NHTSA Complaint #10554843 — 2009 FORD ESCAPE

I WAS DRIVING DOWN A SMALL HIGHWAY AT ABOUT 45MPH WHEN SUDDENLY THE ENGINE LOST ITS POWER. I PUT MY FOOT ON THE ACCELERATOR AND ABSOLUTELY NOTHING HAPPENED (RPMS DID NOT INCREASE, SPEED DID NOT INCREASE) EXCEPT THAT THE CAR CONTINUED TO DECELERATE. I PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND THE CAR STARTED TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY. ALSO THE YELLOW WRENCH INDICATOR LIGHT SIGNALING THAT THERE IS A POWER TRAIN ISSUE CAME ON. I PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND SHUT IT OFF FOR FIVE MINUTES. WHEN I TURNED THE CAR BACK ON, THE INDICATOR LIGHT WAS OFF, THE CAR WAS NOT SHAKING, AND THE ACCELERATOR WORKED FINE. I TOOK IT STRAIGHT HOME, THEN STRAIGHT TO THE FORD DEALER THE NEXT DAY AND WAS TOLD THAT I NEEDED TO REPLACE MY THROTTLE BODY. FURTHER, I WAS TOLD THAT ALTHOUGH THE THROTTLE BODY WAS NOT NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR, IT WAS STILL NOT COVERED UNDER MY WARRANTY. SO I HAD TO PAY $500 TO FIX AN ISSUE THAT I NOW SEE IS QUITE COMMON IN FORD ESCAPES; I AM UNCLEAR WHAT IT WILL TAKE FOR A RECALL TO BE ISSUED ON THIS POTENTIALLY VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM. I AM VERY GRATEFUL THAT ON THIS PARTICULAR DAY I WAS NOT ON A 4-LANE HIGHWAY AS I USUALLY AM WHEN TRAVELING. *TR