NHTSA Complaint #10552471 — 2010 FORD FUSION

OWNER WAS DRIVING A 2010 FORD FUSION ON A MULTI-LANE HIGHWAY IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC APPROACHING A TWO LANE TUNNEL ON FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2013. VEHICLE WAS NON-RESPONSIVE WHEN PRESSURING THE ACCELERATOR, SO HAD TO PULL OVER ONTO SHOULDER OF HIGHWAY. EVEN AFTER TURNING THE CAR OFF AND THEN RESTARTING THE IGNITION, CAR WOULD NOT MOVE WHEN PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR, ALTHOUGH IT BEGAN TO SHAKE. THE DASHBOARD LIGHT DISPLAYED AS WRENCH ICON, WHICH ACCORDING TO THE OWNER'S MANUAL MEANT A POTENTIAL TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. AAA TOWED CAR TO RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD. THE NEXT MORNING, SATURDAY NOVEMBER 2, A THIRD PARTY TOWING COMPANY HIRED BY FORD ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE ARRIVED TO TOW VEHICLE TO THE NEAREST FORD DEALERSHIP. THE TOW TRUCK URGED DRIVER TO DRIVE THE CAR TO DEALERSHIP, AND FOLLOWED BEHIND. AFTER ABOUT 2 MILES OF DRIVING ON RESIDENTIAL SURFACE STREETS, CAR BECAME NONRESPONSIVE TO ACCELERATOR WHILE DRIVING AROUND 10 MI/HR. THE TOW TRUCK DRIVER TOWED THE VEHICLE THE REMAINING DISTANCE TO FORD DEALERSHIP IN COLMA, CALIFORNIA. AFTER WAITING FOR AN HR, DEALER MECHANIC REPORTED THAT THE THROTTLE BODY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, AND ADVISED THAT THE POWERTRAIN WARRANTY WAS INAPPLICABLE DESPITE VEHICLE BEING WITHIN THE 5 YR / 60,000 MI WINDOW. THE FORD DEALERSHIP PERFORMED THE REPAIR AND COLLECTED PAYMENT THE SAME DAY. AFTER RETURNING HOME WITH THE VEHICLE, I DISCOVERED THAT PG 19 OF THE 2010 FORD OWNER'S MANUAL SHOWED THAT THE THROTTLE BODY WAS A COVERED PART THAT FORD SHOULD HAVE REPLACED AT NO CHARGE AS AN EMISSIONS-RELATED COMPONENT SO LONG AS THE VEHICLE WAS WITHIN 8 YRS / 80,000 MI. FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE AGREED THAT PG 19 SHOWED THAT THIS PART SHOULD HAVE BEEN COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. HOWEVER, THEY ADVISED THAT THEIR INTERNAL FORD COMPUTER DATABASE INDICATED THAT THIS PART WAS ONLY COVERED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES DESPITE THE WRITTEN MANUAL MAKING NO SUCH DISTINCTION. *TR