NHTSA Complaint #10775456 — 2013 FORD EDGE

DRIVING FORD EDGE 2013 APPROX. 40 MPH ON HIGHWAY WHEN THE VEHICLE CAME TO ALMOST A DEAD STOP. IT SEEMED AS IF THE BRAKES BECAME FULLY ENGAGED OR THE TRANSMISSION SEIZED. A TRUCK BEHIND US SWERVED AND BRAKED AND ALMOST CRASHED INTO US. MY 2 CHILDREN AND I WOULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. THE VEHICLE SHOOK VIOLENTLY AS IT MOVED ABOUT 2 MPH. I BARELY WAS ABLE TO GET IT OVER TO THE RIGHT, OFF THE HIGHWAY. IT WOULD NOT GO ANY FURTHER. A RED WRENCH ICON LIT ON THE DASH. I TOWED IT TO MIDWAY FORD. SERVICE MANAGER STATED THE THROTTLE BODY PART IS DEFECTIVE AND RECALLED, BUT RESETS ITSELF IF VEHICLE IS TURNED OFF FOR A WHILE, SO IF I DID NOT TURN OFF THE VEHICLE, FORD WOULD FIX IT FOR FREE. SINCE I TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE AND IT RESET, I HAD TO PAY HIM $900 TO REPLACE IT. SINCE I DID NOT HAVE $900, HE ADVISED ME TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE VERY SLOWLY ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD FROM NOW ON, AS A PRECAUTION SO MY CHILDREN OR I DO NOT GET INJURED OR KILLED THE NEXT TIME IT HAPPENS. IF THIS IS FORD'S CRITERIA FOR REPLACING THIS LIFE THREATENING DEFECTIVE PART, THAT IT MUST BE IN ACTIVE DEFECT STATUS WHEN ARRIVING AT THE DEALER, THEN NOT ONLY HAS FORD HAS FOUND A WAY TO BEAT PAYING FOR THE 1.6 MILLION VEHICLES THEY AGREED TO RECALL WITH THIS DEFECT, SINCE YOU CAN'T DRIVE THE VEHICLE AT 900 RPM TO THE DEALER, OR TOW IT WHILE RUNNING, BUT FORD IS GETTING RICH OFF THE RECALL (THE PART IS ABOUT $185 AND TAKES 15 MINUTES TO REPLACE), AND 1.6 MILLION PEOPLE MUST PAY FORD $900 TO FIX A RECALLED DEFECTIVE PART.