Q: 2013 Ford Escape displays message "Engine Fault, Stop Engine"

asked by on December 13, 2017

iIt has been very cold (-6) and when I left work I got on the highway accelerated fairly quickly and then my dash read “engine fault, stop engine”. It started to sort of shake and idle with the rpm’s bouncing between .5 and 1.5. When I came to a stop the rpm’s were still bouncing. I shut off my vehicle and waited about a minute. Turned it back on and it was as though nothing happened. Should I investigate or is this a common issue that I shouldn’t worry about? This issue has never happened before and the car was not started with my remote start before I got into it, so it did not have adequate time to warm up. I was able to get about 1/2 mike going 65, then it stalled. I commute an hour to work, so I made it home 50 miles with no other issues.

My car has 75000 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.

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There are many potential causes for your concern. However, there is a technical service bulletin (TSB) that lists symptoms similar to what you describe. It’s TSB 15-0007 and addresses the following concerns: lack of power, loss of RPM or hesitation and a "Service Engine Now" message displayed. There may also be diagnostic trouble codes stored in the vehicle’s computer. The fix per the TSB is to repair a wiring harness. I recommend having a professional, such as one from YourMechanic, inspect your vehicle firsthand to see if the TSB applies.

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