NHTSA Complaint #10538484 — 2010 FORD FUSION

IN THE PAST WEEK, MY VEHICLE HAS "STALLED," FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD, AT MODERATE TO HIGH SPEEDS ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS. THE THIRD TIME THIS OCCURRED, I WAS DRIVING UPHILL DURING RUSH HOUR ON "THE CUT IN THE HILL," A STRETCH OF HIGHWAY IN NORTHERN KENTUCKY NEAR CINCINNATI KNOWN FOR ITS DISPROPORTIONATELY HIGH NUMBER OF AUTO ACCIDENTS. IT'S A VERY DANGEROUS PLACE FOR A VEHICLE TO SIMPLY STOP AT THE BUSIEST TIME OF DAY. BECAUSE IT WAS GOING UPHILL, THE VEHICLE DID NOT COAST TO A SAFER LOCATION (OR EVEN COAST AT ALL) AS IT HAD DONE DURING PREVIOUS EPISODES AND I WAS UNABLE TO PULL OVER TO THE SHOULDER. I WAS STUCK, BROKEN DOWN, IN THE MIDDLE LEFT LANE. I HAVE BROUGHT MY CAR INTO THE DEALERSHIP FOR THIS EXACT ISSUE TWICE IN THE PAST WHILE IT WAS COVERED UNDER THE BUMPER-TO-BUMPER WARRANTY. THEY CLAIMED THEY COULD NOT REPLICATE THE PROBLEM OR FIND A CODE SO IT WAS PROBABLY JUST A FLUKE AND NOT TO WORRY ABOUT IT. THIS TIME, WHEN I BROUGHT MY CAR IN LAST FRIDAY 8/30/13, THEY KNEW EXACTLY WHAT WAS WRONG WITH IT AND HAD THE PART TO REPLACE IT (WHICH WAS AMAZING SINCE IT'S ON A NATIONAL BACK ORDER BECAUSE THIS PROBLEM IS APPARENTLY HAPPENING TO EVERYONE). MY 12 MONTH/12,000 MILE CERTIFIED BUMPER-TO-BUMPER WARRANTY EXPIRED 1,200 MILES AGO, SHORTLY AFTER THE LAST TIME I BROUGHT IT IN FOR SERVICE. IT TOOK LESS THAN AN HOUR FOR THEM TO CALL ME WITH A DIAGNOSIS. IT WAS A FAULTY THROTTLE BODY, JUST LIKE I HAD TOLD THEM, AND IT COST ME ALMOST $600 OUT-OF-POCKET TO REPLACE IT. NONE OF IT WAS COVERED. UNBELIEVABLE. FORD NEEDS TO STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT AND REIMBURSE ME AND EVERYONE ELSE WITH THIS ISSUE. UNSAFE AND UNFAIR! *JB