SVT_MAN

I had this exact same problem on my car. I actually had it happen once at about 40,000 miles and then I drove it for another month before it did it again. I took it into the dealer after the first time and they could not get the vehicle to reproduce the problem nor could they get any codes. After I took it back a second time (and it stalled in a roundabout on the way to the dealer), the car was acting up more and more frequently. The tech was finally able to reproduce the issue. After running the code, the dealer told me it was a short in the throttle position sensor, which makes sense - but doesn't make it any less terrifying. In any case, I'm out around $550 for the fix after parts and labor. I'm filing a complaint with the NHTSA on this one. I know Ford would never do this because of *gasp* cost, but this terrifying experience could be avoided pretty easily by using a principle that IT has been using for at least 40 years. It's called a protective fail-safe. I.E. Back up. If Ford put in an additional throttle position sensor that would take over if the computer detected the error code, it could switch over to that sensor until you can get to Ford to have them replace the part. In a world where a failure means that you can barely drive the vehicle at all, that would be a lot less scary. I know that the drive by wire makes vehicles more efficient and get better mileage and the sensor is more accurate and all of that, but honestly ... what's wrong with a cable? Unless the cable snaps, it's dead reliable. I bet the gentleman with 223k on his 98 Explorer probably has never had a problem with his throttle cable.

drolds1: I see your point. I think the biggest thing for me now is that although I have been a faithful Ford ... I can't in good faith recommend this car to anyone given this issue. I used to recommend the Fusion to anyone. Now I feel like it's hard to recommend a car that has an issue so core to the performance of the vehicle. I agree that Ford spells out what is included in their warranty. There's no dispute. It is just disappointing that vehicles with so few miles are having this part fail.

We? Speak for yourself. I see plenty of people on here and other places who are recommending the NHTSA investigate. This IS a safety issue ... even the techs who drove my car agreed with that.

People don't buy extended warranties because it is generally cheaper to self insure. Is it always? No - not in this case. Not when parts like this fail on a vehicle that is less than 2 years old. I think I am more disappointed that Ford can't get such a core piece of the powertrain correct. And it's even more of a joke that Ford doesn't even consider this to be part of their powertrain. Explain to me how an engine works without a throttle body and throttle position sensor if it's using drive by wire. It can't. I am going to file a complaint with the NHTSA. There are enough others with the same issues that I feel there may be a shot at a recall, as drolds1 mentioned above. I'm sorry if I come across angry, but that's just how it is. I purchased the Fusion to be a reliable replacement for a different 2006 Ford Fusion. So far, it has been worse. The only advantage I can point to is gas mileage. Even if I am only part of 1% of Fusion owners out there, it doesn't make it any easier on me. There is a significant emotional, financial, and personal toll associated with going through the BS that people with this particular issue have. On top of the fact it has been extremely inconvenient to take the car to the dealership (on multiple occasions where they could not pinpoint the issue), I am single and it isn't always easy to get someone to pick me up from the dealer to take me home. Just taking the car to the dealer was a huge risk ... I may not have made it because of how unpredictable the car is with this issue. So I understand that logically, I am only 1% of the problem. Or whatever the number may be. But don't act like this problem isn't a big deal.

I own a 2010 Ford Fusion SEL with the 2.3L DOHC I4. The vehicle has around 45,000 miles on it. About 2 months ago, I started experiencing a bizarre problem. The car would intermittently start to run rough, the service engine wrench would come on, and I woud lose all power because the vehicle would go into limp mode. Very dangerous situation when you are on the freeway, or in the middle of an intersection (or roundabout, where I was). I took it to the dealer about a month ago. They drove it for 40 some miles and it was fine. They said there was nothing wrong and they said they couldn't fix a problem they could not diagnose. They were going to order a flight recorder for my vehicle so they could record it the next time it misbehaved. (When you reset the ignition, the code is cleared.) I drove the vehicle for close to a month without a single issue. But I knew it was only a matter of time until it happened again. Fast forward to last week. I was driving home on the freeway and the vehicle began to run rough, service engine light came on, and vehicle lost power. I coasted to side of road, put the car in park, restarted and went on my way. At this point, I decided to take the vehicle back to the dealer. On the way to the dealer, the vehicle died in the middle of a roundabout. Not a good situation. I eventually made it to the dealer, and this time they were able to diagnose it because it stalled several times on the tech during the test drive. In fact, the tech told me he wasn't sure he would make it back to the dealer because it would stall every time the car was at an intersection waiting. The tech told me he was worried about the safety of the vehicle too. The code that it threw was the code for the throttle body. Apparently the part was shorting. So they replaced that. Vehicle is ready to pick up ... but not for free because apparently it is not covered by any warranty. It is not covered by Ford's powertrain warranty and it is not covered by Ford's emission warranty. First of all, is the dealership selling me a bill of goods? Does the powretrain warranty really not cover a part as essential to engine operation as a throttle body? I was wondering why the emissions warranty wouldn't even cover it. I am quite upset because this car only has 45,000 miles on it. Should a vehicle with this low of mileage be experiencing such a dangerous condition? I don't think so. I've never had a vehicle have this kind of failure so early in its life. In any case, I am thinking about contacting Ford customer care and see if they may be able to help me. I think it's ridiculous that this vehicle can cause such hassle and danger and a essential part like this isn't covered under Ford powertrain warranty. What good is the warranty if it doesn't cover a throttle body? Between Ford's lousy dealership experience and their questionable quality, I'm not even sure I want to stay with Ford anymore, as much as it pains me to say that.