NHTSA Complaint #10776607 — 2012 FORD EXPLORER

I WAS DRIVING MY 2012 FORD EXPLORER AT A REDUCED SPEED, APPROACHING AN UNPROTECTED LEFT TURN ON GREEN WHEN MY CAR SUDDENLY JERKED AND SPUTTERED AND LOST SPEED TRIGGERING THE WRENCH ICON TO LIGHT UP ON MY PANEL. I WAS APPLYING GAS TO COMPLETE THE INTERSECTION WITH NO ACCELERATION. I CRAWLED THROUGH THE INTERSECTION AS MY CAR CONTINUED TO LOSE POWER AND IDLE LOUDLY AND SPUTTER. I WAS BARELY ABLE TO GET OFF THE ROAD AND HAD THIS BEEN A BUSIER TIME OF THE MORNING COULD HAVE BEEN IN A SIDE IMPACT CRASH. THE SERVICE CENTER CLEANED THE THROTTLE BODY AND THE PROBLEM APPEARED TO BE SOLVED UNTIL ALMOST A YEAR LATER 9/25/2015, AS I HAD JUST SHIFTED FROM REVERSE TO DRIVE AND AS I ACCELERATED AND BEGAN DRIVING, MY CAR SUDDENLY SPUTTERED AND WENT INTO THE SAME STALL DESCRIBED ABOVE. I APPLIED GAS AND TRIED TO ACCELERATE WITH NO SUCCESS. THE WRENCH LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. I WAS TOLD TO TURN IT OFF AND THEN BACK ON WHICH ALLOWED ME TO DRIVE IT WITH CAUTION, TO THE SERVICE CENTER. AFTER DIAGNOSIS AT MY LOCAL SERVICE CENTER, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE BODY IS WORN OUT AND NEEDS REPLACED. MY VEHICLE ISN'T EVEN 5 YEARS OLD. THIS IS VERY PERPLEXING. THE INCIDENTS ARE UNSETTLING AND SHOULD IT HAPPEN ON A BUSY ROADWAY OR WHILE ACCELERATING TO MAKE TURNS OR PASS A PERSON IS AT A GREAT RISK OF BEING INJURED OR KILLED.