09 Ford Escape wrench light

Rejekt

Member
Aug 12, 2010
546
13
18
Raleigh, NC
Ok, wondering if anyone can figure this out. My wife has a 2009 Ford Escape XLT 2wd with the 3.0L DOHC motor (non hybrid). It has approx 75k miles on it. Here's the issue. We were driving on the interstate and all of a sudden she loses all throttle function. The orange wrench light (thottle / powertrain malfunction light) comes on and the engine runs HORRIBLY (apparently that is "limp mode"). We turn the car off, she restarts it and it's fine. Go about 2 weeks and it does it again. Now it's happened about 4 times. Runs GREAT in between these incidents. It leaves NO code and NO CEL. Took it to Ford and they could not recreate it. They said they have no idea without having a code to retrieve or without it doing it with them. So... no luck there.

So I know Ford uses the Electronic Throttle Control now. I researched it and found ALOT of people with these are having trouble with throttle position sensors going out and throttle bodies needing replaced.

Anyone have ANY ideas???
 
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Yeah this sucks. I have done alot of research on forums and have found the Ford Freestyles, F150's and newer Mustangs are having the same issues. It's ridiculous. Too many sensors and opportunities to have something go wrong.

Basically what I ended up doing is contacting Ford. They want to send a Ford tech down to North Carolina to try and fix the issue. I can only imagine how much that would cost me.

I've ended up buying a new throttle body and throttle position sensor. I got them both for $190. I'm going to throw those on there and if it continues to do it, I'm trading it in. Let it be their prob. lol....

Of course, this issue is AFTER the trans axle seals failed 30 days after I bought it and it was in the shop for 6 weeks because they couldn't get the parts. NICE!.... I have 3 Fords in my driveway and have always bought Ford, but I may be changing that if this is the direction they are headed in.
 
Yeah this sucks. I have done alot of research on forums and have found the Ford Freestyles, F150's and newer Mustangs are having the same issues. It's ridiculous. Too many sensors and opportunities to have something go wrong.

Basically what I ended up doing is contacting Ford. They want to send a Ford tech down to North Carolina to try and fix the issue. I can only imagine how much that would cost me.

I've ended up buying a new throttle body and throttle position sensor. I got them both for $190. I'm going to throw those on there and if it continues to do it, I'm trading it in. Let it be their prob. lol....

Of course, this issue is AFTER the trans axle seals failed 30 days after I bought it and it was in the shop for 6 weeks because they couldn't get the parts. NICE!.... I have 3 Fords in my driveway and have always bought Ford, but I may be changing that if this is the direction they are headed in.

Don't get a bad taste for ford, these are machines and funny things can and will happen to any make/model. Funny how different dealers work. at one time on my previous explorer ( 4.6 ) it would do this wierd jerking motion when 1st pulling away from stop light, parking spot, etc. just real quick, it would lurch a cuople of times like I was tapping the gas then be fine.

same thing dealer could not find it but they did attach a portable scanner to the obdII port and have me drive it hoping it would do it and they could read the data. it did and was something faulty with the drive by wire crap that franky all cars have today. they reflashed the computer and did something else I don't remember but it never did it again. have faith. oh yeah did at like 25,000 miles traded it in with just over 96,000 w/o anymore problems, it was a damn good explorer..got me another one!!