NHTSA Complaint #10616465 — 2011 FORD ESCAPE

THIS PROBLEM HAPPENED TWO TIMES WITHIN ABOUT 30 MINUTES TIME, SO I DROVE IMMEDIATELY HOME, PARKED THE CAR, AND CALLED MY DEALER, WHO SPECULATED THAT THE TROUBLE WAS DUE TO THE "THROTTLE BODY." THE FIRST TIME, I WAS IDLING AT A RED LIGHT AND WHEN THE LIGHT CHANGED TO GREEN AND I TRIED TO ACCELERATE, I HAD NO ACCELERATION. THE VEHICLE JUST SAT THERE, WITH NO INDICATION OF ANY POWER TO BE HAD TO THE THROTTLE. I TURNED ON MY EMERGENCY FLASHERS, PUT THE CAR IN "PARK," TURNED OFF THE IGNITION, TURNED IT BACK ON, PUT THE CAR IN "DRIVE," AND THE CAR BEGAN TO DRIVE NORMALLY. SEVERAL MINUTES LATER, AFTER PARKING THE CAR, CONDUCTING AN ERRAND, AND THEN RE-STARTING THE CAR AND BACKING OUT OF A DRIVEWAY, THE THROTTLE DID THE SAME THING IN THE MIDDLE OF A STREET: TRIED TO ACCELERATE IN "DRIVE" AND GOT NOTHING UNTIL SHUTTING OFF THE IGNITION AND RE-STARTING. PREVIOUSLY, OVER THE COURSE OF THE PAST SIX MONTHS, I EXPERIENCED WHAT SEEMS TO BE A SIMILAR, THOUGH OPPOSITE, PROBLEM WITH THE THROTTLE. OCCASIONALLY WHILE DRIVING, I WOULD HEAR AND FEEL WHAT SEEMED TO ME TO BE A SMALL SURGE OF POWER WHILE ACCELERATING ON SURFACE ROADS. I ASSUMED AT THAT TIME THAT IT WAS A TRANSMISSION PROBLEM AND MENTIONED IT TO THE DEALER WHEN I TOOK THE CAR IN FOR AN OIL CHANGE AND NORMAL SERVICING. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT CHECKED THE TRANSMISSION AND FOUND NO PROBLEM WITH IT. I BELIEVE NOW, AFTER READING ABOUT THE THROTTLE PROBLEMS WITH THIS MODEL ON NCCONSUMER.ORG, THAT THOSE INCIDENTS WERE LIKELY DUE TO THE THROTTLE BODY MALFUNCTIONING AS WELL. I EXPERIENCED APPROXIMATELY 10-12 OF THESE POWER SURGE INCIDENTS. *TR