NHTSA Complaint #10152272 — 2001 FORD EXCURSION

2001 FORD EXCURSION WITH 7.3L POWER STROKE AND AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. ON 11/06/2005 THE ENGINE DIED WITHOUT WARNING WITH MY WIFE DRIVING ALONG A REMOTE COUNTRY ROAD ALONG A RIVER. THE IMMEDIATE LOSS OF POWER BRAKES AND POWER STEERING RESULTED IN A PARTIAL LOSS OF CONTROL THAT CAUSED THE TRUCK TO LEAVE THE PAVEMENT AND NEARLY PLUNGE INTO THE RIVER. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. THE TRUCK RESTARTED, BUT THERE WAS A PROFOUND LOSS OF POWER RENDERING IT UNDRIVEABLE. THE TRUCK WAS TOWED 45 MILES TO THE NEAREST FORD DEALER WHERE A SENSOR WAS REPLACED AND WE WERE CHARGED $1000 FOR A TUNE-UP. THE SERVICE MANAGER TOLD US THAT WE SHOULD USE UNLEADED GASOLINE TO AUGMENT THE OCTANE IN THE DIESEL FUEL TO PREVENT A FUTURE FAILURE. ON 3/9/2006, AFTER JUST 3000 MILES, THE TRUCK STALLED AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN, THIS TIME WHILE TOWING A LOADED HORSE TRAILER AND WITH MY 4 YEAR OLD TWINS IN THE VEHICLE. AGAIN, POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES WERE LOST AND THE TRUCK BECAME EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. I HALTED THE VEHICLE BEFORE IT WENT FULLY OVER THE EDGE OF THE ROAD AND INTO THE RIVER. HAD MY WIFE BEEN DRIVING IT IS UNLIKELY WE WOULD HAVE SURVIVED. *NM