NHTSA Complaint #10596183 — 2005 FORD FREESTAR

AFTER WET WEATHER THE NIGHT BEFORE, VEHICLE RUNNING ROUGH (TO THE POINT OF NEAR STALL), HESITATING TO BURN FUEL PROPERLY TO GET UP TO SPEED AND NOT SHIFTING PROPERLY. VEHICLE WAS THEN PARKED, RE-STARTED AND ACTED NORMALLY. WITHIN THE PAST WEEK, EACH DAY AFTER RAIN THE CAR REPRODUCES THIS ISSUE AND ONLY AFTER EXPOSURE TO RAIN. YESTERDAY I NOTED GAP IN COWL TO SHEET METAL ABOVE PCM AS WELL AND ALSO NOTED THAT A BODY SEAL NEXT TO THE PCM WAS SOAKED. IT IS CONSISTENT WITH THE INTERNET COMPLAINTS ABOUT PCM BEING EXPOSED/FLOODED WITH WATER. THIS IS A SERIOUS CONCERN AS TO THE DAMAGE IT CAN DO TO THE VEHICLE'S MOST EXPENSIVE COMPONENTS (ENGINE, TRANSMISSION, ETC) AS WELL AS POTENTIALLY PRODUCE AN ACCIDENT ON THE ROAD SHOULD OTHER ANOMALOUS BEHAVIOR SURFACE. IT IS ALSO IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT AS THIS VEHICLE AGES, MORE OF THE POPULATION OF PRODUCED VEHICLES WOULD BE EXPOSED TO THIS CONCERN AS GASKETS LOSE EFFECTIVENESS DUE TO COMPRESSION SET, DETERIORATION OF SEAL, THE PLASTIC THE SEAL IS ATTACHED TO WARPS, ETC. *TR