This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
While driving down the freeway the car suddenly surged for a second and then lost all power. There was no gas going to the engine and I could not produce any speed. I had to coast to a stop while moving over in the freeway lane to the shoulder. When I did stop, the engine sounded like it had trouble getting fuel to it. I turned off the engine and sat for a second and when I turned the car back on it started up and would go. Over the past months this has happened on and off. Some days it drives fine and then all of a sudden it will do the same aspect.
Accelerated from a stop and car lurched and engine seemed about to quit, got "wrench light" and was able to creep to get into parking lot. Took car to dealer and they ran diagnostics on car and said the throttle body needed to be replaced.
As my wife was driving one morning the Ford Escape with out warning started to feel like there was no throttle when she stepped in the gas. She immediately pulled to the side of the road (coasting because the gas peddle wasn't responding. A little wrench (throttle body/powertrain) light came on, on the dash. This happened twice on this day, both times out of the blue. The Ford dealership looked at it and it was the throttle body. This shouldn't happen on a vehicle so new and such low mileage.
Driving on 5 lanre paved road at 50 mph when engine lost power did not stall. No throttle response. Was able to shift into neutral and coast into parking lot shut off engine and restarted problem went away. Took to dealer 3 days later where throttle body was replaced under warranty.
I have already filed one complaint regarding the throttle body on my 2011 Ford Escape. I had to pay out of pocket to have it fixed in July and 3 weeks after I paid to have it fixed it started messing up again. The throttle body hasn't gone out again but it bogs down like it is going to shut off at any given second. And also with the part malfunctioning it wreaks havoc on my gas mileage. Before the part messed up and was replaced I was average about 370 miles on a tank of gas and now I am only getting about 266. The part in under warranty but they won't replace it until it goes completely out. It only has a 12 month or 12000 mile warranty on it and I am afraid that it is going to go out after the warranty has expired and I will be left footing the bill again. Also when it bogs down the scent of raw gas is overwhelming as it fills the cab of the vehicle. I am a mother of 2 and this is my means of transportation and it is dangerous to have my children in the vehicle. I am afraid that it will go out and I will be hit and the gas fumes isn't good for them to be inhaling. I don't understand why Ford Motor Company won't replace them since they are very aware that this is an issue.
- Vansant, VA, USA
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Car stalled. Wrench and engine light came on. We were going down a road that had no place to pull over. We were stuck in the middle of the road. Turned off car and restarted but was very slow to start. We turned around and went back home and it did it several more times. Called local Ford dealership and is going to cost over $400 to fix. This is a very dangerous problem and the part should be recalled.
Was driving 2011 Ford Escape and car started to jerk and decelerated with gas pedal not doing anything. Pulled over to the side of the road. The powertrain wrench light had come on then the check engine light. Restarted the car a minute later and it drove a few hundred feet before same thing happened and wrench light came on. Will get car towed to dealership. I am a long-time Ford owner. Ford needs to step to the plate and address this issue.
While daughter driving vehicle in houston, driving on freeway, approx. 65 mph, vehicle lost engine acceleration power, no response from gas pedal, warning lights (wrench symbol) illuminated. Had to coast/idle across traffic lanes to get to shoulder out of traffic- very dangerous and scary - turned off engine, restarted, vehicle then operated as normal at the time, but event has since been recurring. Now has happened 6 other times... very dangerous situation for any driver, especially a young driver. Might add that this particular model is very popular with young adults - you will see many in college towns. Very dangerous. Internet research reveals many complaints and probable cause suspected to be throttle body malfunction. Manufacturer must be aware by now. Having car repaired - expecting cost of approximately $600 - $800.
While driving the vehicle it will randomly lose all power and no longer move. I have to immediately pull to the side of the road in order to keep from getting hit because I cannot accelerate. This is extremely unsafe and I will not allow my wife to drive this vehicle because of this issue. The dealership said it is a faulty throttle body and they have seen this issue 6 times in the past 2 weeks!! Ford tells me that I have to pay for this out of pocket because it is not covered under power train warranty. There needs to be a recall!
While driving down the highway on the way home from work in busy traffic, suddenly the engine came to an idle and a small icon of a "wrench" lit up on the dashboard. After trying to maneuver through traffic on the busy highway at 5 mph (almost causing an accident) I was able to get to the side of the road. I shut the car off and restarted it, the icon of the wrench was gone and the car proceeded to run fine. I'm reporting this because I have heard this happen to other people and it was caused by a throttle body malfunction. This is an extremely dangerous situation on a busy highway.
