NHTSA Complaint #10762684 — 2010 FORD ESCAPE

ON AUGUST 31, 2015 I WAS LEAVING AN AIRPORT AND ACCELERATING TO MERGE ONTO A HIGHWAY. I BELIEVE I WAS CLOSE TO 60MPH WHEN I FELT SOMETHING IN MY CAR CHANGE. ALL OF THE ELECTRONICS WERE STILL WORKING, SO I KNEW IT WAS NOT AN ISSUE WITH MY BATTERY. THE WRENCH LIGHT APPEARED AND I REALIZED I WAS NO LONGER ABLE TO ACCELERATE. I IMMEDIATELY GOT OVER TO THE RIGHT LANE AND BY THIS TIME MY SPEED HAD DROPPED TO 40MPH. I WAS ABLE TO SAFELY PULL OVER AND PUT MY CAR INTO PARK. THE RPMS SPIKED AND I TURNED MY CAR OFF. AFTER WAITING A MINUTE OR SO I WAS ABLE TO RESTART MY CAR WITH NO PROBLEM. I GOT BACK ONTO THE HIGHWAY AND TOOK MY EXIT. MAYBE 5-7 MILES FROM THE LOCATION OF THE FIRST INCIDENT, I WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40MPH DOWN A 2-LANE STREET WHEN THE SAME THING HAPPENED. THIS TIME BOTH THE WRENCH LIGHT AND THE ENGINE LIGHT WERE ON. ONCE AGAIN I PULLED OVER, PUT MY CAR INTO PARK, THE RPM'S SPIKED HIGHER THIS TIME. I SHUT MY CAR OFF. I WAS AGAIN ABLE TO RESTART MY CAR RIGHT AWAY WITH NO PROBLEM. IN THE 9 DAYS SINCE THIS HAPPENED I HAVEN'T EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM AGAIN. I AM EXTREMELY NERVOUS MY ENGINE WILL SHUT OFF ON A HIGHWAY AGAIN, IN A LOCATION WHERE I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PULL OVER SAFELY. WHEN I CALLED FORD THEY SAID MY WARRANTY COVERS THE THROTTLE BODY, SO THEY HAVE SCHEDULED THE THROTTLE BODY REPAIR FOR SEPTEMBER 11, 2015. THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM, AND I THINK FORD NEEDS TO ADDRESS THIS FOR THE SAFETY OF ALL DRIVERS.