NHTSA Complaint #10172023 — 2000 FORD F-250 SD

I OWN A 2000 F250 DIESEL TRUCK. ON OCTOBER 26, 2006 AT APPROXIMATELY 12 MIDNIGHT WHILE MAKING A LEFT HAND TURN FROM A DEAD STOP, CROSSING OVER THREE LANES OF TRAFFIC TRAVELING NO FASTER THEN 10 MILES PER HOUR THE TRUCK CUT OFF HALFWAY ACROSS THE ROADWAY WITHOUT ANY PRIOR WARNING. I THEN COASTED ACROSS THE ROAD WHILE CARS PROCEEDED TO GO AROUND ME. SO AS TO DEFINE WHAT I MEAN BY CUT OFF, AND NO PRIOR WARNING, THEY ARE AS FOLLOWS: CUT OFF '' ENGINE STOPPED RUNNING COMPLETELY. I HAD LOSS CONTROL OF THE STEERING TO THE EXTENT THAT IT REQUIRED THE FULL USE OF BOTH ARMS TO BE ABLE TO EVEN TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. IT WAS AS IF I HAD TURNED THE IGNITION SWITCH TO THE POSITION JUST PRIOR TO THE KEY REMOVAL POSITION. NO PRIOR WARNING '' THE TRUCK HAD NOT SHOWN ANY HESITATION OR INCLINATION TO STOP RUNNING JUST PRIOR TO IT CUTTING OFF, NOR ANY HESITATION OR INCLINATION TO STOP RUNNING FROM THE TIME I HAD BOUGHT THE TRUCK NEW TO THE TIME OF THIS INCIDENT. MY CONCERNS. THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED AT APPROXIMATELY 12 MIDNIGHT WHEN THE ROAD HAD VERY LITTLE TRAFFIC ON IT. HAD IT HAPPENED DURING THE DAYLIGHT HOURS WHEN THE ROAD IS HEAVILY TRAVELED. IT WOULD BE MORE LIKELY THEN NOT THAT EITHER I, OR OTHERS WOULD HAVE BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT AS A RESULT OF TRYING TO AVOID ME. AN EVEN WORSE IF I HAD MY TRAILER ATTACHED TO THE TRUCK, THE REASON I PURCHASED THE TRUCK, THERE WOULD BE NO DOUBT THAT AN ACCIDENT WOULD OF ACCRUED. I HAD THE TRUCK TOWED TO A FORD SERVICE CENTER. WHERE THEY REPLACED A FAULTY CAM POSITION SENSOR THE NEXT DAY. PART # F7TZ-12K073-A. I SPENT SEVERAL HOUR READING UP ON THE CPS TODAY. THIS PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE QUITE COMMON AS SHOWN ON AUTOMOTIVE INFORMATION SYSTEMS (AIS) REPORTS, AND ELSEWHERE. ALTHOUGH OFTEN THERE ARE WARNING SIGNS ( SLUGGISH PERFORMANCE UNDER LOAD, STALLING AT IDLE ) OF A FAULTY SENSOR QUITE OFTEN THEY CAN FAIL WITHOUT ANY WARNING SIGNS. IT WAS FORTUITOUS THAT THE CPS FAILURE ON MY TRUCK HAPPENED WHEN IT DID. *NM