NHTSA Complaint #10723687 — 2010 FORD ESCAPE

THE INDICATOR SHOWED UPON STARTING THE CAR, A RED WARNING LIGHT "ENGINE CHECK". I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE HOME LESS THAN A MILE IN AT A SLOW SPEED, NO ACCELERATION WAS POSSIBLE. THE NEXT MORNING MY HUSBAND FOLLOWED ME TO THE NEAREST LOCAL CAR REPAIR SHOP WHICH IS 12 MILES FROM MY HOME. AGAIN, NO ACCELERATION WAS POSSIBLE. THE CAR REQUIRED THAT THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE BODY BE REPLACED. THERE IS A FIELD SERVICE ACTION ON THIS MODEL. THE PREVIOUS YEAR THE CAR HAD BEEN TAKEN TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP, WHERE THE CAR WAS PURCHASED, FOR A VOLUNTARY SAFETY DEFECT CHECK FOR THIS SAME ISSUE. APPARENTLY THE TEMPORARY FIX, REPROGRAMMING THE CONTROL, THAT WAS PERFORMED ON MY VEHICLE THE PREVIOUS YEAR WAS NOT SATISFACTORY TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE. THIS IS A DANGER TO OPERATING VEHICLES, SINCE THERE IS NO WARNING UNTIL THE SERVICE GOES OUT IN THE PERFORMANCE OF THIS PART. FORTUNATELY I WAS NEAR MY HOME AT THE TIME OF THE OCCURRENCE AND WAS ABLE TO SAFELY GET TO A CAR REPAIR SHOP DOWN A RURAL ROAD FOR REPAIRS. I WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR ON A CITY STREET OR HIGHWAY. BASICALLY THE CAR SHOULD HAVE BEEN TOWED IN FOR REPAIRS. *TR