NHTSA Complaint #11372970 — 2016 FORD ESCAPE

I WAS ON MY WAY HOME AFTER DROPPING MY HUSBAND OFF AT WORK WHEN MY LOW TIRE PRESSURE LIGHT CAME ON. I TURNED AROUND AND HEADED TO THE NEAREST GAS STATION WITH FREE AIR. I DROVE FOR APPROXIMATELY ANOTHER 10 MINUTES AND WAS ONLY TWO BLOCKS FROM THE GAS STATION. I WAS STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT ON A MAIN ROAD DURING MORNING RUSH HOUR. THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN. FROM A DEAD STOP, I ACCELERATED TO ABOUT 25 MPH, JUST GOT PAST THE INTERSECTION, WHEN THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY LOST POWER AND THE GAS PEDDLE STOPPED WORKING. I ONLY HAD ENOUGH MOMENTUM TO MAKE IT ABOUT 50 FEET BEFORE THE VEHICLE STOPPED COMPLETELY. LUCKILY, I MADE IT ALMOST ALL THE WAY INTO A LEFT TURN LANE. THE TRAFFIC PASSING WAS SO CLOSE THAT MY CAR SHOOK EACH TIME I WAS PASSED. I WAS TERRIFIED I'D BE STRUCK FROM BEHIND BY A PASSING VEHICLE. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP TO INFORM THEM OF WHAT HAPPENED AND THAT I'D BE HAVING MY CAR TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP. HAVING NO IDEA WHAT HAD HAPPENED, I WASN'T SURE IF I'D DO MORE DAMAGE BY TRYING TO START THE CAR AGAIN, SO I CALLED A TOW TRUCK. THE DEALERSHIP DID NOT OFFER TO TOW MY VEHICLE FOR ME AND I HAD TO PAY $75 FOR THE TOW. AFTER THE DEALERSHIP LOOKED AT THE CODES, THEY TOLD ME THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE BODY HAD FAILED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. IT COST ME JUST UNDER $400 IN TOTAL FOR THE REPAIR. MY VEHICLE IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY ANYMORE, SO THIS WAS 100% OUT OF POCKET FOR ME.