NHTSA Complaint #10747626 — 2008 FORD EDGE

WHILE DRIVING ON FREEWAY WITH CHILDREN IN CAR ON FREEWAY, CAR SUDDENLY MADE A HARD SOUND, SPEEDOMETER DROPPED TO 0 INSTANTLY, ALL DASH BOARD LIGHTS CAME ON, RPM STAYED BETWEEN 2 AND 3, ONCE TRAFFIC SLOWED AND ACCELERATOR WAS EASED OFF OF CAR BEGAN TO SLOW AND WOULD NOT PICK BACK UP SPEED WHEN PRESSED AGAIN- EVEN WHEN PUSHED ALL THE WAY DOWN. I PULLED OVER TO THE SHOULDER AND TURNED THE ENGINE OFF. THEN TURNED IT BACK ON. THEN I TRIED TO PUT IT INTO GEAR. THE ENGINE SOUND AS IF GAS WAS BEING GIVEN TO ENGINE FROM ACCELERATOR AND RPM WAS STUCK AT 2-3, WHEN PUT INTO GEAR, CAR JOLTED REALLY HARD AND MOVED EVER SO SLOWELY WHEN I TRIED TO DRIVE IT BACK INTO TRAFFIC TO GET MY FAMILY OFF FREEWAY, EVEN WHEN I PRESSED PEDAL ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR, CAR BARELY MOVED. I HAD TO KEEP TRYING MULTIPLE TIMES TO TURN ENGINE OFF, TRY TO PUT IT IN GEAR, AND GET CAR GOING JUST TO GET IT OFF FREEWAY TO SAFETY. CAR EVENTUALLY PULLED INTO GEAR AND DROVE NORMALLY AFTER SEVERAL TRIES. A SINGLE MOTHER, WITH INFANT AND OLDER CHILD ON BOARD, ON A VERY BUSY FREEWAY IS VERY, SCARY SCARY SCARY. THIS HAPPENS OFTEN ON EITHER THE FREEWAY (DRIVING FAST) OR DRIVING OUT OF THE PARK'S PARKING LOT AT SLOW PACE. CAR SLIPS OUT OF GEAR OR SOMETHING AND WILL NOT ACCELERATE WHEN I GIVE IT GAS.