NHTSA Complaint #10538241 — 2011 FORD ESCAPE

OPERATOR WAS TRAVELING ON 4 LANE HIGHWAY USING THE FAR LEFT LANE. VEHICLE SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT WARNING LOST ALL POWER AND WOULD NOT RESPOND TO ACCELERATOR PEDAL. OPERATOR HAD TO PULL OVER TO FAR LEFT WITH TRAFFIC BEHIND NEARLY CRASHING INTO VEHICLE. "WRENCH" SYMBOL APPEARED BRIEFLY ON DASH DISPLAY. OPERATOR TURNED VEHICLE IGNITION OFF AND THEN ON. VEHICLE RAN NORMALLY FOR 10 OR SO MILES, THEN WENT INTO FAULT CONDITION AGAIN WHILE TRAVELING OVER 40 MPH. VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO DEALERSHIP FOR SERVICE AND DIAGNOSED WITH FAULTY THROTTLE BODY. REPAIRED AT OWNERS EXPENSE FOR $514.00. FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE WOULD NOT REPAIR VEHICLE OR OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE UNDER POWERTRAIN WARRANTY CLAIMING THAT THIS CONDITION WAS NOT COVERED. THIS IS CLEARLY A SAFETY ISSUE THAT HAS RESULTED IN NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS BY OWNERS OF FORD ESCAPE VEHICLES, AS WELL AS SEVERAL REPORTED ACCIDENTS TO INCLUDE PERSONAL INJURY. FORD IS AND HAS BEEN AWARE OF THIS FAULTY PART AND HAS DONE NOTHING TO CORRECT IT OR RESPOND TO IT'S CUSTOMERS COMPLAINTS. NHTSA SHOULD FORCE AN IMMEDIATE RECALL BEFORE SOMEONE IS SERIOUSLY HURT OR KILLED DUE TO THIS DEFECTIVE PART. *JS