NHTSA Complaint #10594043 — 2008 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID

I WAS DRIVING MY 2008 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID AT ABOUT 65MPH IN THE LEFTMOST LANE SHORTLY AFTER MERGING FROM I83 SOUTH ONTO I395 (BALTIMORE BELTWAY) WHEN, WITH NO ADVANCE WARNING WHATSOEVER, THE GAS PEDAL STOPPED RESPONDING AT THE SAME TIME AS THE TRIANGLE WITH AN EXCLAMATION POINT AND THE "STOP SAFELY NOW" (AS IF I HAD ANY CHOICE) MESSAGE APPEARED. BY THE GRACE OF GOD I WAS ABLE TO COAST ACROSS 5 LANES OF TRAFFIC TO THE BREAKDOWN LANE. I WAS ANXIOUS TO GET HOME TO FEED THE DOGS, AND MY HUSBAND WAS OUT OF TOWN, SO RATHER THAN CALL A TOW TRUCK I RESTARTED THE CAR AND KEPT GOING IN THE RIGHT-HAND LANE FOR ANOTHER 3 OR 4 MILES UNTIL THE SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN. IT TOOK ANOTHER 2 HOURS (WITH AN 15-20 ADDITIONAL STALLING EPISODES) UNTIL BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT HOME TO ANNAPOLIS. THROUGH THE INTERNET (AND MY HUSBAND CRAWLING UNDER THE CAR) WE HAVE CONFIRMED THAT THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM IS A WELL-DOCUMENTED FAULTY OEM HYBRID DRIVE TRAIN MECS COOLANT WATER PUMP. SEEMS TO ME THAT THIS IS A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE THAT IS EVERY BIT AS SERIOUS AS THE GM IGNITION SWITCH PROBLEM, AND A FATAL ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. IT IS UNCONSCIONABLE THAT FORD HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL ON THIS ISSUE, AND UNCONSCIONABLE THAT NHTSA HAS NOT FORCED FORD TO DO SO. *TR