NHTSA Complaint #10548652 — 2006 FORD ESCAPE

THIS MOSTLY HAPPENS IN COOLER WEATHER, I HAD STARTED EXPERIENCING MY ACCELERATOR PEDAL STICKING WITH THE THROTTLE CLOSED. IT WAS MAINLY A NUISANCE AT FIRST BUT IT STARTED TO GET TO THE POINT WHERE I COULD PUT MY ENTIRE WEIGHT ON THE PEDAL WITHOUT IT BUDGING. AT MY SOONEST CONVENIENCE AND MOSTLY BECAUSE I HAD A WARRANTY ON THE VEHICLE SINCE IT WAS STILL RELATIVELY NEW TO ME, I DROVE TO THE DEALER I PURCHASED IT FROM AND THEY TOLD ME IT WAS THE THROTTLE BODY AND THAT IT HAD TO DO WITH THE DIFFERING METALS OF THE THROTTLE BODY AND THE AMBIENT TEMPERATURE, SO THEY ENDED UP REPLACING IT... IT ONLY COST ME $100 AT THE TIME DUE TO THE WARRANTY. HERE I AM ABOUT THREE YEARS LATER AND I AM EXPERIENCING THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM. I DON'T HAVE A WARRANTY SO I INVESTIGATED THE ISSUE MYSELF AND DISCOVERED THE THROTTLE BODY IS MOSTLY PLASTIC WITH AN ALUMINUM BUTTERFLY... I ALSO DISCOVERED A TAR-LIKE RESIDUE ON THE EDGES OF THE BUTTERFLY. I PROCEEDED TO CLEAN THE ASSEMBLY, THEN REINSTALLED IT AND THERE WAS A MAJOR IMPROVEMENT... MY ACCELERATOR FEELS VERY DIFFERENT, IN A VERY GOOD WAY. I'M TIRED OF LARGE COMPANIES HIDING ISSUES LIKE THIS. IT GETS OLD AND CAUSES GOOD PRODUCTS TO CONTINUE TO GET CHEAPER. MY MONEY COULD BE PUT TO BETTER USE THAN REPLACING A PART THAT OBVIOUSLY NEEDED MORE ENGINEERING ATTENTION BEFORE BECOMING PRODUCTION. *TR