NHTSA Complaint #10606521 — 2006 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID

WE WERE DRIVING EAST ON I-26 IN SOUTH CAROLINA AT 65 MPH IN 3 LANES OF TRAFFIC WHEN THE TRIANGLE HAZARD WARNING LIGHT ON THE DASH SOUNDED AND LIT UP SAYING "PULL OVER SAFELY NOW". AT THE SAME TIME , WITH THE GAS PEDDLE FLOORED, THE SPEED OF THE CAR WAS SLOWING BY THE SECOND! THE GAS PEDDLE DID NOT WORK. WE WERE ABLE TO PULL OVER AND TURN THE CAR OFF WITHOUT GETTING HIT BY ONCOMING TRAFFIC. PER THE MANUAL, WE WAITED AWHILE AND RESTARTED THE CAR, AND WERE ABLE TO GET IT HOME. I CALLED THE FORD CUSTOMER CARE LINE TO ASK IF IT WAS SAFE TO DRIVE THE CAR AND WOULD THIS HAPPEN AGAIN. THEY WERE NOT HELPFUL AT ALL. THEY BASICALLY TOLD ME TO TAKE IT TO A DEALERSHIP. OUR LOCAL DEALERSHIP SAID THEY KNEW NOTHING ABOUT THE ISSUE I DESCRIBED, BUT DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS BEING AN MECS PUMP FAILURE FOR $135. THE REPLACEMENT COST WOULD BE $800. DUE TO THE HIGH COST QUOTE AND KNOWING THAT IT ONLY TAKES 45 MINUTES OR LESS TO CHANGE THIS PUMP, WE TOOK IT ELSEWHERE. THE PART IS $277. OUR CONCERN IS THAT HOW COULD FORD DEALERS NOT KNOW ABOUT THIS DANGEROUS DEFECT, WHEN IN 3 SECONDS YOU CAN PULL UP HUNDREDS OF WEBSITES COVERING THIS FAILURE, AND THE DANGEROUS AND POTENTIALLY FATAL ACCIDENT IT COULD CAUSE. NOW I HAVE FOUND THIS US DOT WEBSITE WHICH HAS HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS ON THIS ISSUE ALSO,I AM HOPING MORE PEOPLE WILL COME FORWARD TO GET THESE CARS OFF THE ROAD. *TR