NHTSA Complaint #10467265 — 2006 FORD FREESTYLE

WHILE TRAVELING HOME FROM HOLIDAY, MY WRENCH LIGHT CAME ON IN THE CAR AND WE COULD SMELL THE ENGINE BEGINNING TO OVERHEAT. MY ENGINE WAS TRYING TO LUNGE FORWARD EVEN THOUGH I HAD THE CRUISE CONTROL ON. MY VEHICLE THEN STARTED TO DECELERATE AND I BARELY MADE IT OFF FROM THE HIGHWAY VIA AN EXIT RAMP. PULLED OVER, TURNED OFF THE CAR AND OPENED THE HOOD TO LET THE ENGINE COOL OFF. I THOUGHT THE PROBLEM MAY BE GEAR OR TRANSMISSION RELATED OR PERHAPS BAD GAS. I TRIED A TRICK TOLD TO ME BY MECHANIC FRIEND TO BACK UP THE CAR AND GO FORWARD APPROXIMATELY 40-50 FEET, STOP THE VEHICLE AND REPEAT THE MOVEMENT AGAIN TO RESET THE TRANSMISSION CONTROLS. I ALSO ADDED FUEL INJECTION CLEANER AND FILLED THE TANK AGAIN. AFTER FUEL INJECTION AND LETTING THE CAR SIT, IT WAS OKAY FOR THE REST OF THE TRIP. HAD ANOTHER INCIDENT JUST RECENTLY (JULY 2012). THE SAME WRENCH LIGHT CAME ON AND MY CAR ONCE AGAIN LUNGED AND DECELERATED AND I HAD TO PULL OFF. LUCKILY, THERE WAS A GAS STATION AT EXIT AGAIN. AND, LUCKILY, I WAS ABLE TO MANEUVER THROUGH TRAFFIC WHEN DECELERATING WITHOUT HARM TO MY FAMILY. I BOUGHT MORE FUEL INJECTION CLEANER AND FILLED THE TANK. I THEN LET THE CAR SIT AGAIN. THAT SEEMED TO HELP. WE MADE IT HOME AFTER ANOTHER REST STOP FOR THE CAR. SHORTLY AFTER, MY HUSBAND USED THROTTLE BODY CLEANER TO CLEAN OUT MY FUEL INJECTION PATHWAY. HE REMOVED AIR CONNECTION AND FOUND THE THROTTLE BODY TO BE CLOGGED WITH GUNKY MATERIAL AND SPRAYED A GOOD DOSE OF THE CLEANER INTO IT WHILE I GUNNED THE ENGINE TO CLEAR IT OUT. I AM NOW USING FUEL INJECTION CLEANER WITH EVERY GAS FILLUP TO MITIGATE THE PROBLEM. I KNOW I PROBABLY NEED TO REPLACE THE WHOLE THROTTLE BODY, BUT I AM LEARY FROM WHAT I'VE READ ON INTERNET WITH OTHERS HAVING SAME PROBLEM, REPLACING THROTTLE BODY AND THEN IT HAVING TO DO IT AGAIN A YEAR LATER. I AM GOING TO FIX CAR AND THEN PROBABLY SELL IT. NOT SAFE ANYMORE. *TR