NHTSA Complaint #10875020 — 2012 FORD ESCAPE

I PURCHASED MY 2012 FORD ESCAPE IN 2012. ABOUT 2 YRS. LATER AS I EXITED OFF A RAMP OF OUR LOCAL BY-PASS, THE CAR UNEXPECTANTLY ACCELERATED WITHOUT PRESSING ON THE ACCELERATOR. I WAS QUITE FRIGHTENED; AND, AFTER APPLYING THE BRAKE SEVERAL TIMES, I GOT THE CAR STOPPED. I CALLED OUR FORD DEALER; HAD THE CAR TOWED; THE SERVICE MECHANICS PUT IT ON A COMPUTER WHICH "DID NOT" PICK UP ANY RECENT MALFUNCTION. THEY SAID THE CAR WAS SAFE TO DRIVE. THE MOST RECENT CALAMITY OCCURRED ON MAY 29, 2016 IN THE PARKING LOT OF OUR CHURCH. I WAS DRIVING; MY HUSBAND WAS THE PASSENGER. AS I PULLED MY CAR INTO A PARKING SPACE, I REALIZED I NEEDED TO STRAIGHTEN IT OUT. UPON MY OBSERVATION OF ANOTHER CAR COMING IN TO PARK BEHIND ME, I WAITED UNTIL THE CAR WAS PARKED, PUT MY CAR IN REVERSE, AND "ALL HELL BROKE LOOSE". THE CAR FULLY ACCELERATED IN REVERSE AND CRASHED INTO THE PARKED CAR. FORTUNATELY THERE WERE NO INJURIES; HOWEVER, DAMAGE TO THE R REAR OF MY ESCAPE, AND EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE R SIDE OF THE OTHER VEHICLE. THIS INCIDENT COULD HAVE HAD DEVASTATING RESULTS: (1) IF THE PASSENGER IN THE OTHER CAR WOULD HAVE BEEN GETTING OUT SECONDS BEFORE, HE WOULD HAVE BEEN KILLED! (2) IF THE OTHER CAR HAD NOT BEEN PARKED, MY VEHICLE WOULD HAVE CONTINUED OVER A SMALL EMBANKMENT (POSSIBLY TURNING OVER) AND TAKING WITH IT NUMEROUS OTHER PARKED CARS AND MEMBERS WALKING INTO THE SERVICE. UPON EXAMINING MY VEHICLE AND HEARING THE REPORT OF THE ACCIDENT, OUR INSURANCE ADJUSTOR/APPRAISER WAS WISE ENOUGH TO TAKE THE CAR "OFF THE ROADS"! HE DEEMED IT A TOTAL LOSS. THIS ACCIDENT HAS BEEN VERY TRAUMATIC FOR ME~~CAUSING ME UNDUE RESTRAINT IN WANTING TO DRIVE. I HAVE BEEN A SAFE DRIVER FOR 56 YEARS WITHOUT AN ACCIDENT. I TRUST THAT FORD MOTOR WILL BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR WHATEVER DEFECT CAUSED THIS INCIDENT - POSSIBLY THE ETB (ELECTRONIC THROTTLE BODY). WE WERE NEVER NOTIFIED OF ANY RECALLS.