NHTSA Complaint #10542741 — 2009 FORD ESCAPE

THE THROTTLE BODY ON MY 2009 FORD ESCAPE FAILED WHILE ENTERING A PUBLIC INTERSTATE VIA AN ON RAMP. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WHILE ACCELERATING. THE EFFECT WAS THE VEHICLES ENGINE WAS SHUT OFF, CAUSING A RAPID DECELERATION ON A FAIRLY BUSY ON RAMP. I WAS ABLE TO PULL MY CAR OVER TO THE SIDE. PLACED IT IN PARK, TURNED KEY OFF AND BACK ON, AND WAS ABLE TO RESUME MY 8 MILE COMMUTE TO WORK. LATER, WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE, THE SAME ISSUE OCCURRED TWICE WITHIN A FIFTEEN MILE PERIOD - BOTH TIMES WHILE ACCELERATING, THE ENGINE SHUT OFF IN TRAFFIC. THREE TIMES IN ONE DAY, HAD NOT SEEN THIS ISSUE EVER PRIOR TO LAST WEEK. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY DIAGNOSED IT AS A FAILED THROTTLE BODY. THE CAR HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP SINCE 9/4. TODAY I WAS CONTACTED AND TOLD THE PART WAS ON NATION WIDE BACKORDER, AND WASN'T EXPECTED UNTIL 10/31. INTERNET FORUMS SUGGEST THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF VEHICLES AWAITING THIS PART RIGHT NOW. HAVING THE ENGINE UNPREDICTABLY SHUT OFF IS A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION TO HAVE WHILE DRIVING. THERE IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITHIN FORD AND THEIR DEALER NETWORK, BUT TO DATE, NO RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED. THE DELAY IN PARTS ACCESSIBILITY IS DANGEROUS, AND COULD RESULT IN PEOPLE DRIVING THEIR VEHICLES WITH THIS CONDITION WHILE AWAITING THE PARTS ARRIVAL. *TR