NHTSA Complaint #10619541 — 2008 MERCURY MARINER HYBRID

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE SHUTS OFF WITH A RED TRIANGLE AND THE DISPLAY SAYS TO PULL OFF SAFELY. THIS HAS HAPPENED ABOUT 6 TIMES ALREADY. I HAVE TAKEN IT BACK TO THE FORD DEALER AND THEY REPLACED THE THROTTLE BODY BECAUSE THERE IS A SENSOR THAT FAILS IN THE UNIT AND THEY EXPLAINED THE FACTORY CALIBRATES THE WHOLE UNIT WITH A STEEP PRICE TAG. LUCKY I STILL HAVE 5000 MILES TILL WARRANTY EXPIRES. I GUESS A NUMBER OF TIMES IT WAS NOT A BIG DEAL TO PULL OVER ON THE SHOULDER AND RESTART THE VEHICLE AND CARRY ON. THIS LAST TIME WE HAD SERVICE DONE TO THE VEHICLE I INFORMED THE FORD SERVICE AGENT THAT WE WERE GOING ON A LONG TRIP AND IF WE SHOULD GET A RENTAL. HE WAS CONFIDENT THE WORK THEY PERFORMED WOULD RESOLVE THE SHUT DOWN ISSUE. WE LEFT LA AND WENT ON OUR WAY TO BISHOP FOR A GROUP HIKING TRIP. THE MARINER RAN FINE FOR 3/4 OF THE WAY AND AGAIN WHILE DRIVING ON A 2 LANE ROAD THE MARINER SHUTS OFF. I NEGOTIATED TO THE RIGHT AS MY SPEED WAS DECLINING AND A 18 WHEELER WAS PASSING ME UP ON THE RIGHT AND THE CAR BEHIND ME WAS GAINING ON MY REAR. IT WAS A BIT SCARY BUT WE MANAGED TO PULL OVER SAFELY. UPON TURNING OFF THE MARINER IGNITION AND RESTARTING WE CARRIED ON TO THE DESTINATION. IT WAS RAINING AND A ROAD CONDITIONS WERE NOT THE BEST BUT WE DID NOT WANT TO BE STRANDED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. ONCE AGAIN AFTER DRIVING FOR 10 MINUTES THE MARINER SHUT OFF AND WITH THE LOSS OF POWER. NOT A SAFE SITUATION TO HAVE YOUR ENGINE SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING IN A FREEWAY AT SPEED OF 65 AND TO SUDDENLY LOSS YOUR ENGINE WITH NO ABILITY TO ACCELERATE OUT OF A UNSAFE SITUATION. IT COULD BE VERY DANGEROUS IF WE WERE TRAVELING ON A WINDY SINGLE LANE ROAD WITHOUT A SHOULDER AS THERE ARE A BUNCH IN THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS WHERE WE HIKE. IT WOULD NOT BE SAFE TO STOP AND DEAL WITH THIS SITUATION AS CARS ARE COMING UP A HILL AND YOUR TRYING TO RESET THE IGNITION COMPUTER SYSTEM. *TR