NHTSA Complaint #10816521 — 2014 FORD FUSION

I DRIVE A 2014 FORD FUSION SE WITH A 1.6L ECOBOOST AND A 6 SPD MANUAL TRANSMISSION. IT HAD APPROXIMATELY 40,500 MILES AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. UPON REACHING A SPEED OF 35-40 MPH WHILE ACCELERATING (I SHIFT AT 2500 RPM'S) I HEARD TWO CHIMES SIMILAR TO THE CHIMES THE CAR MAKES WHEN I START IT. ONCE THE CHIMES FINISHED SOUNDING MY INSTRUMENT PANEL WENT BLACK EXCEPT FOR THE NEEDLES WHICH ALL CAME TO A REST INTO THE "OFF" POSITION". THEY STILL REMAINED LIT. I HAD NO DASHBOARD LIGHTS. MY CAR LOST POWER AT THE SAME TIME AND THE STEERING BECAME SLIGHTLY HARDER THAN NORMAL. THERE WAS A VERY SMALL AMOUNT OF THROTTLE RESPONSE AND THEN NO RESPONSE. I WAS ABLE TO COAST ONTO A SIDE STREET WHERE THE CAR COMPLETELY WENT DEAD BY THE TIME I CAME TO A STOP. BEFORE COMING TO A STOP MY BRAKE PEDAL PUSHED DOWN EASIER THAN NORMAL. AT SOME POINT BEFORE COMING TO A STOP MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THEN WENT OFF ONCE THE CAR DIED. AFTER STAYING STOPPED FOR A FEW SECONDS I RESTARTED THE CAR AND CONTINUED DRIVING WITH NO ISSUES SINCE. WHEN THE CAR LOST POWER AND DIED THERE WAS NO STUTTERING OR STALLING. THE CAR SHUT ITSELF OFF VERY SMOOTHLY. THE NEXT DAY I TOOK THE CAR TO MY LOCAL FORD DEALER AND THEY PROMPTLY LOOKED AT IT. AFTER CONDUCTING A COMPUTER DIAGNOSTIC CHECK I WAS INFORMED THAT THERE HAD BEEN A, 'THROTTLE BODY INCIDENT'. I WAS ALSO INFORMED THAT IT APPEARED THAT THE AIR FILTER HAD NOT BEEN PROPERLY SEATED INTO ITS HOUSING WHEN CHANGED AT THE 30K MILE MAINTENANCE INTERVAL. THEY CONDUCTED FURTHER PINPOINTING AND LOCATED PARTICLES INSIDE THE THROTTLE BODY WHICH THEY CLEANED OFF. THE DEALER UPDATED THE PCM AND CONDUCTED A SATISFACTORY ROAD TEST. SINCE THE INCIDENT I HAVE PUT SEVERAL HUNDRED MILES ONTO THE CAR WITH NO ISSUES. I WAS FORTUNATE THIS OCCURRED ON A ROAD WITH LIGHT TRAFFIC AND WHILE NOT TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEED.