NHTSA Complaint #11023363 — 2012 FORD FUSION

VEHICLE EXPERIENCES SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER AT ANY SPEED WITHOUT ANY WARNING. THE POWERTRAIN WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATES, THE CAR BECOMES UNABLE TO ACCELERATE BEYOND 15MPH, AND THE CAR MUST BE PULLED OVER IN DANGEROUS TRAFFIC CONDITIONS. ONCE PULLED OVER AND PLACED IN PARK, THE ENGINE ATTEMPTS TO REV ITSELF UNTIL THE VEHICLE IS TURNED OFF. AFTER RESTARTING THE VEHICLE SEVERAL TIMES, THE POWERTRAIN WARNING LIGHT WILL TURN OFF AND THE CAR WILL FUNCTION NORMALLY. THIS ISSUE OCCURRED SELDOMLY AT FIRST, BUT WITHIN A MONTH THE CAR BECAME NON-DRIVEABLE DUE TO THE ISSUE OCCURRING EVERY FEW MINUTES WHILE DRIVING, WHICH PRESENTS A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY HAZARD ESPECIALLY IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE TAKATA AIRBAG. THE ISSUE HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED BY A FORD DEALER AS A FAULTY ELECTRONIC THROTTLE BODY. FORD HAD PREVIOUSLY ISSUED A CUSTOMER SATISFACTION PROGRAM 13N03 TO SATISFY THE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS OF THIS SAME ISSUE, BUT THE PARAMETERS OF THE PROGRAM WERE SO NARROW THAT DESPITE THE VEHICLE POSSESSING THE SAME THROTTLE BODY AND WITHIN THE SAME MODEL YEAR AND MAKE, THE VEHICLE DOES NOT QUALIFY. THE PROGRAM ALSO EXPIRED QUICKLY DESPITE THE ISSUE PRESENTING ITSELF THROUGHOUT THE LIFETIME OF THE CAR WITH MANY WHO BOUGHT THESE VEHICLES USED.