NHTSA Complaint #10504753 — 2008 FORD FUSION

WHILE ON A TRIP TO NEW BUFFALO, MICHIGAN, MY 2008 FORD FUSION BEGAN TO SPUTTER AND LIMP (AS IF IT WERE RUNNING OUT OF GAS). THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY, AS I PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I THEN TURNED OFF THE CAR AND WAITED A FEW MINUTES. WHEN I TURNED IT ON AGAIN, THE CAR SEEMED TO HAVE MIRACULOUSLY RECOVERED. AS I PULLED OUT ONTO THE HIGHWAY, HOWEVER, THE ENGINE LIGHT STARTED FLASHING AND THE CAR BEGAN TO WHINE AND SPUTTER. SINCE IT WAS LATE ON A SUNDAY NIGHT AND THERE WERE NO REPAIR SHOPS OPEN, I WAS FORCED TO PARK THE CAR AT A NEARBY PARKING LOT AND WAS LATER PICKED UP BY A RELATIVE OF MINE, WHO DROVE NEARLY 200 MILES TO GET ME BACK HOME. THE FOLLOWING DAY, MY INSURANCE COMPANY TOWED THE CAR TO A LOCAL AUTO SHOP WHERE I SPOKE WITH A MECHANIC AND SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE. TO MY DISMAY, BOTH GENTLEMEN RELAYED THAT THIS WAS A COMMON OCCURRENCE WITH FORD FUSIONS, AND THAT THE TECHNICIAN, HIMSELF HAD REPAIRED 8-12 SUCH ISSUES IN THE LAST YEAR. HE ALSO MENTIONED THAT THERE WERE SEVERAL TSBS (TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS) RELATED TO THIS ISSUE, DUE TO A FAULTY DESIGN IN THE PCM AND INJECTION COILS WHICH CAUSED THEM TO SHORT TO ONE ANOTHER. I ASKED IF THERE HAD BEEN A RECALL OR IF CUSTOMERS WERE FORCED TO PAY TO REPLACE THESE FLAWED PARTS. HE KINDLY EXPLAINED THAT RECALLS ARE FOR SAFETY ISSUES,'AND THAT IF WE WANTED THE CAR FIXED, WE WOULD NEED TO PAY FOR NEW PARTS. AS THE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE PROVIDED ME WITH A QUOTE FOR THE REPAIR COST, A PRINCELY SUM OF $3,010.00, MY REACTION RESEMBLED THAT OF AN INDIVIDUAL WATCHING A RATHER TERRIBLE HORROR MOVIE. I COULD NOT HELP BUT FEEL AGGRIEVED AS A LARGE PORTION OF THE COST (NEARLY $2,200.00) WAS ATTRIBUTED TO THE FAULTY PARTS THAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. NOTE, A SIMILAR COMPLAINT WAS ALSO FILED ON FEB 06, 2012, BY AN INDIVIDUAL IN ST MARYS, PA. *TR