NHTSA Complaint #10576645 — 2011 FORD F-150

THE SUBJECT PICK UP TRUCK WAS SOUTHBOUND ON I405 BETWEEN ORANGE AVE AND CHERRY AVE IN LONG BEACH CALIFORNIA. THE VEHICLE WAS IN THE FAST LANE OR THE LANE ADJACENT TO THE FAST LANE. SPEED AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT WAS APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH AND THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS ENGAGED. TRAFFIC WAS MODERATE WITH ALL LANES MOVING AT FREEWAY SPEED. WITHOUT WARNING, AND SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH THE SOUND OF A SKIDDING TIRE, THE VEHICLE PULLED VIOLENTLY AND ABRUPTLY TO THE RIGHT, OUT OF CONTROL, AND CROSSED ALL TRAFFIC LANES OF THE FREEWAY AND THE SHOULDER OF THE FREEWAY. JUST PRIOR TO DEPARTING THE ROADWAY, ENOUGH CONTROL WAS REGAINED TO AVOID HITTING A FREEWAY DIRECTIONAL SIGN IN THE LANDSCAPE MEDIAN. THE TRUCK ENTERED THE LANDSCAPE MEDIAN AND CAME TO REST FACING SOUTH, PARALLEL TO THE FREEWAY. APPROXIMATELY 10 MINUTES PASSED BEFORE THE CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL RESPONDED TO THE ACCIDENT SITE. THE OFFICER SAID HE WAS RESPONDING TO AN ACCIDENT THAT WAS REPORTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL FORD DEALER FOR INVESTIGATION. FIVE TO TEN MINUTES PRIOR TO THE LOSS OF CONTROL, THE DRIVER NOTICED A FLUCTUATION IN THE SPEEDOMETER FROM APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH TO 50 MPH WITH NO CHANGE IN VEHICLE SPEED, ENGINE RPM OR PERFORMANCE. SEVERAL WEEKS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, THE DRIVER EXPERIENCED AN EVENT AT MODERATE SPEED WHICH WAS DESCRIBED AS FEELING THOUGH THE VEHICLE WAS HIT FROM BEHIND AT SLOW SPEED ALTHOUGH THERE WAS NO ONE BEHIND THE TRUCK. SIMULTANEOUSLY, THE SPEEDOMETER AND TACHOMETER BOTH FAILED TO 0 AND THE DASHBOARD DISPLAY WENT BLANK. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, A "WRENCH" ICON APPEARED MOMENTARILY ON THE DISPLAY. THE DRIVER CONTINUED DRIVING TO A GAS STATION AND REFUELED. WHEN THE ENGINE WAS STARTED AFTER REFUELING, ALL INSTRUMENTS APPEARED NORMAL WITH NO ICONS PRESENT. NO ICONS RE-APPEARED AT ANY TIME UP TO AND INCLUDING THE DATE OF THE ACCIDENT. UPDATED 06/16/14 *BF