NHTSA Complaint #10546842 — 2011 FORD ESCAPE

VEHICLE LOSES POWER DURING OPERATION AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE ENGINE REVERTS TO IDLE, REVVING BELOW 1000RPM. DEPRESSING THE GAS PEDAL HAS NO EFFECT ON ENGINE RPM OR SPEED. THE "WRENCH" LIGHT COMES ON, BUT WITHOUT ANY CODE STORED. IF THE CAR IS TURNED OFF AND THEN BACK ON, THE ENGINE RELUCTANTLY STARTS, AND THE PROBLEM IS NOT PRESENT, BUT THE PROBLEM SOON APPEARS (WITHIN SECONDS). AFTER SEVERAL INCIDENTS TODAY ON MY WAY TO THE AUTO SHOP, THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT CAME ON AND I WAS ABLE TO GET THE CODE: P2111, "BINDING THROTTLE BODY - STUCK OPEN" AND "TACM OPEN OR SHORTED". TAKING THE VEHICLE TO THE AUTO SHOP, THEY TOLD ME THE THROTTLE BODY ASSEMBLY WAS NOT FUNCTIONING CORRECTLY AND NEEDED REPLACEMENT. THIS IS CURRENTLY BEING DONE AS THE VEHICLE IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE IN ITS PRESENT CONDITION. THIS PROBLEM HAPPENED ONCE BEFORE, ABOUT A MONTH AGO, AND I IMMEDIATELY TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP. THEY COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG, BUT SAID IT SOUNDED LIKE A THROTTLE OR ELECTRICAL PROBLEM, AS THEY HAVE SEEN NUMEROUS PROBLEMS SIMILAR TO THIS. THEY SAID THERE WAS NO STORED CODE FOR THE "WRENCH" LIGHT. THEY TOLD ME THE CAR WAS SAFE TO DRIVE BUT TO BRING THE VEHICLE IN IF IT HAPPENS AGAIN. AT THAT TIME THEY WOULD BEGIN REPLACING PARTS UNTIL THE PROBLEM WENT AWAY AS THEY WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM WITH THE INFORMATION PROVIDED, EVEN THOUGH THEY HAD SEEN THIS PROBLEM BEFORE. THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION, PARTICULARLY WHEN DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY OR CROSSING AN INTERSECTION, AS THE VEHICLE NO LONGER HAS POWER TO THE DRIVE TRAIN AND CAN ONLY COAST TO A STOP. THERE SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THIS DEFECTIVE PART. *TR