NHTSA Complaint #10557178 — 2011 FORD F-150

WE WERE MERGING ONTO THE HIGHWAY OUTSIDE OF ST. LOUIS MO AND WHEN THE ACCELERATOR WAS FULLY DEPRESSED THE ENGINE STARTED TO MISFIRE AND POWER WAS REDUCED. A BLINKING CEL WAS DISPLAYING ON THE DASHBOARD. IT SEEMED AS THOUGH THE TURBO SYSTEM WAS NOT ADDING ANY EXTRA CHARGE TO THE AMBIENT AIR. THERE WAS A PRONOUNCED VIBRATION TO THE VEHICLE THAT SEEMED TO ORIGINATE FROM THE ENGINE/DRIVE TRAIN. LUCKILY THERE AS NOT A LOT OF TRAFFIC AT THE TIME AND OUR POOR ACCELERATION DID NOT RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT. MY SOLUTION WAS TO MANUALLY SELECT THE GEARS AND DRIVE AT MUCH HIGHER RPM. THIS SMOOTHED THE MISFIRE AND WE HAD AN ADEQUATE AMOUNT OF POWER TO KEEP UP WITH TRAFFIC. AFTER ABOUT 10 MINUTES EVERYTHING SMOOTHED OUT AND THE MISFIRE WAS GONE. TRUCK BEHAVIOR RETURNED TO NORMAL. THE WEATHER THAT DAY WAS A PLEASANT 60 DEGREES AND SUNNY. THE PREVIOUS DAY WE DROVE FROM CENTRAL OHIO TO ST. LOUIS THROUGH MUCH RAIN AND FOG. SINCE WE WERE ON VACATION AND AWAY FROM HOME WE DID NOT TAKE THE TRUCK TO A DEALER TO BE SERVICED. THE PROBLEM HAS NOT OCCURRED SINCE THEN. THERE WAS ONE PREVIOUS OCCURRENCE AT A PREVIOUS DATE. I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHEN IT WAS. WE WERE TRAVELING HOME TO VT FROM OHIO. WE HAD BEEN DRIVING FOR MANY HOURS, MOSTLY ON HIGHWAY/CRUISE CONTROL DRIVING. WE HAD JUST GOTTEN OFF THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY AND WERE ON STATE HIGHWAY. I WENT TO PASS A SLOWER VEHICLE IN MY LANE AND UPON DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR THE ENGINE SEEMED TO MISFIRE (RPM WENT UP BUT POWER DELIVERY FELL FLAT). I STEPPED OFF THE GAS PEDAL AND SLOWLY PRESSED A SECOND TIME AND THIS TIME THE TRUCK RESPONDED AS EXPECTED. THERE WAS NO CEL THIS TIME. EACH OF THESE INCIDENTS OCCURRED WITH MY ENTIRE FAMILY IN THE VEHICLE. WE WERE NOT VERY HAPPY ABOUT IT AND DID NOT FEEL SAFE AT THE TIME. *TR