NHTSA Complaint #10547463 — 2008 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID

DRIVING ON HIGHWAY WITH NO APPARENT PROBLEM, THEN SUDDENLY, THREE THINGS HAPPEN SIMULTANEOUSLY: 1) THE GAS ENGINE SHUTS OFF COMPLETELY, LEAVING NO POWER TO MAINTAIN SPEED, DECELERATION HAPPENS. 2) SAFETY ALERT LIGHT ILLUMINATES IN THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. IT'S A RED TRIANGLE WITH "!" INSIDE OF IT. 3) MESSAGE CENTER DISPLAYS "PULL OVER SAFELY" OR WORDS TO THAT EFFECT. THIS LEAVES YOU WITH ABSOLUTELY NO RECOURSE, OTHER THAN TO SOMEHOW GET TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, OUT OF THE WAY OF ANY TRAFFIC CONDITIONS THAT ARE AROUND YOU AT THAT INSTANT. THE ELECTRIC HYBRID MOTOR STILL OPERATES, BUT THAT'S ONLY GOOD TO CREEP ALONG LIKE A GOLF CART, DOWN THE SHOULDER OF THE HIGHWAY, IF THE SAFETY OF THE SHOULDER LOOKS BETTER UP AHEAD, TO GET OUT OF THE WAY OF THE TRAFFIC THAT'S ZOOMING BY. CORRECTIVE ACTION, ONCE THE OWNERS MANUAL IS STUDIED, IS TO PUT IT IN PARK, AND TURN OFF THE IGNITION. THEN, RE-START AND GO. IT OPERATES AS IF NOTHING HAD JUST HAPPENED! THEN, IN A WHILE, IT HAPPENS AGAIN, AND AGAIN, AND AGAIN, (VARYING MILES BETWEEN EPISODES, ANYTHING ROUGHLY FROM 1 MILE TO 70 MILES) UNTIL EITHER YOU FINALLY GIVE UP AND HAVE IT TOWED, OR YOU FINALLY GET IT TO SOME FINAL DESTINATION. *TR