NHTSA Complaint #10241193 — 2004 FORD EXPLORER

IN 2005 I PURCHASED A 2004 FORD EXXLTSPNBX 11900 FROM HERZ CAR SALES. JUST FEW MONTH AFTER THAT I EXPERIENCED THE FIRST OF 20 CRITICAL ENGINE SHUTDOWNS THAT I EXPERIENCED UP TO NOW. 2. THE FAILURE IS THAT THE ENGINE OF MY CAR TURNS OFF SPONTANEOUSLY AT SPEEDS BETWEEN 50 AND 70 MPH. THE CONSEQUENCES ARE: - SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER - SUDDEN LOSS OF STEERING SERVO, I.E. A SHARP SIDEWAYS KICK IF THE CAR IS IN A CURVE - SUDDEN LOSS OF BRAKING POWER - THE NEED TO SHIFT TO NEUTRAL AND RESTART THE ENGINE, WITH THE DANGER TO SHIFT TO 'R' OR EVEN 'P' IN PANIC, AND TO LOCK UP THE STEERING WHEEL AT FULL SPEED (!!!) PANIC IS THE RIGHT WORD FOR THE FEELING MY WIFE AND I HAVE EXPERIENCED IN EVERY OCCURRENCE OF THIS FAILURE. 3. AFTER THE FIRST TWO FAILURES I BROUGHT THE CAR TO A FORD DEALERSHIP. THE CAR WAS STILL UNDER FACTORY WARRANTY, BUT THE WORKSHOP COULDN'T LOCALIZE THE PROBLEM. THEY TEST-DROVE HE CAR FOR 200 MILES AND CONCLUDED HE CAR WAS OK, IN SPITE OF THE FACT THAT I TOLD THEM THAT I HAD TWO EVENTS IN 20,000 MILES. THE TOTAL FREQUENCY HAS BEEN BY NOW ONCE IN EVERY 2,500 MILES, ON AVERAGE. THE SHUTDOWN SEEMS TO BE OCCURRING WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ON, MORE LIKELY ON SLIGHT DOWNHILL SLOPES. 3. NO SOLUTION FOR THIS PROBLEM SO FAR. *TR