NHTSA Complaint #10913612 — 2008 FORD RANGER

THE DASH LIGHTS WOULD BLINK INTERMEDIATELY AND IF THE TRUCK WAS TURNED OFF WHILE THAT IS HAPPENING, THE ENGINE IMMOBILIZER WOULD ENGAGE AND THE TRUCK WOULD NOT START. I DROVE THE TRUCK THIS WAY FOR A WHILE AND JUST LET IT RUN AND NOT SHUT IT OFF. FORD DIDN;T KNOW WHAT WAS CAUSING IT. EVENTUALLY I FOUND OUT THAT THE WIRING HARNESS THAT CAME TOGETHER IN A Y SHAPE, AND WAS SUPPOSED TO BE SECURELY TAPED ONLY HAD ONE STRAND OF TAPE WRAPPED AROUND THE WIRES. THE METAL, WHERE THE WIRES WENT THROUGH HAD RUBBED THROUGH THE ONE STRAND OF ELECTRICAL TAPE AND INTO ONE OF THE WIRES OCCASIONALLY SHORTING IT OUT, THUS SETTING OFF THE ENGINE IMMOBILIZER. I BOUGHT THE TRUCK NEW SO IT HAD TO HAVE CAME FROM THE FACTORY THAT WAY. IT HAD LESS THAN 50 THOUSAND MILES WHEN IT STARTED AND YOU WOULD NEVER KNOW WHEN IT WAS GOING TO DO IT, SITTING, DRIVING, CITY, HIGHWAY, BUT USUALLY ALWAYS RUNNING, UNLESS IT WAS SHUT OFF WHILE IT WAS DOING IT AND THEN TRIED STARTING IT AGAIN. IT WOULD NOT CRANK OVER , JUST LIKE THERE WAS NO BATTERY IN IT. IT WAS MY FIRST NEW VEHICLE AND WHAT A DISAPPOINTMENT. THE TRUCK WAS WIRED FOR FOG LIGHTS BUT NO LIGHTS THEMSELVES IN IT, JUST PLASTIC COVERS. THE SHORT WAS ON THE FOG LIGHT WIRE WHERE THE WIRES WENT THROUGH THE FRONT METAL PANNEL THE RADIATOR WAS BOLTED ON. I WROTE IN BEFORE COMPLAINING ABOUT THIS BUT HAD NOT FOUND OUT WHAT IT WAS THEN. FORD SAID IT MAY BE THE CLUSTER, BUT IT WASN'T. THEY ALSO SAID THEY DIDNT KNOW FOR SURE WHAT IT WAS. IT WENT ON LAST YEAR TILL I FIXED IT THIS YEAR WITH A ROLL OF ELECTRICAL TAPE THAT FORD WAS EITHER TOO CHEAP TO USE OR POOR WORKMANSHIP. IT STARTED LAST YEAR AND TOOK ME TILL THIS YEAR TO FIX IT.