NHTSA Complaint #10839992 — 2011 FORD ESCAPE

WHILE MERGING ONTO THE INTERSTATE THE THE CAR SUDDENLY BEGAN TO ACCELERATE AT FULL THROTTLE. TEMP ~30 DEG, ROAD - DRY PAVEMENT ODOMETER: 110367.0 MILES. THE THROTTLE BODY WAS REPLACED IN SEPTEMBER 2015 BY THE FORD DEALER, AS WELL AS A NEW EXHAUST SYSTEM AT THE SAME TIME. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON THE DAY BEFORE. INCIDENT: I DO NOT KNOW MY ACTUAL SPEED AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT BECAUSE I WAS MERGING ON TO THE INTERSTATE. IT WAS A LONG RAMP, I AM PRETTY SURE I WAS GOING AT LEAST 45MPH. I WAS ACCELERATING TO MERGE ON. ALL OF A SUDDEN THE ENGINE STARTED TO RACE AND THE CAR PROCEEDED TO ACCELERATE EVEN FASTER. I IMMEDIATELY PUSHED ON MY BRAKES WHICH HELPED TO KEEP ME FROM HITTING THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO RACE AS I WAS DEPRESSING THE BRAKE. I SHUT THE ENGINE OFF AND STEERED MY WAY TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I PUT THE CAR INTO NEUTRAL AND ONCE I STOPPED I PUT THE CAR INTO PARK. I PROCEEDED TO TRY TO START THE CAR, BUT THE ENGINE RACED LIKE IT WAS AT FULL THROTTLE. I IMMEDIATELY SHUT IT OFF. I TRIED TWO MORE TIMES WITH THE SAME RESULT. I CALLED MY HUSBAND'S MECHANIC WHOSE BUSINESS WAS CLOSE BY TO ASK HIS OPINION ABOUT WHAT TO DO NEXT. WITH HIM LISTENING ON THE PHONE, I STARTED THE ENGINE, BUT THIS TIME IS STARTED UP CORRECTLY. MAYBE A TOTAL OF 10 MINUTES HAD PASSED FROM THE FIRST INSTANCE OF ME HAVING TO PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND THIS LAST TRY WHEN IT STARTED CORRECTLY. I DROVE THE CAR TO THE MECHANIC'S BUSINESS ABOUT 5 MILES AWAY. I WANTED HIM TO CHECK THE CODE FOR WHY THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON AND IF THAT WAS A FACTOR FOR THE THROTTLE ISSUE. THE CODE FOR THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT READ: CODE#: P0456 - (EVAP) SYSTEM LEAK DETECTED ( VERY SMALL LEAK). WE ALSO CHECKED THE FLOOR MATS, BUT THERE WAS NO ISSUE WITH THEM. [THE MATS DID COME WITH THE CAR AT TIME OF PURCHASE FROM THE DEALER] PURCHASED:11/30/2010