NHTSA Complaint #10555859 — 2004 FORD EXCURSION

ON 11/26/13 DRIVING BACK FROM ATLANTA HEADING SOUTH LEAVING THE FLORIDA WELCOME CENTER ON I-75, 4 MILES NORTH OF JENNINGS ON I-75 SOUTH JENNINGS. LEAVING THE WELCOME CENTER THE VEHICLES ENGINE LOST POWER WHILE TRYING TO MERGE BACK INTO TRAFFIC WITHOUT ANY PRIOR INDICATION OF A PROBLEM. THE LOSS OF POWER CAUSED US TO HAVE TO DIVERT FROM THE LANE UNTIL WE COULD GAIN MORE SPEED. THE VEHICLE HAD NO ACCELERATING POWER ABOVE 40 MPH EVEN WITH THE GAS PEDAL DEPRESSED ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR. THERE WERE NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS ON OR ANY ABNORMAL INDICATORS. I CALLED THE FORD CUSTOMER CARE CENTER ON 12/12/13 AND THEY ACKNOWLEDGE THEY HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE ERG FAILING DUE TO COLLECTING CARBON AND SOOT BUILD UP. THEY HAVE NOT ISSUED ANY SERVICE BULLETINS TO OWNERS LETTING THEM KNOW THERE IS AN ISSUE OR HAVE ISSUED A MAINTENANCE PROGRAM TO TRY TO PREVENT THIS FROM OCCURRING. 1)FORD DESIGNED THE ENGINE TO PASS SOOT AND CARBON BACK THRU THE ERG VALVE. IT IS A BAD DESIGN SINCE IT CAUSES EVERY ENGINE TO EVENTUALLY FAIL. 2)FORD DOES NOT WARRANTY THE EGR VALVE OR ANY COMPONENT IF SOOT OR CARBON STICKS TO THE VALVE OR COMPONENT, EVEN THOUGH IT IS DESIGNED TO DO SO. 3)FORD KNOWS THERE IS AN ISSUE WITH THE EGR FAILING WHICH DEPOSITS SOOT AND CARBON IN THE INTAKE OF THE ENGINE WHICH CAUSES THE ENGINE TO LOSE POWER AND OR ULTIMATELY QUIT WITHOUT WARNING. 4)NO SERVICE BULLETINS WERE ISSUED TO OWNERS WARNING THEM OF THIS SAFETY PROBLEM. 5)CLEANING THE EGR VALVE IS NOT LISTED IN THE ISSUED SERVICE MANUAL. 6)NO PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE SERVICE WAS OFFERED TO PREVENT THIS FAILURE FROM OCCURRING. 7)DEALERS ENJOY THIS FAILURE SINCE IT IS A HIGH LABOR REVENUE GENERATOR FOR THEM TO TEAR DOWN THE ENGINE TO REPLACE OR CLEAN THE INTAKE MANIFOLD. 8)THE REPAIR COST WAS APPROXIMATELY $3319.90 THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY UNDER THE HIGHEST FORD PREMIUM CARE WARRANTY. *TR