NHTSA Complaint #10861612 — 2013 FORD FUSION HYBRID

ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS, I HAVE EXPERIENCED A MOMENTARY LOSS OF CONTROL OF MY CAR WHEN BRAKING. THIS PROBLEM OCCURS WHEN DECELERATING AROUND A CURVE (LEFT OR RIGHT), DRIVING DOWNHILL, OR WHEN DECELERATING OVER A BUMP OR OTHER AREA OF RAISED PAVEMENT. THESE INSTANCES HAVE OCCURRED ON CITY STREETS, AT SPEEDS UNDER 40 MPH. WHEN IT OCCURS IT FEELS AS IF THE CAR IS SKIDDING, EVEN ON DRY PAVEMENT. I WOULD ALSO DESCRIBE THE FEELING AS A SURGE, EVEN THOUGH THE CAR IS BRAKING, AND SHOULD BE SLOWING. I HAVE ALSO DESCRIBED THIS AS A FEELING THAT THE BRAKES SLIP OR STOP WORKING MOMENTARILY AND THEN RE-ENGAGE. THE EXPERIENCE IS FRIGHTENING, AND I AM CONCERNED THAT THE CAR COULD SURGE FORWARD WHILE I AM BRAKING AND RESULT IN A COLLISION OR INJURIES. I PURCHASED THE CAR NEW IN 2013, AND HAVE DRIVEN THE CAR FEWER THAN 20,000 MILES. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR IN FOR SERVICE REGULARLY. THESE SURGES RECENTLY HAVE SEEMED LONGER IN DURATION MORE RECENTLY. I HAVE NOTED THIS CONCERN TO MY FORD DEALER TWICE IN THE LAST 12-15 MONTHS, AND ASKED THEM TO CHECK THE BRAKES FOR PROBLEMS. EACH TIME, THE DEALERSHIP HAS TOLD ME THAT THEY COULD NOT REPLICATE THE SURGE OR SKIDDING SENSATION. MOST RECENTLY, THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE EXPLAINED THAT I WAS PROBABLY NOTICING THE GASOLINE ENGINE KICK BACK IN AFTER THE CAR WAS IN BATTERY/ELECTRIC DRIVE. THIS EXPLANATION DOES NOT SQUARE WITH MY EXPERIENCE. I CAN DETERMINE WHEN THE CAR SHIFTS FROM BATTERY TO ENGINE OPERATION, AND THAT IS NOT THE CAUSE OF THESE BRAKING EVENTS. I READ THE COMPLAINTS OF A FEW OTHER FUSION 2013 HYBRID OWNERS WITH THE BRAKING SYSTEM, AND I WANTED TO ADD THAT THIS PROBLEM IS OCCURRING IN OTHER VEHICLES. THIS IS NOT A SAFE CONDITION. I WILL AGAIN BE TAKING MY CAR IN FOR SERVICE, AND ASKING FOR FORD TO INVESTIGATE THIS PROBLEM.