NHTSA Complaint #10731126 — 2006 FORD FREESTYLE

CAR WAS PARKED FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES AFTER RUNNING WITHOUT ISSUE FOR 20 MINUTES. WHEN STARTING AGAIN FROM THE PARKED POSITION, CAR LOST ALL POWER STEERING. WITHIN THE 2.1 MILE/6 MINUTE RIDE THAT FOLLOWED, THE POWER STEERING NEVER RETURNED. CHECKING UNDER THE HOOD REVEALED SERPENTINE BELT FAILED IN A CLEAN BREAK. THE CAR WAS NOT DRIVEN PRIOR TO REPLACING THE BELT THE NEXT DAY. ONCE THE BELT WAS INSTALLED, A QUICK RUN THROUGH THE SYSTEM FUNCTIONS INCLUDED RUNNING THE A/C. ALL SYSTEMS SEEM FUNCTIONAL UNTIL THE A/C IS ACTIVATED. WITHIN 3 SECONDS OF STARTING A/C, OBSERVED AUDIBLE MOTOR SOUND FOLLOWED BY ALL POWER FAILED (FULL SHUT-DOWN). TURNED OFF ENGINE, REMOVED KEY, WAITED 60 SECONDS, ALL WAS GOOD UNTIL AGAIN TURNING ON THE A/C, WHEN SYMPTOM OF SYSTEM FAILURE (AUDIBLE MOTOR SOUND CHANGE) OCCURRED AGAIN, A/C WAS TURNED OFF RIGHT AWAY, AND ENGINE AND ALL OTHER SYSTEMS OPERATED AS EXPECTED.