NHTSA Complaint #10567948 — 2008 MERCURY MARINER HYBRID

DRIVING IN FAST LANE OF FREEWAY WHEN "STOP SAFELY NOW" MESSAGE WITH RED ALERT CAME ON. THE ENGINE STOPPED RUNNING. NO WARNING, NO ABILITY TO DRIVE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THIS IS A KNOWN FAULT IN THIS VEHICLE. I CANNOT CONCEIVE OF A PROBLEM THAT WOULD REQUIRE THE ENGINE TO STOP IMMEDIATELY. IT IS JUST LUCK THAT WE GOT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITHOUT INCIDENT AS THERE WAS A LOT OF TRAFFIC, AND WITHOUT POWER, IT WAS JUST PLAIN LUCK THAT WE MANAGED TO GET TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. DOING INTERNET RESEARCH: THIS IS A KNOWN FAULT, BUT WITHOUT A SOLUTION OR A FIX. WHAT EVER THE PROBLEM, IT SEEMS RIDICULOUS THAT FORD HAS A MAJOR PROBLEM LIKE THIS THAT HAS THE ENGINE SIMPLY STOP. WE GOT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I SIMPLY TURNED OFF THE IGNITION AND RE-STARTED THE ENGINE, WITHOUT FURTHER PROBLEM. THERE MUST BE SOME WAY TO AT LEAST HAVE SOME WARNING TIME, OR A MEANS OF PROPULSION SUFFICIENT TO GET SAFELY TO THE ROADSIDE. EVEN FIVE MINUTES WORTH OF POWER WOULD BE SUFFICIENT. *TR