NHTSA Complaint #10519631 — 2013 FORD F-150

WHILE TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEED ON I-69 IN MICHIGAN BETWEEN LANSING AND FLINT, I ATTEMPTED TO MERGE INTO THE PASSING LANE TO ALLOW MERGING TRAFFIC FROM THE ON-RAMP ONTO THE EXPRESSWAY. IN ORDER TO CHANGE LANES, I USED FIRM ACCELERATION TO AVOID CONTACT WITH THE FASTER VEHICLES IN THE PASSING LANE. THE STEERING WHEEL STARTED SHAKING VIOLENTLY WHILE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT FLASHED. ALL FORWARD ACCELERATION WAS IMPOSSIBLE THE ENGINE SPUTTERED FOR 45-60 SECONDS AFTER THE EVENT UNTIL POWER WAS RESTORED. ONE WEEK AFTER I TOOK DELIVERY OF THE TRUCK, THIS PROBLEM BEGAN ON A SIMILAR TRIP ON THE WAY TO TOLEDO AROUND THE DUNDEE EXIT ON I-23. THE VEHICLE ONLY HAD 400 MILES ON IT AT THE TIME. THIS WAS IN EARLY MAY 2013. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHO PERFORMED THE TSB REPLACING THE CHARGED AIR COOLER AND UPDATING THE SOFTWARE IN THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE. THIS CAN BE REPEATED ON ANY TRIP OF SIGNIFICANT DURATION ON A RAINY DAY. THE TSB DID ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM, AND I FEAR FOR MY SAFETY AS WELL AS MY FAMILY'S SAFETY. I DO NOT LET ME WIFE DRIVE THE CAR BECAUSE SHE WOULD NOT BE AS WELL EQUIPPED TO DEAL WITH AN EVENT LIKE THIS. I FEEL CHEATED BY FORD, AND I AM NOT SATISFIED WITH THEIR ATTEMPTS OF FIXING THIS. FURTHERMORE, I KNOW EVERY TIME THIS HAPPENS THE ENGINE IS TAKING IN LARGE AMOUNTS OF WATER THROUGH THE INTAKE, AND THIS IS CATASTROPHIC FOR ENGINE LIFE AND LONGEVITY. PLEASE PURSUE RECALL EFFORTS NOW ON THIS HORRIBLE ENGINE. *TR