NHTSA Complaint #11230430 — 2013 FORD ESCAPE

MID-DAY, 91 DEGREES. CAR SHUDDERED REVERSING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY. NO PREVIOUS PROBLEMS. I WAITED AND CAR IDLED WELL. I LEFT THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND TURNED LEFT INTO TRAFFIC ON A FIVE-LANE ROAD. I LOST ACCELERATION MERGING FROM THE CENTER TURNING LANE. THE VEHICLE REVVED, GETTING FUEL, BUT THERE WAS NO FORWARD MOVEMENT, NO SHUDDERING, NOTHING. I MOVED THE VEHICLE INTO "SPORT" MODE, IN CASE I HAD BUMPED THE SELECTOR, BUT IT MADE NO DIFFERENCE. TRAFFIC HONKED AND SWERVED AROUND ME. I WAS ABLE TO GET INTO THE RIGHT LANE WITH MY HAZARD LIGHTS ON. MY CAR SHUDDERED OFF, COMPLETELY AND I LOST POWER STEERING JUST AS I COMPLETED THE MANEUVER. I RESTARTED MY VEHICLE AND THE VEHICLE SHUDDERED TO A SIDE-STREET, WHERE I IDLED FOR FIVE MINUTES AND CALLED FOR ASSISTANCE. ASSISTANCE WAS GOING TO TAKE A LONG TIME AND I SUFFER FROM A MEDICAL CONDITION THAT MAKES ME FRAGILE IN THE HEAT. I TESTED THE VEHICLE ON THE SIDE STREETS AND IT PERFORMED. I WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE HOME SLOWLY.