NHTSA Complaint #10535957 — 2004 FORD FREESTAR

VAN STARTED RUNNING POORLY SUDDENLY, THEN WOULD NOT RUN AT ALL. AFTER SHUTTING DOWN AND ALLOWING COOL DOWN TIME, RESTARTED VAN AND IT WOULD NOT GO INTO GEAR. RAN WELL IN PARK OR NEUTRAL, BUT SHIFTING INTO ANY GEAR WOULD "CLUNK" AND THE ENGINE WOULD IMMEDIATELY QUIT. AFTER 5 DAYS OF TROUBLESHOOTING, TRACED TROUBLE TO ENGINE PCM AFTER READING IN ON-LINE FORUMS ABOUT IT. FOUND PCM WET AND PINS ON PCM AND CONTACTS ON WIRE HARNESS CORRODED AND GREEN DUE TO WATER LEAKING PAST COWL-TO-BODY SEAL. THE PCM CONNECTOR IS NOT SEALED, SO IF WATER DOES DRIP ON IT, IT IS DRIPPING DIRECTLY ONTO BACK SIDE OF THE CONTACTS AND FORD DID RELEASE A TSB ABOUT THIS ISSUE BUT NOT A RECALL. TSB SAYS TO REMOVE SOME PLUGS FROM BODY (MY VAN IS SEVERELY RUSTED IN ONE OF THOSE 2 SPOTS), SEAL AROUND CLIPS THAT HOLD PLASTIC COWL TO BODY WITH SILICONE SEALANT AND ADD ADDITIONAL WEATHER STRIPPING ON THE OUTER EDGES OF COWL TO TRY TO PREVENT WATER. I HAD TO REPLACE MY PCM. HAD MY WIFE BEEN ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN THIS HAPPENED, THERE WOULD HAVE MOST CERTAINLY BEEN AN ACCIDENT OR INJURY. *TR