NHTSA Complaint #10717820 — 2008 FORD EDGE

I WAS DRIVING BETWEEN 40-45 MPH ON A MAIN ROAD JUST AFTER 12 AM WHEN THE DASHBOARD LIT UP. THE CHECK ENGINE/WRENCH & AIRBAG LIGHTS CAME ON, THE ODOMETER DISPLAYED AN 'ODO DATA ERROR' MESSAGE (NO MILEAGE), & THE SPEEDOMETER NEEDLE DROPPED TO 0 MPH DESPITE STILL TRAVELING AT 40-45 MPH (I RELIED ON MY CELL PHONE'S GPS FOR MY TRAVELING SPEED). THE VEHICLE WAS RESPONSIVE, BRAKING, ACCELERATING, & DECELERATING NORMALLY, AS I LOOKED FOR SOMEWHERE TO PULL OVER. I CAME TO A FULL STOP AT A RED LIGHT & WHEN THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN, I PUSHED DOWN ON THE GAS PEDAL BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NEARLY UNRESPONSIVE. I FULLY PUSHED DOWN ON THE GAS PEDAL BUT THE CAR ONLY GAINED ENOUGH SPEED TO CRAWL THROUGH THE INTERSECTION. I PULLED INTO A PARKING LOT JUST PAST THE INTERSECTION, PUT THE CAR IN PARK, SHUT IT OFF, & WAITED 5 MINUTES BEFORE TURNING IT BACK ON. THE WARNING LIGHTS WERE OFF & THE ODOMETER MESSAGE WAS GONE BUT WHEN I SHIFTED INTO DRIVE, THERE WAS A LOUD, WRENCHING SOUND & THE ENTIRE CAR JERKED...STILL BARELY ABLE TO ACCELERATE & THE SPEEDOMETER STAYING AT 0, UNRESPONSIVE TO THE GAS PEDAL. I SHIFTED INTO REVERSE WITH THE SAME RESULTS. AFTER A FEW UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS WITH THE SAME RESULTS, I CALLED FOR A RIDE & LEFT THE CAR IN THE PARKING LOT, ARRANGING A TOW TO THE FORD DEALER WHERE IT WAS PURCHASED. THE FORD SERVICE DEPARTMENT DID A TEST DRIVE IN THEIR LOT & THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATING NORMALLY BUT PULLED COMPUTER ERROR CODES INDICATING FAULTY SENSORS (THE OUTPUT SPEED SENSOR & TURBINE SPEED SENSOR, WHICH WEREN'T 'COMMUNICATING PROPERLY'). I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A LOCAL SHOP FOR REPAIR SINCE IT HAD JUST RUN OUT OF WARRANTY. I'M LUCKY BETHIS COULD HAVE BEEN A MUCH MORE DANGEROUS SITUATION IF IT HAD HAPPENED ON A BUSY ROAD OR A ROAD WITH A HIGHER SPEED LIMIT AND FEWER STOPS.