NHTSA investigating 725k Ford Mercury vehicles for stalling issue

NHTSA investigating 725k Ford, Mercury vehicles for stalling issue Owners of Ford Escape, Mercury Mariner, Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan models, listen up. According to a report on Automotive News, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened an investigation into these four vehicles totaling an estimated 725,000 units. The investigation appears to center around a malfunctioning throttle body on non-hybrid models of the 2005-2012 Escape and 2011-2012 Fusion. With Mercury dying off after the 2011 model year, this probe will also apply to the 2005 through 2011 Mariner and the 2011 Milan. There has been some discussion around the Escape stalling issue for some time now, but this investigation appears to be larger in scope than before.

NHTSA investigating 725k Ford, Mercury vehicles for stalling issue

NHTSA investigating 725k Ford, Mercury vehicles for stalling issue

NHTSA investigating 725k Ford, Mercury vehicles for stalling issue front view

NHTSA investigating 725k Ford, Mercury vehicles for stalling issue

NHTSA investigating 725k Ford, Mercury vehicles for stalling issue

NHTSA investigating 725k Ford, Mercury vehicles for stalling issue rear view

NHTSA investigating 725k Ford, Mercury vehicles for stalling issue

NHTSA investigating 725k Ford, Mercury vehicles for stalling issue

NHTSA investigating 725k Ford, Mercury vehicles for stalling issue sound system

Though not a recall yet, NHTSAs Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received 123 complaints of stalling or surging vehicles, while Ford itself has logged 1,472 complaints. The investigation report, which is posted below, seems to indicate that a faulty circuit board for the throttle body could cause the vehicle to go into limp mode, which, according to NHTSA, could cause complaints of both stalling and surging.