NHTSA Complaint #10690508 — 2012 FORD F-350

DRIVING ALONG COLD WINDY WINTER DAY, I GOT A MESSAGE ON THE DASH "STOP SAFELY NOW". MOTOR IMMEDIATELY WENT INTO LIMP MODE, COMPLETE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER TO THE POINT WHERE I HAD ALL I COULD DO TO GET OUT OF TRAFFIC. AS SOON AS TRUCK CAME TO A SLOW CREEP, MOTOR SHUT OFF. TRUCK HAD POWER HOWEVER ENGINE WOULD NOT TURN OVER, BASICALLY THE TRUCK LEFT ME STRANDED ROADSIDE. CALLED FORD ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE, THEY SAID IT WOULD TAKE UP TO AN HOUR TO GET A TOW (UNACCEPTABLE). I WAS LEFT INSIDE THE TRUCK WITH NO HEAT. ENDED UP CALLING A FRIEND TO TOW ME TO A BETTER LOCATION. THIS IS A HORRIBLE DESIGN FLAW SHUTTING THE MOTOR DOWN LIKE THAT. DRIVER SHOULD BE ABLE TO KEEP MOTOR RUNNING TO KEEP HEATER ON. DRIVER SHOULD BE ABLE TO PROCEED A FEW MILES PER HOUR TO GET OUT OF A DANGEROUS SITUATION (STUCK IN AN INTERSECTION, STUCK ON RAILROAD CROSSING, STUCK ON BRIDGE, ETC). MANY OF THESE VEHICLES ARE DESIGNED AND USED TO PULL LARGE TRAILERS, RV TRAILERS ETC. I CANNOT IMAGINE PULLING A LARGE TRAILER AND HAVING THAT SITUATION OCCUR WHILE DRIVING 65MPH ON A FOUR LANE HIGHWAY. VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. MY INVESTIGATION IS THAT FORD RECALLED ALL THE F SERIES THAT CAME EQUIPPED WITH THE AMBULANCE PACKAGE HOWEVER THEY DECIDED NOT TO RECALL ALL THE OTHER F SERIES TRUCKS THAT DID NOT HAVE THE AMBULANCE PACKAGE. EVIDENTLY FORD BELIEVES THAT AMBULANCE DRIVERS AND PASSENGERS ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN ALL THE OTHER F SERIES DRIVERS WITH THE SAME ENGINE AND COMPONENTS. SOMEONE IS GOING TO GET KILLED OVER THIS FLAW AND FOR WHAT, A $ 60.00 SENSOR?. THESE TRUCKS ARE 50-60K NEW AND TO BE LEFT STRANDED OVER A SIMPLE LOW COST PART IS UNACCEPTABLE AND DANGEROUS. LOOK AT ALL THE CRASHES THAT OCCURRED WITH GM WITH THE IGNITION SITUATION. THIS SITUATION IS AS DANGEROUS BY ALLOWING THE ENGINE TO COMPLETELY SHUTDOWN. OWNER IS LEFT HELPLESS AND MORE THAN LIKELY IN A DANGEROUS SITUATION.