NHTSA Complaint #10548883 — 2010 MERCURY MILAN

I WAS TRAVELING AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED (70MPH) WHEN MY ENGINE BEGAN TO "STALL OUT" ON ME CAUSING A RAPID DECELERATION. I WOULD SAY IT STALLED, BUT IT DID NOT 100% CUTOUT, RATHER IT WENT INTO THE LOWEST LIMP MODE ON THE ENGINE. LUCKILY, SINCE IT WAS A BUSY TIME OF NIGHT (APPROXIMATELY 6PM), I WAS IN THE RIGHT HAND LAND AND WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF BEFORE BEING REAR ENDED...THOUGH IT WOULD ALMOST INEVITABLY HAPPENED HAD I BEEN IN ANY OTHER LANE. I WAS NEAR AN EXIT AND COASTED SLOWLY IN THE LIMP MODE AND MADE IT TO A PARKING LOT, WHERE I TURNED OFF MY CAR AND POPPED THE HOOD TO EXAMINE THE ISSUE FURTHER. THE OIL WAS WITHIN RANGE AND BELTS WERE OK. JUST AS I WAS FINISHING THE COASTING, I SAW THE "WRENCH" LIGHT ILLUMINATE. AFTER CHECKING THE ENGINE, I WAS ABLE TO RE-START MY CAR AND DRIVE HOME WITHOUT INCIDENT. I LOOKED UP THE ISSUE ONLINE & FOUND MANY OTHERS WITH THE SAME ISSUE. I ORDERED OEM REPLACEMENT PARTS THAT TOOK ABOUT A WEEK TO ARRIVE. OVER THE COURSE OF THAT WEEK, THE ISSUE OCCURRED SEVERAL MORE TIMES AND HAPPENED MORE AND MORE FREQUENTLY. I AVOIDED HIGHWAYS ALTOGETHER FOR SAFETY CONCERNS. I CONTACTED FORD WHO TOLD ME I COULD HAVE IT REPAIRED AT MY COST AT A DEALERSHIP (SINCE I WAS A FEW THOUSAND OVER THE POWERTRAIN WARRANTY). I BOUGHT OEM PARTS & DID THE REPAIR MYSELF AND THE ISSUE HAS NOT HAPPENED AGAIN SINCE. THIS IS THE EXACT ISSUE LISTED IN NHTSA ACTION NUMBER: PE13003. *TR