NHTSA Complaint #10380550 — 2005 FORD FIVE HUNDRED

DEFECTIVE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE BODY (ETB) ON 2005 FORD 500, FREESTYLE, AND MERCURY MONTEGO. CAUSES CAR TO MOVE FORWARD OR BACKWARD IN DRIVE OR REVERSE WITHOUT USING ANY PRESSURE ON THE GAS PEDAL. MUST PLACE FOOT ON THE BRAKE TO AVOID RUNNING INTO SOMETHING, ESPECIALLY WHILE PARKING. FORD HAS A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN (TSB 05-25-13) ON THIS BUT HAS NOT NOTIFIED ANY OWNERS OF VEHICLES AFFECTED TO DATE. IT APPEARS THAT FORD HAS COME UP WITH A NEW REPLACEMENT PART FOR THE ETB UNLIKE THE ORIGINAL THAT WAS JUST MADE AVAILABLE IN JULY 2010. I PAID A LOCAL FORD DEALER $128.08 TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM DIAGNOSED AND ANOTHER $615.83 TO HAVE IT FIXED. I WAS TOLD THE ETB PART NUMBER WAS "5F9Z-9E926-AA". ANOTHER NUMBER FOR THE NEW ETB PART ON MY SALES SLIP DATED 07/30/10 WAS FMC 6F9Z 9E926 A. THEY CALLED IT A KIT FOR THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE BODY. THE PRICE FOR THE KIT WAS $495.86. SINCE I HAVE HEARD OF THIS PROBLEM COMING UP ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION, I THOUGHT I WOULD TURN IT IN FOR YOUR INVESTIGATION. SINCE THE AFFECT OF THE DEFECTIVE ETB ACTUALLY CAN CAUSE THE CAR TO MOVE ON ITS OWN, FORWARD OR REVERSE, AND REQUIRES YOU TO USE YOUR BRAKES SIMULTANEOUSLY TO KEEP IT FROM HITTING ADJOINING OBJECTS, I THOUGHT THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD THAT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED ON SEVERAL FORD AND MERCURY 2005 PRODUCTS, IT IS NOT THE MONEY, IT IS THE SAFETY ISSUE I AM MOST INTERESTED IN. TO PARALLEL PARK OR GET INTO A PARKING STALL WITH THIS PROBLEM WAS A REAL CHORE KEEPING YOU FOOT ON THE BRAKE AS YOU TRIED TO MANEUVER IN AND OUT OF A PARKING SPACE. IF YOU DID NOT HOLD YOUR FOOT ON THE BRAKE, THE CAR WOULD MOVE IN ITS OWN EITHER IN DRIVE OR REVERSE. THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE AND A TRUE SAFETY HAZARD, BUT I HAVE NOT SEEN THE PROBLEM ON THE RECALL LISTS FOR MY CAR OR OTHERS AFFECTED IN THE FORD TSB. NOR HAVE AUTO OWNERS BEEN NOTIFIED BY FORD OR OFFERED COMPENSATION FOR THE EXPENSE TO HAVE THE KIT INSTALLED.