NHTSA Complaint #10537243 — 2011 FORD FUSION

THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH 2011 AND OTHER MODEL FORD FUSIONS AND OTHER MODEL FORD CARS. ACCORDING TO THE MEDIA, ON OCT 2ND 2012 NHTSA CREATED A DEFECT PETITION TO OPEN AN INVESTIGATION ON ESCAPE AND FUSION VEHICLES. I WAS TRAVELING ON OVER THE CHESAPEAKE BAY BRIDGE ON I50 IN MORNING TRAFFIC ATA ~ 60 MPH WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN MY FUSION LOST COMPLETE POWER. THIS CAUSED A HAZARDOUS SITUATION. I THEN HAD TO 'LIMP' OVER A MILE UP THE TO THE TOP OF THE BRIDGE AT LESS THAN 5 MPH UNTIL I COULD PUT THE VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL AND COAST DOWN THE OTHER SIDE. MYSELF AND NUMEROUS OTHER VEHICLES WERE SUBJECTED TO A HAZARDOUS CONDITION WHEN THIS OCCURRED. LATER TROUBLESHOOTING REVEALED MY PROBLEM WAS THE WELL KNOWN 'FUSION THROTTLE BODY ISSUE' CURRENTLY UNDER INVESTIGATION. LOCAL FORD DEALER AL PACKARD IN WHITE MARSH MD SERVICE DEPT CONFIRMED THE ISSUE AS THE '2111' FAULT AND PROBLEM. AFTER READING ALL OF THE DETAILS ON THIS PROBLEM ON THE INTERNET, I DISCUSSED THE MATTER AT LENGTH WITH LOCAL AND NATIONAL FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE PEOPLE. ALTHOUGH THIS IS A WELL KNOWN ISSUE, FORD HAS NO CUSTOMER WARRANTY PROGRAM IN PLACE FOR THIS DANGEROUS PROBLEM, NOR IS IT COVERED UNTIL THEIR POWER TRAIN WARRANTY. THERE NEEDS TO BE A RECALL WARRANTY PROGRAM AND HAVE THIS PROBLEM FIXED BEFORE MORE PEOPLE GET HURT. IN MY CASE I WITNESSED NUMEROUS UNSAFE CONDITIONS WHILE I WAS LIMPING UP THE BRIDGE FOR 20 MINUTES. THE SITUATION COULD HAVE CAUSED A TERRIBLE ACCIDENT ON THE CHESAPEAKE BAY BRIDGE. I WORK AS A FLIGHT SAFETY PRODUCT SUPPORT MANAGER FOR A MAJOR AIRCRAFT ENGINE MANUFACTURER. ANY LOSS OF THRUST CONTROL ISSUE IS HANDLED AS A SAFETY ISSUE AND RECALL PROGRAMS ARE PUT IN PLACE. THE SAME NEEDS TO OCCUR HERE. MY BROTHER WHO ALSO OWNS A 2010 FUSION HAD A SIMILAR ISSUE WHERE HE HAS LOST COMPLETE POWER WHILE TRAVELING ~65 MPH IN INTERSTATE TRAFFIC. *TR