NHTSA Complaint #10290817 — 2004 FORD FREESTAR

AFTER A DAY OF FAMILY FESTIVITIES, 2 1/2 HOURS AWAY FROM HOME, I PACKED MY HUSBAND, TWO DAUGHTERS, SON-IN-LAW , GRANDDAUGHTER AND MYSELF INTO MY 2004 FORD FREESTAR VAN. I WAS DRIVING DOWN A VERY RURAL TWO LANE ROAD, IN TOTAL DARKNESS WHEN IT STARTED. I WAS LEAVING A VERY VERY SMALL TOWN AND ACCELERATED FROM 30 TO 55. EVERYTHING WAS FINE UNTIL I REACHED 62 MPH. THE VAN SEEMED TO MISFIRE AND LUNGED. EVERYONE ASKED WAS IT WAS. I HAD LET OFF THE GAS A BIT AND TRIED NOT TO GO OVER 60. AS WE CONTINUED, THE VAN LUNGED AGAIN, BUT NOW I WAS ONLY GOING 55, AND THEN AGAIN AND AGAIN, GOING SLOWER AND SLOWER. MY HUSBAND ASSUMED I HAD A PROBLEM WITH THE GASOLINE AND TOLD ME TO BLOW IT OUT BUT I TOLD HIM WHEN I PUSHED ON THE GAS, THERE WAS NO RESPONSE. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WENT ON AND THEN IT GOT BAD. I COULD SEE HEADLIGHTS COMING UP IN MY REAR VIEW MIRROR. I THOUGHT ABOUT PULLING OFF TO THE SIDE, BUT AS THE VAN STARTED TO LOOSE POWER, I REALIZED THAT THERE WAS NO SHOULDER AND THAT THERE WAS A RAVINE. I WAS PUMPING THE GAS PEDAL AND THE VAN WOULD INTERMITTENTLY RESPOND BY LUNGING FORWARD AND THEN PAUSING, JUST LIKE A BUCKING BRONCO. THE MOVEMENT WAS SO THRUSTING IT WOKE UP MY GRANDDAUGHTER FROM A SOUND SLEEP. I MANAGED TO PUT MY FLASHERS ON BUT I COULDN'T GET OFF THE ROAD. I REALIZED THAT I NEEDED TO MAKE IT TO THE NEXT TOWN, AS BEING STRANDED IN THAT AREA WOULD BE VERY DANGEROUS FOR ANYONE GETTING OUT OF THE VEHICLE OR ANYONE BEING LEFT BEHIND IN THE VEHICLE. I AM AMAZED THAT NO ONE GOT KILLED BECAUSE THE VAN WOULD TOTALLY LOOSE POWER AND SHUT OFF. I WAS DROPPING TO NEUTRAL TO RESTART IT, ONLY TO HAVE THE SAME THING HAPPEN AGAIN, PUMPING THE GAS, MAKING IT A LITTLE WAY AND THEN THE ENGINE LOSING POWER. THIS HAPPENED FOUR OR FIVE TIMES UNTIL I MADE IT INTO THE NEXT TOWN, WHERE I DROVE DOWN HILL WITH NO ENGINE, STEERING OR BRAKES, AND COASTED INTO A GAS STATION. IT WOULD NOT GO INTO REVERSE AND WAS LEFT 2 HOURS FROM HOME, AWAITING ARRANGEMENTS TO PICKED UP. *TR