NHTSA Complaint #10519744 — 2012 FORD F-150

AFTER PURCHASING THIS 2012 F150 W/ECOBOOST V-6, I WANTED TO SEE HOW GOOD OF GAS MILEAGE I COULD GET OUT OF IT. I ALSO WANTED TO BREAK THE VEHICLE IN BEFORE ANY HARD ACCELERATIONS. WHEN STARTING FROM A COMPLETE STOP, I WOULD GRADUALLY MAKE IT UP TO HIGHWAY SPEEDS. I TREATED THE VEHICLE GINGERLY UNTIL I WANTED TO TEST THE CAPABILITIES OF THIS ECOBOOST ENGINE I HAD HEARD SO MUCH ABOUT. IT WAS A COLD JANUARY EVENING AND THERE WAS NO UNUSUAL WEATHER (NO RAIN OR SNOW). I HAD BEEN CRUISING AT CONSTANT HIGHWAY SPEEDS FOR APPROXIMATELY AN HOUR. THE ROAD HAD NARROWED FROM A 4 LANE HIGHWAY TO A 2 LANE. I WAS STUCK BEHIND A VEHICLE TRAVELING JUST ABOVE 50 MPH. I REACHED A PASSING ZONE AND DECIDED TO TEST THE PERFORMANCE OF THE ENGINE/TRUCK. I DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR TO THE FLOOR AND THE ENGINE SPIT AND SPUTTERED. I DECIDED TO EASE OFF IMMEDIATELY FOR OUR SAFETY. NO LIGHTS ON THE DASH ILLUMINATED AS RESULT OF THIS ENGINE PROBLEM. AFTER THIS INCIDENT, I HAVE NOTICED THAT AT CRUISING SPEEDS, THERE SEEMS TO BE AN ENGINE MISS AROUND 60 MPH WHILE GOING UP A SLIGHT GRADE. I HAVE ALSO NOTICED THAT WHEN STARTING THE VEHICLE, IT (ENGINE) DOES NOT START AS QUICKLY. THE KEY HAS TO BE HELD LONGER. THESE PROBLEMS ARE A DIRECT RESULT OF THE DAMAGE CAUSED TO THE ENGINE AFTER THE VERY FIRST HARD ACCELERATION. *TR