NHTSA Complaint #10693554 — 2010 FORD FUSION

I WAS DRIVING ABOUT 30 MPH ON A TWO LANE, RURAL ROAD WHEN SUDDENLY MY 2010 FORD FUSION STARTED SPUTTERING, COUGHING, JERKING. THE CAR SLOWED DOWN TO A CRAWL AND WOULD NOT RESPOND TO MY PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR; THEN THE ENGINE SHUT OFF AND A RED-WRENCH LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASH. I CRANKED THE CAR AGAIN; IN PARK, THE ENGINE SOUNDED FINE, BUT WHEN I PLACED IT IN DRIVE, THE SPUTTERING AND COUGHING STARTED AGAIN. I DROVE A FEW FEET, AGAIN WITHOUT ANY RESPONSE FROM THE ACCELERATOR, AND THE CAR SHUT OFF AGAIN. I REPEATED THIS THREE TIMES, ALL TO THE SAME EFFECT: DRIVE A FEW FEET, ENGINE IS COUGHING, SPUTTERING, JERKING, THEN ENGINE SHUTS OFF. AFTER THE THIRD TIME, I CRANKED IT, BUT WHILE STILL IN PARK I REVVED UP THE ENGINE AS HIGH AS I COULD (ACCELERATOR TO THE FLOOR). AFTER THAT, WHEN I PUT THE CAR IN DRIVE, THERE WAS NO COUGHING, NO SPUTTERING, NO JERKING, ACCELERATOR RESPONDED SMOOTHLY. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE HOME (HALF MILE) AND PARK THE CAR. BUT I AM TERRIFIED THE PROBLEM WILL HAPPEN AGAIN--THIS TIME IN HEAVY TRAFFIC OR EVEN ON THE INTERSTATE--AND THE ENGINE MAY AGAIN STOP WITHOUT WARNING WHILE I AM DRIVING ALONG. I AM EVEN TOO AFRAID TO DRIVE IT TO THE REPAIR SHOP. A SCARY DANGEROUS CAR. *TR