The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is currently investigating reports of engine failure among three Ford models that could result in a recall. Detroit News reports the agency has received 123 reports of engines stalling and power loss among a number of Ford Escape models. This is just the tip of the iceberg, as there have been 1,400 complaints made directly to the manufacturer and 27,500 warranty claims for the problem. Among these reports, there have been three crashes resulting in injury to one person so far.

The affected models include the Ford Escape and Fusion along with the Mercury Milan and Mariner from the 2009 to 2011 model years. The rough estimate of affected vehicles comes in around 724,000 units. USA Today reports that the issue likely stems from an problem with the throttle body system, which regulates air flow to the engine. The glitch tells the engine to reduce power to a "limp-home" mode that is used in emergency situations, except this occurs when nothing is wrong.

According to Detroit News, the North Carolina Consumers Council pushed for the NHTSA to launch an official investigation into electronic throttle body failures in August, and the ball is finally rolling. If the NHTSA concludes that this issue warrants further investigation, it will advance to an engineering analysis. From there, the agency may require the manufacturer to issue a recall and fix the problem in all affected vehicles.

Drivers who are considering purchasing used cars should take note of this and other recall news. Any recalls should be taken care of by the seller or the previous owner before car shoppers buy used vehicles. The CARFAX vehicle history reports that accompany every model on the lot at NJ State Auto Auction can make it easy for car buyers to find this information.