NHTSA Complaint #10776630 — 2012 FORD EXPLORER

I AM REACHING OUT TO YOU ON AN OPEN ISSUE WITH MY 2012 FORD EXPLORER. CASE #CAS7740243 WITH FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE. LAST MONTH MY WIFE WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE ON A WELL-TRAVELED ROAD WITH OUR 2 CHILDREN. THE VEHICLE WENT LIMP IN TRAFFIC. FORTUNATELY SHE WAS ABLE TO FORCEFULLY STEER THE CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD BEFORE IT WENT COMPLETELY DEAD. THIS WAS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION GIVEN THAT THE VEHICLE MALFUNCTIONED ON A MAJOR ROAD AND THERE WERE MULTIPLE PASSENGERS INVOLVED. THE LOCAL FORD DEALER, CROSS ROADS FORD IN SPRINGFIELD, IL, IDENTIFIED THAT THE VEHICLES ELECTRONIC THROTTLE BODY (ETB) SYSTEM FAILED AND NEEDED REPLACED. MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS THAT A 2012 FORD EXPLORER WITH LESS THAN 54,000 MILES SHOULD NOT NEED A MAJOR REPAIR LIKE THIS. I CONDUCTED RESEARCH AND DISCOVERED THAT FORD HAD PREVIOUSLY ADMITTED LIABILITY TO ETB SYSTEM FAILURES ON MULTIPLE FORD/MERCURY MODELS OF THE SIMILAR TIME PERIOD. FORD ISSUED A SPECIAL CUSTOMER SATISFACTION PROGRAM EXTENDING THE ETB WARRANTY COVERAGE AND INSTRUCTING FRANCHISED DEALERS TO UPDATE THE POWERTRAIN CALIBRATION TO IMPROVE VEHICLE PERFORMANCE IN THE EVENT THAT INTERMITTENT ELECTRICAL CONNECTIVITY OF THE THROTTLE BODY MOTOR CONTACTS OCCURS. (SEE NHTSA ACTION NUMBER PE13003). I WAS PROVIDED NO EXPLANATION FROM CROSS ROADS OR FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE AS TO WHY THE ETB SYSTEM FAILURES IN THOSE SITUATIONS ARE DIFFERENT THAN THE ETB SYSTEM FAILURE HERE. FORD'S CUSTOMER SERVICE TOLD ME THAT FORD WILL DO NOTHING TO REIMBURSE THE COSTS IT TOOK US TO FIX THIS ISSUE AND THAT FORD HAS NO RESPONSIBILITY ON THIS. NOT ONLY DO I FEEL FORD OWES REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE REPLACEMENT COSTS, BUT THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE THAT FORD NEEDS TO REVIEW IN LIGHT OF FORDS PREEXISTING ADMISSION TO FAULTY ETB SYSTEMS. I AM BRINGING THIS TO YOUR ATTENTION.