NHTSA Complaint #10607164 — 2008 FORD RANGER

WHILST DRIVING WITH CRUISE CONTROL ON I APPROACHED A LARGE HILL. I DEPRESSED THE CLUTCH TO DOWN SHIFT & DRIVE UP THE HILL TO DRIVE UP THE HIL IN A LOWER GEAR AND WITHOUT CRUISE CONTROL ON. WHEN THE CLUTCH WAS DEPRESSED THE THROTTLE STUCK DOWN/THE CRUISE CONTROL CLUTCH DISCONNECT SWITCH FAILED CAUSING A SPIKE IN ENGINE RPM WHILE IN NEUTRAL. THE RPM RACED PAST 6500 BEFORE I MANAGED TO CONTROL IT. THIS BRIEF SPIKE CAUSED A PROBABLE BLOWN HEADGASKET AND PRESSURE IN MY COOLANT SYSTEM BLOWING MY COOLANT OUT OF A STRIPPED BLOCK HEATER VENTING MY COOLANT OVERBOARD AND CAUSING AN OVER TEMP SITUATION. I MANAGED TO GET IT TO A SHOP IN SLAVE LAKE AND AFTER $520 IN REPAIRS I MANAGED TO GET THE VEHICLE BACK HOME. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION AT MY MECHANICS, HE DETERMINED THE HEAD GASKETS WERE NOT THE FAILURE POINT. DUE TO THE REMOTENESS OF MY TOWN AND A LACK OF CYLINDER HEAD TESTING FACILITIES, I OPTED TO GET A ENGINE PULLED FROM A SIMILAR RANGER PUT IN TO MY RANGER. NOW I HAVE OXYGEN SENSOR ISSUES I HAVE REPLACED THEM ONCE ALREADY AND NOW I HAVE THE SAME CHECK ENGINE CODE. I HAVE CONTACTED FORD REGARDING THIS ISSUE AND THEY OFFERED NO HELP. PLEASE NOTE: I AM A CANADIAN RESIDENT MY TOWN IS ACTUALLY FORT SMITH NT POSTAL CODE X0E 0P0. I HAVE SENT YOUR DEPARTMENT THIS COMPLAINT BECAUSE TRANSPORT CANADA HERE TAKES SOME TIME WITH THESE COMPLAINTS DUE TO LACK OF STAFF, AND I AM WORRIED THAT SOMEONE WILL GET HURT WITH THIS ISSUE IN THE MEANTIME. THANK YOU *TR