NHTSA Complaint #10449561 — 2011 FORD TRANSIT CONNECT

THE ADVANCETRACK RSC, OR TRACTION CONTROL FEATURE, ON THE 2011 FORD TRANSIT CONNECT CAN NOT BE MANUALLY TURNED OFF. THIS HAS RESULTED IN DANGEROUS SITUATIONS WERE THE CAR BECAME INOPERABLE IN TRAFFIC IN INTERSECTIONS, PULLING INTO TRAFFIC, AND DRIVING UP ANY DEGREE OF INCLINE ON MUDDY OR SNOWY SURFACES.THE VEHICLE WOULD OTHERWISE BE CAPABLE OF PROCEEDING SAFELY AND CAPABLY BY SELECTING A MANUAL SHUT OFF OR ELECTING A MINIMUM SPEED CUT OFF FOR THE PROGRAM FROM A MENU SUCH AS 5-10 MPH. I DRIVE A SUBSTANTIAL DISTANCE YEARLY (60,000+ MILES) IN DIVERS CONDITIONS AND MANY KINDS OF VEHICLES. THIS IS A REAL SAFETY FAILURE IN PRODUCT DESIGN. THE FEATURE CREATES DANGEROUS DRIVING SITUATIONS THAT OTHER VEHICLES DO NOT ENCOUNTER WITH THAT DESIGN. A MANUAL SHUT OFF SHOULD BE A STANDARD SAFETY FEATURE FOR THIS TECHNOLOGY. THIS FEATURE ALSO MAKES THE VEHICLE UNUSABLE IN SOME CIRCUMSTANCES NOT SAFETY RELATED BECAUSE OF ITS DESIGN. THE FUNCTION OF THIS FEATURE HAS PUT ME AND MY BEGINNING DRIVER DAUGHTER IN PERIL IN VARIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES THAT THE DESIGN CREATES A HAZARD FOR. THE ENGINEERS NEED TO TEST THIS DESIGN AT ITS FAIL POINTS AND CONSIDER THE SAFETY AND FUNCTIONALITY CONSEQUENCES (FAILURE). *TR