NHTSA Complaint #10598191 — 2010 MERCURY MILAN

THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STALLED WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS (55MPH) IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. RAPID DECELERATION AND MANY DASHBOARD LIGHTS CAME ON. I WAS ABLE TO CHANGE TO THE RIGHT LANE AND THEN BRING THE VEHICLE TO A STOP ON THE SHOULDER SAFELY, AVOIDING AN ACCIDENT, AS THE CAR WAS IN RAPID DECELERATION AND STEPPING ON THE GAS WAS UNRESPONSIVE. THERE WAS NO ACCELERATION, OR ENGINE NOISE OR RESPONSE WHEN I STEPPED ON THE GAS PEDAL WHILE IN DRIVE POSITION AND THE KEY IN THE ON POSITION.I TURNED THE CAR OFF FOR SEVERAL MINUTES, WONDERING WHAT TO DO. I THEN TURNED THE KEY BACK ON, AND THE CAR WAS ABLE TO DRIVE. I TOOK SIDE ROADS HOME AND THEN SCHEDULED AN APPOINTMENT AT THE SELLING MANUFACTURER DEALERSHIP. THE DEFECT WAS IN THE THROTTLE BODY? THEY WOULD NOT COVER THE $500 REPAIR UNDER THE NEW VEHICLE WARRANTY (OUT ON TIME), THE $1700 EXTENDED WARRANTY I PURCHASED (NOT COVERED PART), THE EMISSIONS WARRANTY (NOT COVERED PART) OR THE HYBRID WARRANTY ( NOT COVERED PART), OR ANY RECALL, OR GOODWILL SERVICE PLAN OR SERVICE BULLETIN REPAIRS. THEN I FOUND OUT THERE WAS A SETTLEMENT WITH THE NHTSA FOR SIMILAR INCIDENTS THAT FORD AGREED TO EXTEND THE WARRANTY ON THE THROTTLE BODY FOR 150,000 MILES OR 10 YEARS. (THIS VEHICLE IS A 2010 WITH JUST OVER 20,000 MILES. THEY SAID IT IS NOT COVERED UNDER THE SETTLEMENT BECAUSE IT A HYBRID AND THEY WERE NOT INCLUDED IN THE SETTLEMENT. I THINK THAT THIS PREMATURE FAILURE OF AN ITEM THAT THEY WILL REPLACE IF DEFECTIVE IN 150,000 MILES OR TEN YEARS AS PART OF A SETTLEMENT TO AVOID A RECALL AND ASSOCIATED PUBLIC DISCLOSURE, SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER THE AGREEMENT. I HAVE THE PART FROM THE DEALER. EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE FEWER HYBRIDS ON THE ROAD AS A STATISTIC, IT ONLY TAKES ONE FAILURE TO CAUSE A TRAGIC RESULT. I CAN SEND THE PART FOR INVESTIGATION TO DETERMINE IF THERE WERE NOT ENOUGH SUPPLIERS AND PARTS IDENTIFIED PRIOR TO THE SETTLEMENT. *JS