NHTSA Complaint #10604407 — 2008 MERCURY MARINER HYBRID

TRAVELING DOWN THE INTERSTATE, LEFT LANE @ 70 MPH. I HAD 1 VEHICLE BEHIND ME AND A SEMI TRUCK / TRAILER TO THE RIGHT AND ONE BEHIND HIM. WITHOUT WARNING THE ENGINE DIED AND I BEGAN COASTING IN TRAFFIC. I HIT MY FLASHERS AND THANKFULLY THE VEHICLE BEHIND ME WAS ALERT AND NOTICED MY INSTANT LOSS OF SPEED AND FLASHERS. THEY SLOWED LONG ENOUGH FOR BOTH BIG TRUCKS TO PASS ON MY RIGHT AND FOR ME TO GET OVER TO THE SHOULDER ON I-70. QUICK RESEARCH TURNS UP POSSIBLE ISSUES WITH A MECHANICAL / ELECTRICAL PUMP OR MAYBE THE THROTTLE BODY. I CALLED THE FORD DEALERSHIP AND TALKED TO THE SERVICE MANAGER WHO DIDN'T HAVE A CLUE WHAT WOULD CAUSE THE ISSUE AND WAS SURPRISED THAT I FOUND SEVERAL POSTINGS ON THE INTERNET WHERE PEOPLE HAD THE SAME ISSUE IN THE SAME MODEL VEHICLE. I VISITED THE FORD DEALERSHIP AND SPOKE WITH THE PARTS DEPARTMENT (2 INDIVIDUALS) WHO COULDN'T DECIDE WHICH WAS THE CORRECT PART NUMBER FOR THE MECHANICAL / ELECTRICAL PUMP. IT IS JUST A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE SOMEONE EXPERIENCES THIS ISSUE AND CAN'T GET OUT OF TRAFFIC AND IS INVOLVED IN A SERIOUS OR FATAL ACCIDENT AS A RESULT. IT IS A KNOWN ISSUE AND I ALSO NOTICED THERE IS A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT FILING BECAUSE SO MANY HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS SAME ISSUE. I'D BE INTERESTED TO KNOW WHAT CRITERIA NEEDS TO BE MET BEFORE THE NHTSA TAKES ACTION AGAINST FORD / MERCURY. *TR