NHTSA Complaint #10546337 — 2011 FORD ESCAPE

AS I WAS TRAVELING ON INTERSTATE 10 @ 70 MPH OVER LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN NEAR NEW ORLEANS, MY 2011 FORD ESCAPE STALLED; I LOST ALL POWER. ACCELERATOR WAS UNRESPONSIVE. I MANAGED TO PULL OVER AND TURNED OFF THE ENGINE. I RESTARTED AND IT STARTED UP, RUNNING NORMALLY AGAIN FOR ABOUT 2 MILES, WHEN THE PROBLEM RECURRED. THE WRENCH SYMBOL APPEARED WITH THE STALL AND THEN DISAPPEARED ONCE I RESTARTED, THOUGH THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND REMAINED ON WHEN I RESTARTED. I ALSO NOTICED AT TIMES I HAD TO REALLY HOLD DOWN THE BRAKE TO PREVENT THE VEHICLE FROM SURGING FORWARD ON ITS OWN. THE PROBLEM KEPT OCCURRING EVERY FEW MILES, AND I REPEATED THE SAME PROCEDURE. I ELECTED TO KEEP ATTEMPTING TRAVEL; THE PROBLEM WAS INTERMITTENT AND I WAS IN AN UNSAVORY SECTION OF EASTERN NEW ORLEANS. SOMETIMES THE CAR WOULD GO 5 MILES, SOMETIMES 5 BLOCKS, SOMETIMES 5 FEET. I NERVOUSLY MANAGED TO GET HOME, AND AFTER RESEARCHING ONLINE I FOUND NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS FROM OTHERS WITH FORD ESCAPES, AS RECENTLY AS 2 DAYS AGO (SEP. 28, 2013), DETAILING THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. SOME PEOPLE WHO HAD THESE IDENTICAL ISSUES RESOLVED SAID THE FORD SERVICE DEPARTMENTS CLAIMED IT WAS THE "THROTTLE BODY." I HAVE ONLY EVER TAKEN THIS VEHICLE FOR ALL SERVICE, ALWAYS ON TIME, TO THE FORD DEALER WHERE IT WAS PURCHASED IN MANDEVILLE, LA. APPARENTLY THIS "THROTTLE BODY" ISSUE IS COMMON AND CURRENTLY UNDER INVESTIGATION BY THE NHTSA. THESE VEHICLES SHOULD ALL IMMEDIATELY BE RECALLED. IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME UNTIL A FATAL CRASH OCCURS BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM. THE AUTOMATIC SURGE PROBLEM IS ABSOLUTELY LETHAL. I'M GOING TO A FORD SERVICE CENTER IN THE MORNING, BUT AM PREPARED TO BE SERVED WITH THE $600-$1200 "THROTTLE BODY" REPAIR BILL. I FOUND THE FOLLOWING WEBSITE: HTTP://WWW.CONSUMERAFFAIRS.COM/AUTOMOTIVE/FORD_ESCAPE.HTM SEARCH "THROTTLE BODY" & YOU'LL FIND NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS VERY SAME ISSUE. *TR