROM A LOCAL AUTO PARTS STORE SUGGESTED. I HAVE FOUND OUT THAT THIS PROBLEM WAS SUPPOSED ADDRESSED BY FORD THINKING THAT THERE WAS A PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD PROBLEM IN THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE BODY. HOWEVER, THIS VEHICLE WAS MANUFACTURED IN MARCH OF 2010, AFTER THE OCTOBER 15TH, 2009 DATE THEY HAD STARTED USING THE NEW PART. *TR