NHTSA Complaint #10297596 — 2005 FORD EXPEDITION

1. THERE WERE NO EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE FAILURE. THERE IS NO WARNING THAT THIS IS GOING TO HAPPEN OR IS HAPPENING. UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS, MY 2005 FORD EXPEDITION SIMPLY LOST ALL POWER AND THE WORDS "ENGINE FAIL SAFE MODE" APPEARED. 2. THIS OCCURRED TWICE (OCT. 6, 2009 AND NOV. 16, 2009). I WAS ABLE TO PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD BOTH TIMES BUT DURING THE SECOND INCIDENT, I LOST THE POWER STEERING AS WELL AND STRUGGLED TO PULL OVER. THE CONSEQUENCES OF THIS "ENGINE FAIL SAFE MODE" IS THAT THE CAR STOPS WORKING. YOU BECOME A SITTING DUCK WHEREVER THE CAR HAS DECIDED TO GO INTO THIS MODE. YOU ARE UNABLE TO ACCELERATE -NOT FUN WHEN THIS HAPPENED ON THE FREEWAY THE FIRST TIME-AND IF YOU DO NOT LOSE YOUR POWER STEERING, YOU CAN PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. 3. THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE BODY WAS REPLACED FOR APPROXIMATELY $700. NOWHERE IN THE CAR MANUAL DOES IT LET YOU KNOW THAT THIS CODE COULD LEAD TO THIS REPAIR. I HAD A HARD TIME FIGURING OUT WHAT THE CODE MEANT USING THE OWNER MANUAL. THE MOST FRUSTRATING PART OF THIS FAILURE IS THAT IF THIS HAD OCCURRED WHEN I WAS TRAVELING AT 65 MPH ON THE FREEWAY, I PROBABLY WOULD NOT BE HERE TO ENTER THIS COMPLAINT. I WOULD LIKE TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING TO SOMEONE ELSE. *TR