NHTSA Complaint #10486138 — 2012 FORD F-150

TRAVELED FROM BENTON, LA TO LITTLE ROCK AR. WAS DRIVING DOWN TWO LANE HIGHWAY AT 55 MPH IN THE RAIN. HAD TO COME TO STOP AS A VEHICLE WAS TURNING LEFT. UPON ACCELERATING VEHICLE BEGAN TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY AND WOULD NOT ACCELERATE PAST 15 MPH. WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER TO SHOULDER. TURNED OFF VEHICLE AND REMOVED KEY. RESTARTED ENGINE. VEHICLE WOULD ONLY RUN APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH. DROVE TO NEXT TOWN ABOUT 10 MILES AWAY. STOPPED AT GAS STATION FOR APPROXIMATELY AN HOUR. SINCE IT WAS LATE IN THE EVENING WE HAD TO CONTINUE TRAVELING. TRUCK THEN WOULD RUN ABOUT 70 MPH DOWN THE INTERSTATE, BUT ANY ACCELERATION WOULD CAUSE THE TRUCK TO HESITATE, SHAKE, AND LOOSE POWER. ONLY EXTREMELY EASY ACCELERATION WOULD WORK. NO DOWN SHIFTING POSSIBLE. TRUCK WAS DIAGNOSED AT CHENAL FORD IN LITTLE ROCK AR. FOUND TO HAVE WATER IN THE ENGINE FROM ENTERING THE TURBO CHARGER AIR INTAKE. WATER APPARENTLY ACCUMULATES IN THE TURBO CHARGER IN THE RAIN. IF HARD ACCELERATION OCCURS DURING THE RAIN, WATER IS PULLED TO THE ENGINE DAMAGING THE SPARK PLUGS AND COIL PACKS. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH FORD AS THE HAVE SEVERAL SERVICE BULLETINS OUT. UNFORTUNATELY, THE DEALER IN LOUISIANA HAS NOT BEEN PROVIDED A CORRECTION FROM FORD. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE TURBO INTAKE SYSTEM HAS BEEN REDESIGNED FOR THE 2013 MODEL YEAR. FORD AT THIS TIME IS NOT OFFERING TO REPLACE THE AIR INTAKE. AS SUCH, I THIS VEHICLE IS NOT SAFE IN THE RAIN. A CAR SHOULD NOT STALL WHEN ACCELERATING. *TR