NHTSA Complaint #10608726 — 2011 FORD EXPLORER

DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE AT 70MPH, WARNING COMES ON THE CONSOLE "AWD IS OFF" AND THE ENGINE IS DOWN TO IDLE SPEED (~800 RPM). PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR RESULTS IN NO SPEED INCREASE, FORCING ME TO MOVE ACROSS 4 LANES OF TRAFFIC TO THE EMERGENCY LANE WITH ONLY THE BRAKES WORKING (NO CONTROL OVER MY SPEED, OTHERWISE). PULLED OVER, STOPPED THE ENGINE, LOOKED AROUND AND COULD SEE NO EXTERNALLY VISIBLE PROBLEMS (FLUID LEAKS, ETC.). START THE CAR AND THERE ARE NO WARNINGS, SO I CONTINUE DOWN THE ROAD, BUT THIS TIME STAY IN THE RIGHT LANE AND KEEP THE SPEED TO AROUND 60. LESS THAN 1 MILE DOWN THE ROAD, THE EXACT SAME THING HAPPENS. AT THIS POINT WE CALL FORD TO GET US A TOW. THIS WAS A VERY DANGEROUS EVENT TO HAPPEN, ESPECIALLY WHEN I HAD THE EXPLORER FULL WITH MY FAMILY! TODAY THE SERVICING DEALER CALLED AND SAID IT IS A PROBLEM WITH THE THROTTLE BODY. BEING THAT THIS IS THE 2ND TIME OUR 2011 EXPLORER HAS LEFT US STRANDED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, IT WAS TIME TO GO SEARCHING FOR OTHERS WITH THIS SAME THROTTLE BODY PROBLEM. TURNS OUT THERE IS A CUSTOMER SATISFACTION NOTICE ALREADY BEING DONE BY FORD FOR SEVERAL OTHER 2011 VEHICLES, BUT THE EXPLORER HAS BEEN EXCLUDED. OUR SYMPTOMS AND PART FAILURE ARE EXACTLY THE SAME AS THESE OTHER MODELS, SOME EVEN FROM THE SAME ASSEMBLY PLANT. I THINK FORD NEEDS TO EXTEND THE 13N03 PROGRAM TO INCLUDED THE EXPLORERS. THANK YOU. *JS