NHTSA Complaint #10286820 — 2007 FORD EDGE

I HAVE A 2007 FORD EDGE AWD. AROUND 15,000 MILES, IT BEGAN TO HAVE A "BURNED RUBBER" SMELL WAFT INTO THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT WHENEVER I CAME TO A STOP AFTER DRIVING FOR AWHILE. SOMETIMES I COULD SEE SMOKE SIFT UP THROUGH THE HOOD NEAR THE WINDSHIELD. THE DEALER FOUND THE PTU VALVE (POWER TRANSFER UNIT) TO BE LEAKING, AND I THINK THEY CHANGED IT. IT WORKED FOR AWHILE, BUT WITHIN 4 MONTHS, IT BEGAN TO SMELL AGAIN. IT WAS NOT TOO BAD BECAUSE IT WAS SPRING AND SUMMER AND THE PROBLEM IS ONLY REALLY BAD DURING THE WINTER WHEN THE HEATER IS ON. IT'S NOW OCTOBER 2009, AND I'M USING THE HEATER AGAIN. THE SMELL WAS BAD, SO I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AGAIN. THEY SAID GREASE WAS PACKED INTO THE VALVE, AND THE GREASE HAD OVERFLOWED. THEY DID NOT REPLACE THE PTU VALVE. THEY ONLY STEAM CLEANED MY CAR. IT STILL SMELLS, ALTHOUGH NOT AS BAD. I HAVE 35,000 MILES ON THE CAR AND I'VE OWNED IT FOR 1.5 YEARS BRAND NEW. THE INTERNET HAS REVEALED THAT MANY FORDEDGE OWNERS ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME THING, BUT FORD CAN'T SEEM TO FIX IT. IT IS ONLY ON AWD MODELS BECAUSE THE FLUID THAT IS LEAKING INVOLVES THE TRANSFER OF POWER TO THE BACK TIRES. THERE IS A WEBSITE DEDICATED SOLELY TO THIS PROBLEM: STINKINEDGE.COM PLEASE HELP US CONVINCE FORD THIS IS A DEFECT INVOLVING A NOXIOUS SMELL AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS CHEMICAL EXPOSURE. IT IS ALSO ANNOYING AND UNCOMFORTABLE. THERE SEEMS TO BE NO FIX. *TR