Engine safe mode

- Memphis, TN, USA

Car runs great for about 20 minutes then I get a surge in the engine, dash cluster goes dead, car jerks and I lose power randomly. Everything comes back on but will go out multiple times getting worse everytime. I have lost power to transmission once, no forward or reverse. Replaced the dash cluster and car ran great for 2 days then started all again. This happens mainly while in the city, hasn't happened on highway yet thank goodness. Car just sits in driveway, afraid to drive it. I see countless people with this issue all the way back to when car was released and still no solution.

- Waterloo, IL, USA

The contact owns a 2005 Mercury Montego. While driving 15 mph around a corner, the vehicle jerked and the check engine and fail safe mode warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the throttle body control unit failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

- Lima, OH, USA

I just pulled my car off the lot not even 10 minutes later there was jerking then my car stopped dead in the middle of a busy street.this has happened numerous times with the worst being on a one way and my nieces no more than 10 years old in the car my car made a kind of a loud humming noise, jerked then stopped in the street.at times I can't even reverse or go up steep hills.

- Rockford, IL, USA

Upon entering traffic flow on I-94 westbound near new buffalo Michigan the acceleration of engine quit instantaneously and the engine warning light lit up reading something about a fail safe mode. After coasting back across two traffic lanes to the side of road I shut the engine down. To keep from getting stranded along the highway and since the engine info light read all systems were ok after waiting a few minutes I restarted the motor and it ran ok. I stayed in the slow lane so I could pull off the road if it happened again which it didn't. the next day on county road 500N in Indiana it did it again.

- Valparaiso, IN, USA

The contact owns a 2005 Mercury Montego. The contact stated while traveling at unknown speeds, the vehicle jerked violently and erroneously accelerated. The contact mentioned that the failure occurred intermittently. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer who stated that the valve body kit needed to be repaired. The vehicle was to be repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.

- Mckees Port, PA, USA

As I was entering onto the highway instead of accelerating the car decelerated and was losing power and RPM's went way too high then it should of. The transmission is not acting properly.the car has a clunking sound when hitting bumps.

- West Bend, WI, USA

I was in the meddle lane of a four lane highway when I lost all my acceleration. The motor was still running but I could not go anywhere. When I got off the highway I restarted the car but every few miles it would do the same thing. Am told that it is a bad throttle body and Ford has known about it for years but is not doing anything about it. It is going to get people killed ! my part cost over $600 so it sets in the drive.

- Mansfield, OH, USA

I just bought this car from a used car dealer with 108K, got way overcharged because I don't have any credit. The second day that I had the car I was taking my baby to day care. The car shut off in the middle of the highway and we almost got hit. The engine fail safe mode came on. The car did this again on the way home. Took it back to the dealer and they had the throttle body replaced. I just got the car back today and it did it again! I'm about to loose it!

- St. Louis, MO, USA

The instrument gauge on my 2005 Mercury Montego just went "dead". nothing registered, so there was no reading on my speed, engine heat gauge, fuel level, or tachometer. This happened once in early spring of this year (2012), but did not repeat until recently. It is now June and the same thing has re-occurred about 10 times in the past two weeks. After turning the car off and restarting, this sometimes (but not always), "fixes" the problem. Most recently, if the gauges do work, the "check engine" light turns on. The airbag light stays on, and the AWD malfunction message displays in the information panel until I hit the reset button. From a safety perspective, is this a short in the system or is my airbag really malfunctioning" and how do I know my speed other than to guess"

- Willoughby Hills, OH, USA