NHTSA Complaint #10503670 — 2004 FORD FREESTAR

I AM WRITING ABOUT THIS 12/8/11 INCIDENT TODAY, BECAUSE THIS HAPPENED TO ME AGAIN! ON 3/14/13 (I WILL ENTER A SEPARATE COMPLAINT THE 3/14/13 EVENT IMMEDIATELY AFTER THIS ONE IS REGISTERED). IN BOTH CASES, THE ENTIRE COMPUTER BRAIN HAD TO BE REPLACED, EACH TIME COSTING OVER $1,000. 12/8/11 INCIDENT: WHILE DRIVING, I FOUND THE GAS PEDAL WAS NOT RESPONDING TO ACCELERATION. A SYMBOL LIT UP ON THE DASHBOARD. HAVING EXPERIENCED A TORQUE CONVERTER FAILURE 8 MONTHS BEFORE (SAFERCAR.GOV ODI NO.: 10397445), I WORRIED THAT THIS MIGHT BE TRANSMISSION RELATED AGAIN. I WAS LOSING MOVEMENT, BUT THE ENGINE STILL RAN, AND COASTED INTO A VACANT LOT. WHILE WAITING FOR A TOW, I FOUND THAT I COULD SOMETIMES DRIVE FORWARD OR REVERSE A BIT (A FEW FEET), BUT SOMETIMES I COULD NOT. THE MECHANIC HAD TO REPLACE THE COMPUTER BRAIN. HE BOUGHT THE PART FROM MEDFORD FORD, IN NEW JERSEY. I CAN LOCATE THE EXACT COST OF THE REPAIR AT A LATER TIME, BUT IT WAS APPROXIMATELY $1,000. I HAD NO SIGNIFICANT SYMPTOMS AHEAD OF TIME, WHICH WOULD LEAD ME TO BELIEVE THAT I WAS ABOUT TO BREAK DOWN. I HAVE TOTALLY BROKEN DOWN 5 TIMES IN THIS VEHICLE, EACH FOR MAJOR REPAIRS. *TR