NHTSA Complaint #10567184 — 2010 FORD FUSION

DRIVING IN FAR LEFT LANE AT HIGHWAY SPEED. THE CAR HAD BEEN ON FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES AFTER SITTING IN PARKING LOT ALL DAY. IT WAS 96 DEGREES. CAR STARTED TO VIBRATE AND SLOW DOWN. I NOTICED THAT THE TOOL LIGHT WAS ON. OBVIOUSLY I HAD ENTERED INTO LIMP MODE AND FOUND A WAY TO CROSS FOUR LANES OF RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC TO MAKE IT TO THE EMERGENCY LANE. ONCE STOPPED ENGINE LOPED ERRATICALLY AND WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. ENGINE WAS NON-RESPONSIVE TO PEDAL CHANGES. PUT CAR IN PARK AND SHUT THE ENGINE OFF. I WAITED 30 SECONDS AND STARTED THE CAR AGAIN AND DROVE HOME (26 MILES) WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT I HAVE EXPERIENCED SURGING IN THE ENGINE THIS PAST WEEK. SYMPTOMS POINT TO THE THROTTLE BODY; BUT THIS IS SPECULATION AS I HAVE NOT HAD THE CAR DIAGNOSED BY A PROFESSIONAL. I AM AWARE THAT THERE IS A CURRENT INVESTIGATION INTO THIS MATTER. THIS EVENT HAPPENED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND COULD HAVE BEEN DISASTROUS. DRIVING CAN BE INHERENTLY DANGEROUS AND PARTS DO BREAK; BUT, THE FACT THAT THIS HAS BEEN A KNOWN ISSUE FOR QUITE SOME TIME WARRANTS AN ADDITIONAL REPORT.