NHTSA Complaint #10631245 — 2009 FORD ESCAPE

AT 35 MPH AND FOR NO APPARENT REASON, ENGINE STARTED SPUTTERING AND DID NOT RESPOND TO PRESSING ON GAS PEDAL. IN LESS THAN ONE MINUTE THE ENGINE QUIT RUNNING ALTOGETHER. I TURNED OFF IGNITION KEY AND WAITED A FEW SECONDS AND TRIED RESTARTING THE ENGINE. IT RESTARTED AND RAN PROPERLY AFTERWARDS. CALLED LOCAL FORD DEALER AND DESCRIBED PROBLEM AND THEY SAID IT WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE BODY - ABOUT AN $800 REPAIR. WENT ON LINE TO RESEARCH PROBLEM AND FOUND OUT THERE ARE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM YET FORD HAS DONE AND IS DOING NOTHING ABOUT IT. MY '09 ESCAPE HAS ONLY A LITTLE OVER 36,000 MILES ON IT. LUCKILY I WASN'T PULLING OUT INTO OR DRIVING IN HEAVY TRAFFIC WHEN THIS THING WENT OUT. I HOPE FORD DOESN'T WAIT UNTIL SOMEONE GETS SERIOUSLY INJURED OR WORSE BEFORE THEY CORRECT & RECALL VEHICLES FOR THIS PROBLEM. FORD SAYS YOU HAVE ENOUGH "POWER" LEFT TO GET OVER TO SAFETY BUT YOU REALLY DON'T. *TR