NHTSA Complaint #10326492 — 2005 FORD FREESTYLE

I OWN A 2005 FORD FREESTYLE WITH 33,200 MILES ON IT. I BOUGHT IT NEW. IN LATE MARCH 2010, THE NEEDLES ON THE GAUGES STARTED SWEEPING DOWN TO ZERO AND THE CAR LOST POWER. THEN THE CAR REGAINED POWER AGAIN. THIS HAPPENED 4 TIMES IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS. THE LAST TIME IT HAPPENED I WAS DRIVING DOWN I-85 AT 55 MPH WITH TRACTOR TRAILER TRUCKS DIRECTLY IN BACK OF ME AND ALSO ALONG SIDE OF ME. THE GAUGES SWEPT AND THE CAR LOST POWER BUT THE POWER DID NOT COME BACK AND I WAS BARELY ABLE TO GET THE CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. IT HAD TO BE TOWED IN FOR SERVICE. OF COURSE, FORD SAID IT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER MY WARRANTY AND I WOULD HAVE TO PAY TO REPAIR 'CLUSTER' FAILURE. THIS WAS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AS I HAD MY 3 YR OLD GRANDDAUGHTER IN A CAR SEAT IN THE REAR PASSENGER POSITION. IF I HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO GET THE CAR OFF THE HIGHWAY, THE PROBABILITY OF BEING REAR ENDED BY ANOTHER VEHICLE WAS HIGH. THAT STRETCH OF I-85 IS HIGHLY TRAVELED BY COMMERCIAL VEHICLES. TRACTOR TRAILER'S CANNOT STOP QUICKLY. MY GRANDDAUGHTER COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. I DID SOME RESEARCH AND LEARNED THAT NHTSA DEFECT INVESTIGATION PEO7058 HAS NOT RESULTED IN A RECALL OF THE 2005 FREESTYLE. AT WHAT POINT DOES NHTSA DETERMINE THAT A 'DEFECT' IS SERIOUS ENOUGH TO WARRANT A RECALL? AND IS IT FAIR THAT I HAVE TO PAY TO CORRECT MANUFACTURER'S DEFECTS? *TR