NHTSA Complaint #10443921 — 2011 FORD FIESTA

EARLY YEAR 2011 MODELS OF FORD FIESTA DO NOT HAVE THE ABILITY TO DISABLE THE ELEC. STABILITY CONTROL KNOWN AS ADVANCTRAC FOR DRIVING IN ICY CONDITIONS. WHILE DRIVING UP A HILL WITH SNOW AND/OR ICE COVER THE FRONT DRIVE TIRES STARTED TO SPIN SLIGHTLY. THE ENGINE AUTOMATICALLY REDUCED POWER IMMEDIATELY TO BOTH WHEELS UNTIL ALL FORWARD MOMENTUM CEASED. AT THIS POINT THE VEHICLE STARTED SLIDING BACKWARD DOWN THE HILL WITH NO CONTROL SINCE THERE WAS NO POWER TO THE WHEELS. THIS WAS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AS THE HILL HAD A STEEP DROP-OFF ON ONE SIDE AND TREES ON THE OTHER. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE OUR 2010 FORD FOCUS AND OUR 2001 CHEVROLET BLAZER UP THE SAME HILL AT THAT TIME WITH NO ISSUES OR HESITATION. A SIMILAR EVENT HAS OCCURRED ON A LEVEL ROAD WHERE THE SNOW IS DEEP AND THE VEHICLE HAS COME TO A STOP. IF BOTH TIRES START TO SPIN, POWER IS REDUCED TO THE DRIVE WHEELS AND THE VEHICLE IS EFFECTIVELY STUCK. THIS IS ESPECIALLY DANGEROUS AT SLIPPERY INTERSECTIONS. IF THE VEHICLE HAD A DISABLE FUNCTION FOR THE ADVANCTRAC, THE CAR COULD EASILY BE DRIVEN OUT OF ICY CONDITIONS SUCH AS THESE. THERE IS NO INFORMATION IN MY OWNER'S MANUAL (1ST PRINTING) ON THIS CONDITION. IN LATER MANUALS (3RD PRINTING WHICH CAN BE DOWNLOADED) FORD HAS PROVIDED A MANUAL SHUT-OFF THROUGH THE MULTIFUNCTION DISPLAY. THIS OPTION DOES NOT EXIST ON MY VEHICLE'S MULTIFUNCTION DISPLAY. EARLY 2011MY FORD FIESTAS SHOULD BE RECALLED AND UPDATED TO FIX THIS DANGEROUS CONDITION. *TR