NHTSA Complaint #11021392 — 2006 FORD ESCAPE HYBRID

I WAS DRIVING IN THE FAST LANE ON THE HIGHWAY AT 70 MPH WHEN MY CAR BASICALLY SHUT DOWN AND TOLD ME TO "PULL OVER SAFELY". A RED TRIANGLE (WITH THE EXCLAMATION POINT IN THE CENTER) APPEARED ON THE MESSAGE BOARD ALONG WITH THE "PULL OVER SAFELY" MESSAGE AND A CHIMING/ALERT SOUND. THIS WAS ON LABOR DAY, SO THE HIGHWAY WAS INCREDIBLY BUSY AND IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO CROSS OVER LANES AND "PULL OVER SAFELY". ADDITIONALLY, WHEN THIS MESSAGE APPEARS, IT PRETTY MUCH SHUTS DOWN YOUR CAR, NOT ALLOWING YOU TO ACCELERATE AT ALL WHICH ALSO MADE IT MORE DIFFICULT TO GET OVER. I MANAGED TO PULL OVER, TURNED OFF MY CAR AND THEN RESTARTED IT. THAT WAS ALL IT TOOK. NO ADDITIONAL MESSAGES OR PROBLEMS...YET. I PROBABLY HAD TO DRIVE AN ADDITIONAL 30 MILES OR SO HOME WITHOUT ANY ADDITIONAL MESSAGES SHOWING UP. THIS SERIOUSLY FRUSTRATED ME AS I HAVE YET TO BE ABLE TO FIND MUCH MORE INFORMATION ON THE ISSUE. IT SEEMS TO BE CAUSED FOR A DIFFERENT REASON FOR EACH PERSON. I HONESTLY DO NOT KNOW WHAT GENIUS AT FORD THOUGHT IT WAS A GOOD IDEA TO INCORPORATE THAT FEATURE INTO THE VEHICLE. IT WAS AN EXTREMELY SCARY SITUATION AND PUT THE SAFETY OF MYSELF, THOSE IN MY CAR, AND THE CARS AROUND ME AT A SERIOUS RISK FOR OUR SAFETY. IN ADDITION, IT IS VERY HARD TO FEEL SAFE DRIVING IN MY CAR NOW, AS I DO NOT KNOW WHEN THIS WILL HAPPEN AGAIN OR WHAT WILL PROMPT IT.