NHTSA Complaint #10292877 — 2008 FORD TAURUS

WHILE DRIVING TO WORK, MY 2008 FORD TAURUS' TRANSMISSION SLAMMED, THEN ALL THE PANEL LIGHTS LIT UP AND THE SPEEDOMETER RESET TO ZERO, STAYING THAT WAY UNTIL I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER. BECAUSE I WAS IN THE CENTER LANE OF TRAFFIC, ON INTERSTATE 75, IN ATLANTA, I WAS NOT ABLE TO MOVE TO THE FAR LEFT OR RIGHT. THOUGH IT WAS APPROXIMATELY 4:30 IN THE MORNING ON A WORKDAY, THE TRAFFIC WAS HEAVY AND FAST. I WAS AFRAID THAT THE CAR WOULD STOP RIGHT THERE BUT WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE TO WORK BECAUSE I DID NOT DO ANY SUDDEN BRAKING OR SPEED SHIFTING. I KEPT DRIVING UNTIL I GOT TO WORK, WHICH WAS THE ONLY SAFE STOPPING POINT FOR ME AT THAT TIME OF DAY AND ON THE PATH THAT I WAS DRIVING. I WAS UNABLE TO DRIVE IT AGAIN AND HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE MECHANIC WHO WORKED ON IT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DRIVABLE AND HAD TO ORDER A REPLACEMENT OSS SENSOR. I HAVE MY CAR BACK BUT AM VERY NERVOUS ABOUT DRIVING IT. IT STILL DOES THE SLAMMING(ON A SMALL SCALE) BUT EVERYTIME IT DOES THIS, I WORRY. WHEN THE INITIAL PROBLEM STARTING, I HAD ~500 MILES LEFT TO MY WARRANTY. NOW I AM OVER THE WARRANTY AND WILL HAVE TO TAKE IT BACK IN FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM AND COULD POSSIBLY STALL A CAR IN HEAVY TRAFFIC, WITH NO ABILITY TO MOVE TO A SAFER LOCATION. *TR