NHTSA Complaint #10683684 — 2008 MERCURY MARINER HYBRID

EXPERIENCED THE SECOND OF TWO IN-TRAFFIC DRIVE-TRAIN SHUT-DOWNS AS DANGEROUS AS THE G.M. IGNITION SWITCH MALFUNCTIONS (SEE ODI#: 10683675) OUR INITIAL STOPPING PLACE - IN A "REVERSE GORE-POINT" BETWEEN THE N/B FREEWAY LANES OF THE I-405 FREEWAY IN SANTA ANA, CA AND AN OUTSIDE TRANSITION ROAD WAS UNSAFE IN THE FULL-DARKNESS OF A NON-ILLUMINATED HIGH-SPEED INTERSECTION; WITH TRAFFIC ZOOMING BY ON BOTH SIDES, WITH THE FLASHERS STILL ACTIVE, I RES-STARTED THE ENGINE -- ALL DASH WARNINGS CYCLED ON THEN OFF NORMALLY; ON A DISTINCT UP-GRADE, I REVV'D THE ENGINE AGAINST THE SERVICE BRAKES, AND WATCHED FOR A SUITABLE GAP IN TRAFFIC OVER-TAKING US ON OUR RIGHT SIDE. SEEING SUCH A GAP, I RELEASED THE SERVICE BRAKES AND ACCELERATED TO 30 MPH TOWARDS THE OUTER SHOULDER...BUT ONLY MADE IT PART-WAY ACROSS THE 2 LANES WHEN THE SECOND SHUT-DOWN OCCURRED...THE SAME "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT...THE SAME SQUEALING ENUNCIATOR TONE... THE SAME WORTHLESS "STOP SAFELY NOW" MESSAGE AND AGAIN, THANKS TO COURTEOUS AND ALERT OVER-TAKING DRIVERS, I WAS ABLE TO COAST TO A RELATIVELY BROAD SHOULDER SECTION BESIDE A `DISAPPEARING' RIGHT TRAVEL LANE. IT WAS NOW 7:55PM. WE WERE ON OUR CELL PHONE TO THE AAA WHEN A HIGHWAY PATROL OFFICER STOPPED BEHIND US TO CHECK OUR SITUATION, AND PROVIDE ADDITIONAL PROTECTION UNTIL A TOW-TRUCK COULD ARRIVE ON-SCENE. THIS IS THE SECOND OF OUR FAMILY'S FOMOCO HYBRIDS TO EXPERIENCE SUCH IN-USE DRIVE-TRAIN SHUT-DOWNS THAT PROVIDE THE DRIVER WITH NO USABLE WARNINGS OF IMPENDING DOOM - NOT EVEN "LIMP-AWAY POWER" ... THE "AFTER-IT'S-TOO-LATE" MESSAGE-PANEL MIGHT AS WELL DISPLAY "KISS YOUR A$$ GOODBYE". THE IDIOT FOMOCO ENGINEERS WHO DECIDED TO "PROTECT" THE HYBRID BATTERY BY "STALLING" THE VEHICLE ON THE FREEWAY OBVIOUSLY NEVER CONSIDERED WHAT A FREEWAY-SPEED REAR-END IMPACT WOULD DO TO THEIR PRECIOUS BATTERY...OR TO THE "REPLACEABLE" LIVING OCCUPANTS OF THE VEHICLE. *TR