NHTSA Complaint #10464057 — 2005 FORD FREESTYLE

MY 2005 FORD FREESTYLE SEEMS TO HAVE ISSUES AT THE INITIAL START POSITION. IN THE "PARK" POSITION THE CAR WILL REV WITHOUT COMPRESSING THE GAS PETAL, IT THEN LUNGES FORWARD AS YOU ARE ATTEMPTING TO PUT THE CAR IN EITHER FORWARD OR REVERSE. IT SHUDDERS AND SHAKES, CAUSING THE ENGINE TO SHUT DOWN COMPLETELY AND OPERATE IS THE "SAFE" MODE. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT USUALLY COMES ON. THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN SEEN ON 3 DIFFERENT OCCASIONS RANGING FROM APRIL OF 2010 TO JULY 2010, EACH TIME THE SYMPTOMS BECAME WORSE, AT ONE POINT WHILE WAITING AT A RED LIGHT JUST BEFORE ENTERING THE ON-RAMP TO THE HIGHWAY, IT STUTTERED, REVVED HIGH AND LUNGED INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC, EMBARRASSED, I CONTINUED TO PROCEED FORWARD TO THE ON-RAMP WHEN THE CAR SUDDENLY SHUT DOWN COMPLETELY CAUSING THE 4 VEHICLES BEHIND ME TO BREAK HARD, AGAIN ALMOST CAUSING ANOTHER ACCIDENT, I DROVE IT DIRECTLY TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER DID WORK ON THE VEHICLE AND THOUGHT TO HAVE SOLVED THE ISSUE. THE ISSUES STARTED TO OCCUR IN THE WINTER AND EARLY SPRING BEFORE THE USAGE OF THE A/C AND BECAME PROGRESSIVELY WORSE AS THE SUMMER MONTHS APPROACHED AND THE A/C FULL WAS IN USAGE. IT HAS BEEN A ALMOST 2 YEARS SINCE I HAVE NEEDED TO REPORT ANYTHING TO THE DEALER. THE FIX DID APPEAR TO LESSEN THE INTENSITY OF THE ISSUE, BUT DID NOT FIX IT ENTIRELY. IT HAS CONTINUED TO ACT UP, BUT IS BACK TO THE SAME INTENSITY AS THE SUMMER OF 2010. THE ENGINE SURGED 3 TIMES IN AN HOUR PERIOD LAST WEEK AND SHUT THE ENGINE DOWN TWICE. WHEN I CALLED THE DEALER TO REPORT IT, THEY TOLD ME THAT IT WOULD BE CONSIDERED A NEW ISSUE SINCE IT HAS BEEN ALMOST 2 YEARS SINCE THEY HAD WORKED ON THE CAR FOR THE SAME ISSUE. THEY MAY HAVE CLEANED THE THROTTLE BODY IN 2010, WHICH REDUCED THE SURGING INTENSITY, BUT IT DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. IS FORD WAITING FOR A MAJOR ACCIDENT, FIRE OR DEATH TO OCCUR BEFORE THIS PROBLEM IS RESOLVED OR REPLACED?! *JS