NHTSA Complaint #10416861 — 2006 FORD FREESTYLE

WE OWN A 2006 FORD FREESTYLE. IN 2008, AT 36,730 MILES WE HAD THE THROTTLE BODY REPLACED BECAUSE THE VEHICLE LURCHED & THE WRENCH LIGHT CAME ON. PROBLEM FIXED. HOWEVER, 2011 @ 88,356 WE HAD THE CAR IN AGAIN BECAUSE IT LURCHED AND ENGINE & WRENCH LIGHT WOULD COME ON AGAIN, AND IT WOULD LOSE POWER. IF WE TURNED THE KEY OFF AND BACK ON, IT WOULD TEMPORARILY GO AWAY. THEY REPLACED AN ELECTRONIC SENSOR IN THE TRANSMISSION. THIS WAS AT A FORD DEALER. THEY HAD TO CALL THEIR MECHANIC HELP LINE & WORK ON IT SEVERAL DAYS TO FIGURE OUT THE PROBLEM. APPARENTLY, THAT WAS NOT THE PROBLEM, BECAUSE IT HAD TO GO BACK IN TWO WEEKS LATER FOR THE SAME ISSUE. THEY CLAIMED THE NEW PART WAS FAULTY AND THEY REPLACED THE SENSOR AGAIN. FAST FORWARD 2.5 MONTHS. WE ARE IN JUNE @ 92,744. VEHICLE WAS AGAIN LURCHING, WRENCH & CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WOULD COME ON AND HAD A LOSS OF POWER. THIS ALL SEEMED TO HAPPEN WHEN THE ENGINE WAS UNDER STRAIN/LOAD: AC ON HIGH, TURNING THE WHEEL. IT WOULD HAPPEN IN REVERSE OR DRIVE. I HAD A FOOT ON/OVER THE BRAKE - SO LURCHING NEVER CAUSED ANY INCIDENTS. THIS TIME, I TOOK IT TO MY MECHANIC. HE DIDN'T BELIEVE ME - BECAUSE AS I SAID - IF YOU TURNED THE CAR OFF, IT WOULD ALL GO AWAY UNTIL THE NEXT RANDOM TIME IT HAPPENED. SO, AFTER 2 DAYS I PICKED THE VEHICLE UP FROM HIM. IT HAPPENED AGAIN 2 DAYS LATER. I TOOK IT TO AUTOZONE AND HAD THEM PLUG IT IN TO GET THE CODES OUT OF IT - BEFORE I TURNED IT OFF. I TOOK THE VEHICLE AND THE CODES TO MY MECHANIC. HE HAD THE CAR FOR A COUPLE DAYS AND WAS ABLE TO GET IT TO BEHAVE AS I DESCRIBED TO HIM. HE REPLACED THE THROTTLE BODY AND IT SEEMED TO FIX IT. WE TOOK IT ON A ROAD TRIP FOR 6,000 MILES AND THERE WAS NO PROBLEM. IT IS NOW JUST OVER 100,000 MILES AND THE WARRANTY HAS NOW EXPIRED. UNTIL NOW - WARRANTY HAS COVERED THE BULK OF THE COST. ABOUT 2 WEEKS AGO, THERE WAS ONE INSTANCE OF SURGING BUT NO OTHER SYMPTOMS OR LIGHTS. NOT SURE WHAT I PLAN TO DO FROM HERE EXCEPT PERHAPS WAIT UNTIL IT IS RECALLED?*KB