NHTSA Complaint #10550384 — 2011 FORD ESCAPE

THROTTLE BODY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT ABOUT 65MPH, THE CAR GAVE A SMALL JERK AND THE WRENCH ICON ILLUMINATED, THE CAR APPEARED TO STILL HAVE POWER BUT THERE WAS NO ABILITY TO ACCELERATE. LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO MOVE OVER TWO LANES OF BUSY, SPEEDY TRAFFIC (AS THERE WAS NO LEFT SIDE SHOULDER) AND PULL OFF WITHOUT CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. I TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF THEN RESTARTED IT, IT APPEARED TO RUN OKAY AFTER THAT UNTIL ABOUT 3 MILES LATER THE EXACT THING OCCURRED AGAIN. THIS HAPPENED THREE TIMES ON THE HIGHWAY AND ONCE I WAS ABLE TO EXIT IT HAPPENED ONCE AGAIN ON A RURAL ROAD AT ABOUT 35-40MPH. I CALLED FOR SERVICE AND TOOK THE CAR IN THE NEXT DAY, WHILE ON THE WAY TO THE DEALER, THE CAR DID THE SAME THING ONCE MORE - AT ABOUT 45 MPH. THIS WAS AN EXTREMELY NERVE-WRACKING EXPERIENCE, ESPECIALLY WHILE IN HEAVY TRAFFIC ON THE FREEWAY - IT COULD HAVE EASILY CAUSE AN ACCIDENT AND TURNED OUT MUCH WORSE. ONCE THE DEALER CALLED ME TO TELL ME WHAT THE ISSUE WAS I LOOKED ONLINE TO SEE IF I COULD FIND ANY INFORMATION AND CAME ACROSS HUNDREDS OF OTHER COMPLAINTS, ALMOST EXACTLY THE SAME EXPERIENCE I HAD. I FEEL, BASED ON THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS I HAVE READ AND THE NEED FOR SO MANY PEOPLE TO HAVE THIS PART REPLACED IT SHOULD BE A FORMAL RECALL BY FORD AND NOT SOMETHING THAT THE CONSUMER HAS TO PAY FOR, AS I AM NOW. IT'S ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE THIS SITUATION OCCURS AND CAUSES SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH, IF THAT HASN'T ALREADY HAPPENED. *TR