NHTSA Complaint #10608718 — 2007 MERCURY MARINER HYBRID

I WAS DRIVING MY '07 MARINER HYBRID ON THE NJ TURNPIKE AT FREEWAY SPEEDS WHEN THE RED TRIANGLE & MESSAGE "STOP SAFELY NOW" APPEARED ON THE DASH. THE PROPULSION SYSTEM STOPPED AND I WAS ABLE TO NAVIGATE OFF TO THE SHOULDER AND BRING THE VEHICLE TO A SAFE STOP. HAVING AN IMMEDIATE LOSS OF POWER WHILE TRAVELING ON THE TURNPIKE WAS VERY SCARY AND I FELT UNSAFE KNOWING THAT I DIDN'T HAVE ANY OPTIONS BUT TO EXIT THE FREEWAY IMMEDIATELY. THIS COULD HAVE RESULTED IN AN ACCIDENT. AFTER LETTING THE SYSTEM SIT FOR ABOUT 20-MINUTES I STARTED THE VEHICLE AND RESUMED MY TRAVEL. SAME ERROR MESSAGE AND LOSS OF PROPULSION HAPPENED AGAIN, AND THIS TIME I NAVIGATED THE HYBRID TO A FORD DEALER IN NJ. IT'S VERY SCARY TO BE TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND THEN A SECOND LATER NOT HAVE ANY PROPULSION. THIS COULD BE HANDLED MUCH BETTER AND I RECOMMEND THE ENGINE CONTINUE TO PERFORM SO THAT I CAN SAFELY EXIT THE FREEWAY WITH MORE TIME. *JS