NHTSA Complaint #10611135 — 2014 FORD FOCUS

WHILE CRUISING AT A STEADY 65MPH IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC ON THE INTERSTATE MY VEHICLE UNEXPECTEDLY WENT INTO WHAT THE FORD DEALER LATER CALLED "LIMP MODE." THE CAR LOST ALMOST ALL ITS POWER AND AT FIRST SEEMED TO BE STALLED. I WAS UNABLE TO ACCELERATE AND THE SPEED GRADUALLY DROPPED. THERE WERE TRACTOR-TRAILERS MERGING ONTO AND OFF THE INTERSTATE, AND I HAD A FEARFUL SENSATION OF GOING UP UNDER ONE. THERE WAS TOO MUCH TRAFFIC TO "BACK OFF" AND GO BEHIND THEM, AND I HAD NO ACCELERATION TO GET AROUND. IT FELT LIKE I WAS GOING TO BE "RUN OVER," AND I'M NOT SO SURE THE TRACTOR-TRAILER DRIVERS COULD EVEN SEE ME. AT THE NEXT EXIT I IMMEDIATELY LEFT THE INTERSTATE AND PULLED INTO A GAS STATION, TURNING OFF THE ENGINE. TAKING OFF AND ACCELERATING FROM THE INTERSTATE EXIT TO THIS STATION WAS ACTUALLY VERY DIFFICULT. IT FELT LIKE I WAS GOING TO CAUSE AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE THE CAR DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH ACCELERATION TO PROPERLY MANEUVER. I WAS NOT SURE WHAT HAPPENED AND IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AT THE NEAREST FORD DEALER. I SPOKE WITH A LADY WHO SEEMED VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT THE PROBLEM, (WHICH ACTUALLY WORRIES ME BECAUSE THAT MAKES IT SEEM LIKE A COMMON ISSUE), BUT OFFERED NO SOLUTION. SHE ALMOST SEEMED SLIGHTLY "IRRITATED," AS IF IT WAS SOMETHING SHE HAD "EXPLAINED MANY TIMES BEFORE." SHE SAID "TURN THE CAR OFF FOR ABOUT 10-15 MINUTES AND LET THE COMPUTER RESET. IF THERE IS A MAJOR PROBLEM IT WILL STILL BE IN 'LIMP MODE,' BUT MORE LIKELY IT WAS A FLUKE AND WILL TURN OFF." I ASKED, "WHY DID THIS HAPPEN? IT'S ONLY SIX MONTHS OLD AND I WAS JUST CRUISING DOWN THE HIGHWAY." HER RESPONSE WAS 'YEAH, IT JUST HAPPENS.'" I PERSONALLY FEEL LIKE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT COULD BE WIDESPREAD AND NEEDS INVESTIGATION. IT FELT LIKE A HIGHLY DANGEROUS SITUATION, AND IS APT TO REPEAT ITSELF. THE DEALER OFFERED NO IMMEDIATE SOLUTION OTHER THAN, "LET'S JUST SEE WHAT HAPPENS." *TR