NHTSA Complaint #10806377 — 2008 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID

IN 2012, I WAS DRIVING ON FREEWAY AT APPROX 70MPH WHEN I HEARD THE WARNING SOUND AND RED LIGHT WARNING ME TO "STOP SAFELY NOW." I HAD TO CROSS FOUR LANES OF TRAFFIC AND BARELY GOT TO THE SHOULDER BEFORE THE POWER SHUT DOWN COMPLETELY. I WAITED AND IT RESTARTED, BUT IT DID IT TWO MORE TIMES BEFORE I REACHED MY DESTINATION. I CALLED AND TOOK MY VEHICLE FOR REPAIR, WHICH WAS DETERMINED TO BE THE COOLANT PUMP (COST $1010.96). THE NEXT YEAR A RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE OCCURRED AND I WAS REFUNDED THE COST FOR REPAIR. TODAY, 2015, THE SAME ISSUE OCCURRED. THIS TIME I HAD JUST PULLED OFF FROM A TRAFFIC LIGHT MAKING A U-TURN, SO TRAVELING MAYBE 10 MPH WHEN I GOT THE SAME SOUND AND WARNING RED LIGHT AS I FELT THE ENGINE LOSING POWER. I GOT THROUGH THE BUSY INTERSECTION AND SAFELY TO THE SHOULDER. I IMMEDIATELY DROVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP. THIS TIME I WAS TOLD THE ISSUE WAS THE THROTTLE BODY. IT WAS CLEANED AND REPROGRAMMED (COST $369.15; I WAS TOLD MY VEHICLE IS NOT IN THE VIN# GROUP). WHILE THE COSTS HAVE BEEN HIGH FINANCIALLY, WE ARE MOSTLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE POTENTIAL COSTS FROM HAVING THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY LOSE POWER AND SHUT DOWN. BOTH TIMES I HAVE BEEN VERY LUCKY TO AVOID CRASHES. SAME SYMPTOMS, DIFFERENT DIAGNOSES; CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN NEXT.