NHTSA Complaint #10916462 — 2014 FORD EXPLORER

IN JUNE 6/2016, MY WAS WAS GOING 35MPH, APPROACHING AN INTERSECTION WHEN THE WRENCH LIGHT FOLLOWED BY THE "TERRAIN MANAGEMENT FAULT" WARNING CAME ON. THE VEHICLE LOST ALL POWER. TRAFFIC COMING FROM HER RIGHT RECEIVED THE GREEN LIGHT AND SHE WAS NEARLY KILLED BY A DRIVER WHO DROVE THROUGH THE LIGHT, TIMING IT FOR WHEN IT TURNED GREEN. THE VEHICLE SPENT 14.5 DAYS AT THE PALM BAY FORD DEALERSHIP IN PALM BAY FLORIDA WERE IT WAS PURCHASED NEW. FORD DIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM AS A DEFECTIVE THROTTLE BODY. I WENT ONLINE AND SAW THE NUMBER OF THESE THROTTLE BODY FAILURES AND CONTACTED THE FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE HOTLINE. I EXPLAINED TO THEM I FELT THE VEHICLE WAS UNSAFE, THAT I HAD NO CONFIDENCE IN THE VEHICLE, AND THAT IF THERE HAD BEEN NO DESIGN CHANGE TO THE THROTTLE BODY IT WOULD HAPPEN AGAIN. I WAS GIVEN A CASE NUMBER (WHICH HAS NOW BEEN CLOSED), AND NOTES OF MY CONCERNS WERE MADE ON THE CASE. ON 10/11/2016 I AT 1530 EDT, I WAS PULLING OUT OF A GAS STATION TURNING RIGHT, WITH TRAFFIC APPROACHING FROM MY LEFT. THE WRENCH LIGHT CAME ON FOLLOWED BY THE "TERRAIN MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FAULT" ALERT. THE VEHICLE LOST ALL POWER (THROTTLE RESPONSE) AND THE APPROACHING TRAFFIC HAD TO LOCK UP THEIR BRAKES TO AVOID A BROADSIDE COLLISION!. I HAD MY WIFE, 10YR OLD DAUGHTER AND 12YR OLD SON IN THE VEHICLE WITH ME. HAD A COLLISION OCCURRED MY SON WOULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED. THE VEHICLE WENT BACK TO THE PALM BAY FORD SERVICE DEPARTMENT 10/12/2016 AT 0900 EDT. THE THROTTLE BODY HAD FAILED AGAIN AS PREDICTED, THE VEHICLE IS STILL THERE. I HAVE CONTACTED THE FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE HOTLINE AND RECEIVED TWO CASE NUMBERS NOW. 1: CAS-10814941-Q8T7Z5, 2: CAS-10830198. I TRIED TO GET FORD TO TAKE THE CAR BACK AND TRADE IN ON A NEW ONE AS THIS IS AN "UNSAFE"VEHICLE. THEY WILL NOT HELP US AND THIS THROTTLE BODY ISSUE IS AN EPIDEMIC! I AM SURE THERE HAS BEEN LOSE OF LIFE FROM THESE "UNSAFE" VEHICLES?