NHTSA Complaint #10345571 — 2005 FORD FREESTYLE

WE BOUGHT A NEW 2005 FORD FREESTYLE IN OCTOBER 2005. WE HAD NO PROBLEMS UNTIL OUR 3 YEAR WARRANTY EXPIRED IN OCTOBER 2008. BEGINNING IN 2009 WE BEGAN TO NOTICE THAT OUR INSTRUMENT PANEL WOULD LOSE POWER. ALL DIALS WOULD GO DOWN TO ZERO, FLICKER AND THE ENTIRE PANEL WOULD BE DEAD FOR A SHORT TIME. IT HAPPENED INTERMITTENTLY AND WE LIVED WITH IT FOR A YEAR BEFORE TAKING THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE SAN LEANDRO, CA FORD DEALER, PAYING $250 FOR AN ENGINE DIAGNOSTIC IN JANUARY 2009. THE DIAGNOSTIC WHICH TOOK ALL DAY, REVEALED THAT THERE WAS A SHORT IN A WIRE IN THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WHICH MEANT THE PANEL WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED IN ITS ENTIRETY ($700). NOT HAVING THE $700 TO PAY FOR THE SOLUTION I CAME HOME TO DO SOME RESEARCH. I FOUND THAT PER FORD TSB 06-17-9 ALL FORD DEALERSHIPS WERE TOLD ABOUT THIS DEFECT. IT WAS INVESTIGATED BY THE NHTSA AND BECAUSE THE PROBLEM DID NOT INVOLVE THE OPERATION OF THE EXTERIOR FUNCTIONS OF THE VEHICLE, THERE WAS NO RECALL. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHY FORD MC IS TAKING $250 FROM ITS CUSTOMERS TO DIAGNOSE A PROBLEM THAT IT ALREADY KNEW ABOUT. ALSO, IF IT WERE YOUR VEHICLE, WOULD YOU BE SATISFIED IN PAYING $700 FOR A REPLACEMENT PART THAT FORD READILY ADMITS TO HAVING BEEN SOLDERED INCORRECTLY DURING THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS? I CAN TESTIFY THAT THERE IS A SAFETY ISSUE INVOLVED HERE. WHEN DRIVING HOME FROM YOSEMITE NP AT NIGHT, ALONG STEEP MOUNTAIN ROADS, MY FAMILY OF 4 CHILDREN, MOM AND DAD NEARLY DROVE OFF THE ROAD WHEN OUR ENTIRE CABIN WENT DARK BECAUSE THE INSTRUMENT PANEL SHUT DOWN. WE HAD TO BRAKE HARD AND CARS BEHIND US AND IN FRONT HAD TO DO THE SAME IN RESPONSE. I COULD NOT TELL HOW FAST WE WERE GOING, NOR HOW MUCH GAS WAS LEFT IN THE TANK FOR A PERIOD OF 10 MINUTES. REVERSE LIGHTS COME ON WHILST DRIVING IN FORWARD DIRECTION CAUSING DRIVERS TO BRAKE BEHIND US. THE INVESTIGATION SHOULD BE REOPENED BECAUSE THIS PROBLEM IS ONGOING AND WILL CAUSE LOSS OF LIFE FOR THE SAKE OF A REPLACEMENT PART THAT WAS BADLY MADE. *TR