NHTSA Complaint #10995633 — 2015 FORD ESCAPE

ELECTRIC THROTTLE BODY FAILURE AND LIMP MODE CAUSES UNSAFE BREAK DOWNS: WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AT ABOUT 70 MPH THE HIGHWAY MY CAR VERY RAPIDLY DECELERATED AND SEVERAL SERVICE LIGHTS TURNED ON. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF OF THE HIGHWAY AND RAN A VEHICLE HEALTH REPORT. THE REPORT INDICATED A FAILURE TO THE RESTRAINT SYSTEM (DEFINED AS AIRBAGS OR SEATBELT). THIS MEANS THAT IF THE SUDDEN DECELERATION WITHOUT BRAKE LIGHTS HAD CAUSED A COLLISION THE AIRBAGS MAY HAVE ALSO MALFUNCTIONED. IN ADDITION TO THE SAFETY SYSTEM MALFUNCTION A POWERTRAIN MALFUNCTION, AND TC, IVD, RSC EVENT OF FAULT WAS REPORTED. I TOOK THE CAR TO A DEALERSHIP AND THEY DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS A ELECTRIC THROTTLE BODY MALFUNCTION. THEY SAID IT WAS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM. IT DOESN'T SEEM SAFE TO HAVE A CAR RAPIDLY DECELERATE ITSELF WHEN A PART FAILS ESPECIALLY IF THAT CAUSES THE COMPUTER TO REPORTS A SAFETY SYSTEM MALFUNCTION AS WELL.