NHTSA Complaint #10538295 — 2009 FORD ESCAPE

I WAS ACCELERATING & AT APPROX 50 MPH THE CAR JERKED, A WRENCH SYMBOL CAME ON & I STARTED LOOSING SPEED. I COASTED TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD & CUT THE CAR OFF. I LET IT SIT A FEW MINUTES & RESTARTED IT. THE CAR DROVE FINE TO MY DESTINATION BUT WHEN I LEFT TO RETURN HOME, IT DID THE SAME THING AGAIN. THE NEXT DAY MY MECHANIC RAN THE SCANNER BUT NO CODES SHOWED UP. ABOUT 3 DAYS LATER I EXPERIENCED ANOTHER INCIDENT & NOT ONLY DID THE WRENCH SYMBOL COME ON BUT AN ENGINE SYMBOL ALSO. MY OWNERS MANUAL SAID THIS MEANT "SERVICE ENGINE SOON". I HAD JUST HAD THE OIL CHANGED AND EVERYTHING CHECKED A FEW DAYS BEFORE ALL THIS STARTED! THIS HAPPENS AT DIFFERENT SPEEDS AND ON FLAT LAND OR INCLINES. THIS IS SCARY BECAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN OR WHERE YOUR CAR IS GOING TO LOSE POWER & CUT OFF. I TOOK MY CAR BACK TO MY MECHANIC & HE CLEANED THE THROTTLE BODY. HE SAID IT WAS EXTREMELY "GUNKED UP" FOR A VEHICLE THAT ONLY HAD 43,000 MILES ON IT. $186.85 LATER I PRAYED THIS WOULD FIX THE PROBLEM. ON MY WAY HOME I LOST POWER TWICE. ONCE WAS ON A VERY BUSY HIGHWAY. I WAS IN THE RIGHT LANE & TRAFFIC WAS SPEEDING TOWARDS MY RIGHT SIDE COMING FROM AN EXIT RAMP. I HAD TO DODGE THE TRAFFIC WITH MY POWER FAILING & "LIMP" TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. I'M STILL NOT SURE HOW I MADE IT TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY WITHOUT GETTING HIT! MY MECHANIC WAS UPSET AS WELL BECAUSE THE PROBLEM WAS NOT OBVIOUS AND HE FELT RESPONSIBLE FOR PUTTING ME IN DANGER. AFTER MORE INVESTIGATION WE STUMBLED UPON THE FACT THAT I AM NOT ALONE! SEVERAL PEOPLE HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM! SO MUCH SO THAT THE THROTTLE BODY IS A VERY HARD PART TO LOCATE. AFTER MUCH SEARCHING, I WAS INFORMED THAT A THROTTLE BODY HAD BEEN FOUND AND MY CAR COULD BE REPAIRED FOR $588.26. I HOPE THIS RECALL WILL SOON BE APPROVED BECAUSE THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS PROBLEM AND I WOULD HATE FOR PEOPLE TO BE KILLED BEFORE THE SEVERITY IS RECOGNIZED. *JS