NHTSA Complaint #10440735 — 2011 FORD TAURUS

JUST HOURS AFTER ROUTINE OIL AND FILTER CHANGE, I PULLED OUT ONTO THE HIGHWAY, ACCELERATING TO ACCESS THE ROADWAY AT A REASONABLE SPEED OF TRAFFIC. THE ENGINE BEGAN TO SLOW, AND THEN STOPPED COMPLETELY.....NO POWER, NOTHING!!!! I WAS ALMOST REAR-ENDED AND CATAPULTED INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. THE DEALERSHIP WAS CONTACTED AND BROUGHT THE CAR IN, WHERE THE SERVICE MANAGER SAID THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN WAS CAUSED BY AN INSECT THAT "GOT THRU" THE SCREEN ON THE AIR FILTER VALVE(?) AND ATTACHED ITSELF TO THE FILAMENT THAT READS AND ADJUSTS THE AIR/GAS MIX. THE SYSTEM COULDN'T READ IT AND THE ENGINE "AUTOMATICALLY SHUT DOWN". THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY RISK....HOW CAN AN ENGINE BE SHUT DOWN BY AN INSECT, REGARDLESS OF AUTO SPEED, LOCATION ETC ETC ETC. ANY "AUTOMATIC" ENGINE SHUTDOWN IS AN INEXCUSABLE DESIGN FLAW AND SHOULD BE CORRECTED BEFORE THERE IS A FATALITY....IT WAS ALMOST MY FATALITY. THE SERVICE MANAGER ALSO SAID THIS WAS "ONLY THE SECOND TIME" HE HAD SEEN THIS PROBLEM IN THE TAURUS.