NHTSA complaint: 2010 FORD FUSION HYBRID — STRUCTURE:BODY
ON MAY 9, 2013 AT APPROXIMATELY 8 AM, SHORTLY AFTER ENTERING A TWO LANE STATE HIGHWAY DRIVING MY 2010 FORD FUSION HYBRID, I REMOVED MY FOOT FROM THE ACCELERATOR AND BRAKE MY CAR TO STOP AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT 6 FEET BEHIND A STOPPED 2007 MERCURY MARINER. WHILE STOPPED FOR A FEW SECONDS, I REMOVED MY FOOT FROM THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 6 FEET, COLLIDING INTO THE REAR BUMPER OF THE MARINER. MY FUSION BUMPER SLID UNDER THE MARINER BUMPER CRASHING THE GRILL AND CAUSING SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE (APPROXIMATELY $5000) TO THE FRONT END AND HOOD OF MY FUSION. I AM UNCERTAIN AS TO WHY THE CAR ACCELERATED. I HAD NOT HAD A SIMILAR EXPERIENCE DURING MORE THAN 50,000 MILES OF DRIVING. IT MAY BE THAT THE COMBINATION OF THE GAS ENGINE IDLE AND/OR THE START OF THE ELECTRIC MOTOR MAY HAVE CAUSED THE CAR TO ACCELERATE TO A SPEED WHICH WAS SUFFICIENT TO CAUSE THE BUMPER TO SLIDE UNDER THE MARINER'S BUMPER. I HAVE QUESTIONS RELATIVE OTHER SIMILAR EVENTS FOR FUSION HYBRIDS AND AS TO WHY THE BUMPER DID NOT FUNCTION AS REQUIRED BY REGULATIONS TO PROTECT THE CAR FROM DAMAGE WHEN TRAVELING AT SPEEDS OF UP TO 5 MPH. I HAVE MADE INQUIRY OF FORD RELATIVE TO THE SAFETY ISSUES , HOWEVER THEY WERE NOT RESPONSIVE IN A PHONE INTERVIEW, WHICH WAS QUICKLY TERMINATED INFORMING ME THAT THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT WOULD CONTACT ME. I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM FORD'S LEGAL DEPARTMENT DECLINING TO COMPENSATE ME, EVEN THOUGH THE COMPENSATION ISSUE WAS NEVER MENTIONED IN MY INQUIRY, AND
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation