NHTSA Complaint #10966084 — 2016 FORD FUSION HYBRID

SEVERAL TIMES, WHILE DRIVING (VARIOUS SPEEDS FROM AROUND 35MPH TO 70MPH) THE "ENGINE" STALLED (I PUT 'ENGINE' IN QUOTES BECAUSE THIS IS A HYBRID SO "ENGINE", FOR ME, IS AN ANALOGUE FOR WHATEVER WAS PROPELLING THE CAR, AT THE TIME). THE FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED, I DIDN'T NOTICE AT FIRST (BEING A HYBRID, THE ENGINE TURNING OFF IS STATUS-QUO). IT WASN'T UNTIL I PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR AND FELT NO ACCELERATION THAT I HAD A CLUE SOMETHING WAS WRONG. THEN I NOTICED THE "YOUR CAR IS NOT IN PARK" [PARAPHRASE] MESSAGE ON THE DASH-DISPLAY. "WELL, I HOPE SO, SINCE I'M CAREENING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT 70MPH (ESTIMATE)!" IT TOOK ME A FEW CLICKS TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS HAPPENING. I WAS TEMPTED TO FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS AND PUT THE CAR IN PARK, BUT MY COMMON SENSE SCREAMED, "ARE YOU NUTS! YOU'LL BLOW THE TRANSMISSION!!". FORTUNATELY, WHEN THIS HAPPENED (AND THE THE 3 OTHER TIMES IT HAPPENED) THE ROAD WAS RELATIVELY CLEAR, AND I WAS ABLE TO COAST TO THE ROADSIDE AND RESTART THE CAR. AND, FYI: THE CAR STARTED RIGHT UP (IN IT'S QUIRKY HYBRID WAY) AND I WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE DOWN THE HIGHWAY. I'M A VERY COOL-HEADED PERSON THAT DOESN'T PANIC EASILY, SO I WAS ABLE TO HANDLE THIS WITHOUT INCIDENT, BUT THIS COULD EASILY LEAD TO A TERRIBLE RESULT, ESPECIALLY IN A HIGH TRAFFIC SITUATION, ESPECIALLY SINCE THE "NOT IN PARK" MESSAGE IS SO MISLEADING AND COULD EASILY DISTRACT ONE TO THE POINT OF CRASHING (ALSO, SOMEONE MIGHT ACTUALLY PUT THE CAR IN PARK WHILE SPEEDING DOWN THE HIGHWAY -- NOT SURE IF THAT WOULD CAUSE A PROBLEM, BUT IT CERTAINLY WON'T SOLVE IT)! NOTE: FOR THE "WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN?" QUESTION I ENTERED THE DATE OF THE MOST RECENT INCIDENT. DON'T REMEMBER WHEN IT FIRST HAPPENED (A FEW WEEKS AGO, I BELIEVE). FOR THE SPEED QUESTION, I ENTERED MY ESTIMATE OF THE HIGHEST SPEED OF ANY OF THE INCIDENTS.