NHTSA Complaint #10553815 — 2010 FORD ESCAPE

OUR 2010 FORD ESCAPE HAS HAD THE EXACT PROBLEM DESCRIBED IN THE NHTSA CASE NUMBER PE 13003. OUR VEHICLE HAS 43,000 MILES ON IT AND DRIVING TO WORK ON A FAST MOVING CITY STREET AT APPROX 45-50 MPH AND THE CAR LOST ALL THROTTLE CONTROL AND WENT INTO THE DESCRIBED "LIMP MODE", NO WARNING OR CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS CAME ON. WE HAD A VERY DIFFICULT TIME CONTROLLING THE CAR AND GETTING IT OFF THE ROAD WHILE TRYING TO DODGE TRAFFIC. LIMP MODE DOES NOT DESCRIBE THE AVAILABLE POWER. AT 900 RPM YOU CAN WALK FASTER THAN THE CAR WILL DRIVE... THE TRANSMISSION IS ALSO ACTING AS AN ENGINE BRAKE AND SLOWING THE CAR EVEN FASTER SO I POPPED IT INTO NEUTRAL AND WAS ABLE TO COAST TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. WE TURNED OFF THE IGNITION AND RESTARTED AND THE CAR STARTED FINE. PUT IT IN GEAR AND ACCELERATED TO APPROX 20 MPH AND IT WENT INTO LIMP MODE AGAIN AND THIS TIME THE SMALL WRENCH LIGHT CAME ON IN THE DASH. A GEARBOX OR TRANSMISSION PROBLEM? LUCKILY WE WERE STILL ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD SO WE AGAIN TURNED OFF THE CAR AND RESTARTED TO RESET (WRENCH LIGHT WENT OUT) AND IT WORKED FINE FOR THE NEXT 14 MILES AS WE WERE GOING TO THE FORD DEALER. JUST AS WE WERE ARRIVING IT DID IT A THIRD TIME, THIS TIME THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THEY WERE ABLE TO RETRIEVE THE DTC CODE OF 2112 AND DIAGNOSED A DEFECTIVE THROTTLE BODY ASSEMBLY. THE SERVICE MANAGER WAS NOT AWARE OF ANY RECALL AND CHARGED US $589 DOLLARS FOR THE REPAIR (PART, LABOR, DIAGNOSTIC TEST AND CALIBRATION OF THE COMPUTER). WE HAVE BEEN THE ONLY OWNERS OF THIS CAR AND IT HAS HAD ALL OF ITS NORMAL SERVICE DONE. AT 43K MILES IT IS, FOR ALL PURPOSES, STILL A NEW CAR. LUCKY FOR US IT HAPPENED ON CITY STREETS AND NOT AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. HOPEFULLY FORD WILL ISSUES A RECALL ON THESE TO REPAIR THEM. *TR