NHTSA Complaint #10588079 — 2012 FORD EXPLORER

IN SEPTEMBER 2013, I WAS DRIVING DOWN A NEIGHBORHOOD ROAD AT ABOUT 15-20 MPH WHEN A WRENCH SYMBOL APPEARED ON THE SCREEN AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN SLOWING TO A STOP. THE GAS WOULD NOT WORK DURING THIS TIME AND I TURNED OFF THE ENGINE. IT DID RESTART WITHOUT PROBLEMS, BUT DID IT AGAIN A LITTLE LATER. I TOOK IT IN TO MY LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP, WHERE I LEASED THE CAR FROM. THEY LOOKED AT IT AND SAID THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG, BUT COULD NOT GET CODES BECAUSE THE ENGINE HAD BEEN TURNED OFF. I WAS TOLD TO BRING IT BACK IF IT HAPPENED AGAIN. IT HAPPENED 2 MORE TIMES IN OCTOBER. BOTH TIMES WERE AT NIGHT OVER A WEEKEND WHEN THE DEALERSHIP WAS CLOSED. AGAIN, THEY LOOKED AT IT AND SAID THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG, BUT RESET THE "SYSTEM" AND I WAS TOLD TO BRING IT IN IF IT HAPPENED AGAIN. NO PROBLEMS UNTIL THE NIGHT OF MAY 3, 2013. I WAS DRIVING OUTSIDE OF MCKINNEY, TX, WITH MY CRUISE SET AT 74 WHEN IT HAPPENED AGAIN. THIS REALLY SCARED ME BECAUSE I HAD JUST COME OFF OF I-75 WHERE THEY ARE DOING CONSTRUCTION AND THERE ARE CONCRETE WALLS ON EITHER SIDE OF TWO LANES WITH NO SHOULDER! SINCE YOU CANNOT CONTROL THE SPEED, AND THE ONLY WAY TO MAKE THE CAR WORK IS TO TURN THE ENGINE OFF, WAIT A FEW MINUTES, THEN RESTART IT, I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT WE (MYSELF AND 2 CHILDREN) WOULD HAVE BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT. IT IS A VERY BUSY AREA WITH SPEEDS UP TO 75 MPH AND LOTS OF SEMI-TRUCKS. I SPOKE TO THE SERVICE MANAGER AND GM OF PARIS FORD WHO BOTH AGREED TO A LOANER CAR UNTIL MINE COULD BE FIXED, AND TOOK IT IN FOR THE THIRD TIME. APPARENTLY, THE ONLY LOANER CAR THEY HAD WAS UNAVAILABLE, SO I COULD TAKE MY CAR BACK AND DRIVE IT UNTIL THEY HAD A LOANER. WE DECIDED THAT WAS ENOUGH. I DIDN'T FEEL SAFE DRIVING IT AND DID NOT WANT TO TAKE A CHANCE OF ANYTHING HAPPENING TO MYSELF OR OUR CHILDREN. WE TURNED IT IN THE DEALERSHIP AND AFTER PAYING $251, IT IS NOW BACK WITH THEM. THIS CAR IS DANGEROUS! *TR