NHTSA Complaint #10567748 — 2011 FORD FIESTA

ENGINE MIL TURNED ON AFTER CAR WAS STARTED, DRIVING WAS FINE AT SPEEDS UNDER 45MPH. ONCE OVER 45MPH THE VEHICLE STARTED TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY. THE ENGINE CODE INDICATED THAT IT WAS THE NATURAL VACUUM LEAK DETECTION (NVLD) SERVICE KIT, THAT HAD FAILED OR A FUSE IN THE FUSE BOX. THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED INTO A DEALERSHIP AND THE PART REPLACED, THE ENGINE MIL TURNED BACK ON BEFORE I CLAIMED THE VEHICLE AND HAS BEEN SITTING WITH THE DEALER FOR 4 DAYS, AS THEY HAVE NO IDEA HOW TO FIX THE CAR. THIS SENSOR FAILING IS A KNOWN ISSUE ON THIS VEHICLE AS THERE IS A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN DATED FEB 13, 2013, THIS REPLACED A PREVIOUS BULLETIN DATED MAY 21, 2011. THIS SENSOR FAILING IS DANGEROUS AND HAS BEEN AN ISSUE SINCE 2011. AND IT SEEMS THAT THERE IS NO REAL FIX, AT LEAST WITH MY VEHICLE. THE WORDING IN THE TSB STATES "SOME 2011 FIESTA VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT A MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP (MIL) WITH DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE (DTC) U029F SET IN THE POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE (PCM) AND/OR A NO CRANK CONDITION WITH NO COMMUNICATION WITH THE PCM." THIS LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT THE ENGINE COULD FAIL AT ANYTIME WITH THIS CODE, CREATING A HAZARDOUS CONDITION ESPECIALLY IF TRAVELING ON THE FREEWAY WHEN THE MIL COMES ON AND THE PART FAILS. THIS IS A WIDE SPREAD ISSUE BASED ON THE ABUNDANCE OF FORUMS AND INTERNET POSTS DISCUSSING THIS EXACT ENGINE CODE, AND THE VARIOUS SYMPTOMS ASSOCIATED WITH IT. *TR