Last night while driving at approx. 55 mph my 2011 Ford Escape without any warning or sounds slowed immediately to less than 5 mph. I managed to let the car creep into a local car transmission repair shop. The vehicle would not engage in forward or reverse. This morning I called my Ford dealer who asked that I leave the keys with the vehicle and arrange to have it towed to the dealership. Upon arriving to the transmission shop a serviceman suggested I try engaging drive and reverse, I did so and the vehicle did engage. I reported this to the Ford dealer prior to calling roadside towing and stated that I would not feel comfortable driving the vehicle until it is fixed. The dealer said he would advise me as soon as they investigate the problem.
I was traveling down the road at 55 mph, when the car lost power and began to slow. I notice that the wrench icon was lit on the display. The car was still running, but only at about 1000rpm and still slowing down. Increasing the gas pedal had no affect on the car. I was able to get off the road on to a side street. The car was able to pull itself along, but only at a snails pace. I stopped the car and shut engine off for a minute or 2, retried starting it and it cranked so I made it home. The car done the very same thing the next night, this time driving at 65mph on a 4 lane highway.. this sounds like the same problem others have described concerning the throttle body. This vehicle is too new for these problems to be happening. A dangerous situation in heavy traffic.
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving 30 mph, the transmission warning light illuminated as the vehicle began to shake. The shut the vehicle off and once restarted, it functioned properly. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection where they stated that the they could not diagnose the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 34,824.
I was driving down I-5 and 2011 Ford Escape started to decelerate while foot was on the gas pedal. Had to switch lanes and exit highway before I lost momentum. No one was injured in the process. Shut it off for about ten minutes then turned it over but it struggled to fire. When started we drove straight home and parked it. I then got on the computer to research the issue and looked up any recalls on the vehicle. I found arfc and seen about 270 or more complaints about the same issue. I'm curious why Ford didn't recall this vehicle because that is a safety concern and with so many complaints you think something would be done.
While driving on a busy interstate in the center lane, my 2011 Ford Escape suddenly made a jerking motion, made a loud noise and then started slowing down quickly. I was pressing on the gas pedal but the car kept slowing down. I was barely able to get to the shoulder of the road. I feared for my life while doing this. I then noticed a wrench symbol lit on my dash. I checked the owners manual and the wrench symbol showed throttle control/powertrain. Since I have certified pre owned warranty with Ford, I called for roadside assistance. While waiting almost three hours in the rain for a tow truck and sitting on the shoulder of the road, I was terrified. I was almost hit by five semis. My car was towed to the closest Ford dealership. The throttle body was replaced.
The Escape, while driving on the freeway, starting idling high, and allowed no acceleration. This happened in October, and then again today. It has also at numerous times, "slipped" and accelerated very quickly when starting the car. Today, it happened again twice where it was idling very high and gas pedal didn't respond. We had to tow it to a dealership where we were told that the throttle body is shorted out.
This vehicle has now been back to the dealer three times to fix the adaptive transmission. On occasion the vehicle lurches when shifting gears. The problem is especially acute having backed out of the garage and when putting the car into drive in the first 300 feet the vehicle "kickbacks". the dealer can only reboot the adaptive transmission. This resets the car for about one week and afterwards the vehicle goes back to the herky jerk pattern between gears.
Turning off the feeder road of the freeway and the vehicle shook and was unable to apply the gas. The engine was on but the car would not move. The wrench light came on. Have been told this is a throttle body issue and it is not covered under my extended warranty.
I was driving on I-75 South, atlanta area, 55 mph, when my Ford Escape 2011 lost all power and I coasted to side of road during rush hour --- very scary, and very dangerous. Took vehicle to Ford service and was charged $474.15 to replace defective throttle body (not covered under transmission, engine, powertrain warranty). Read on-line that there are many other Ford owners experiencing this same dangerous problem. Sure hope you will warn other Ford owners and organize a recall. Please let me know if there is anyone else I can contact to move a recall forward.
Driving normal speed, without warning, "wrench icon" appears and gas pedal fails to respond. Coast to stop in a parking lot. Shut off engine, restart vehicle and it drives normal for remainder of 2 mile trip. Start next errand and same thing happens. Sounds like the throttle body failure and limp mode that I have been researching online.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Anaheim, CA, USA