NHTSA Complaint #10441426 — 2005 FORD FREESTYLE

PURCHASED USED FORD FREESTYLE DECEMBER 2010. RAN FINE UNTIL WARM WEATHER AND USE OF AIR CONDITIONER. WITH A/C ON, THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL SEEMS TO OFTEN GREATLY OVERSHOOT THE CORRECT SETTING WHEN SHIFTING FROM NEUTRAL TO DRIVE OR REVERSE, WHICH CAUSES A SIGNIFICANT ENGINE RPM INCREASE AND A MOMENTARY "LUNGE" IF THE BRAKE IS NOT APPLIED VERY FIRMLY. MANY VEHICLES DO THIS TO A MINOR EXTENT BUT THE FREESTYLE IS FAR AND AWAY THE WORST I'VE EVER SEEN. THIS DOES CAUSE UNANTICIPATED VEHICLE MOVEMENT AND COULD INJURE A CHILD, PASSERBY ETC OR CAUSE A VEHICLE TO ENTER AN INTERSECTION. MY WIFE IS CERTAINLY UNNERVED BY IT. EFFECT IS IN FACT SOMETIMES THERE IN COOL WEATHER BUT TO A MUCH LESSER EXTENT. READING FORUMS AND THINKING ABOUT THIS (I'M AN ENGINEER AND SAE MEMBER) IT MAY VERY WELL BE SOMETHING LIKE A WORN THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR INTERACTING WITH AN ECU SOFTWARE GLITCH, MAY VERY WELL BE FIXABLE IN SOFTWARE. ANNOYINGLY THE TPS ON THIS VEHICLE IS INTEGRATED INTO THE THROTTLE BODY OR I'D JUST REPLACE THE TPS. *TR