NHTSA Complaint #10465748 — 2012 FORD F-150

BRAND-NEW CAR - 2 DAYS OLD. TRYING TO MERGE INTO TRAFFIC ON I-81 AT NIGHT DURING LIGHT RAIN. ENGINE STALLED DURING ACCELERATION ATTEMPT WHILE MERGING FROM THE ON-RAMP ONTO RIGHT LANE OF INTERSTATE, FORCING 18-WHEELER TO BRAKE TO VOID CRUSHING ME. ENGINE RUMBLED WITH VERY LITTLE POWER GETTING TO THE WHEELS, AND RECOVERED TO NORMAL DRIVING MODE WITHIN ABOUT ONE MINUTE. SCARIEST DRIVING EVENT IN MY DECADES OF DRIVING. INTERNET RESEARCH INDICATES THAT THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE 3.5L 6-CYLINDER ECOBOOST IN HUMID WEATHER, DUE TO CONDENSATION IN THE INTERCOOLER BEING SUCKED INTO THE ENGINE, WHEN ACCELERATING SHARPLY (SUCH AS MERGING INTO TRAFFIC, LANE CHANGES, ETC., I.E., WHEN FULL ENGINE POWER IS REALLY NEEDED). THIS WILL LEAD TO FATALITIES EVENTUALLY, IF NOT FIXED, BUT THERE SEEMS TO BE NO FIX AVAILABLE FROM FORD. *TR