NHTSA Complaint #10959470 — 2012 FORD F-150

THE SES, SERVICE ENGINE SOON, LIGHT CAME ON. I NOTICED MY TRUCK LACKING POWER AND TAKING LONGER TO SHIFT GEARS WHEN ACCELERATING. IT BECOME LESS OF A SMOOTH SHIFT AND MORE JERKY. WHEN TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY AT ~70 MPH, THE ENGINE WOULD NOT HOLD 6TH GEAR. IT WOULD DROP TO 5TH AND 4TH GEAR, UNTIL I GAVE IT MORE GAS. IT WOULD REACH 3500 RPM'S AT TIMES BEFORE SHIFTING WHICH WAS NOT NORMAL. I ALSO NOTICED STARTING IN THE FALL OF 2016 A SHORT LOUD ABNORMAL NOISE AT COLD START. AFTER RESEARCHING THESE ISSUES, THIS LED ME TO TSB 14-0194, CODE P0016, DEALING WITH THE 3.5L ECOBOOST ENGINE. I TOOK MY TRUCK TO MY LOCAL DEALER AND THIS WAS THE ISSUE. I HAVE BEEN THE ONLY OWNER OF LESS THAN 5 YEARS AND WAS AT 75,500 MILES, OUT OF THE 60,000 MILE WARRANTY. I JUST HAD THE REPAIR DONE, COSTING ME $3600. THE REPAIR INCLUDED PARTS LISTED IN TSB 14-0194 AS WELL AS TIMING BELTS, ADDITIONAL GASKETS, SEALS, GUIDES, TENSIONER, CAM, SPROCKET, GEAR CRANKSHAFT, AMONG OTHERS. I QUESTION HOW THIS KNOWN ISSUE OF TIMING CHAIN STRETCH WITH THE TSB IS NOT A RECALL. THIS PROBLEM CAN CAUSE AN ACCIDENT WHEN ACCELERATING ON TO A FREEWAY. IT CAN ALSO CAUSE AN ACCIDENT BY SUDDENLY DOWNSHIFTING WHILE DRIVING. I AM GLAD MY TRUCK IS FIXED, HOWEVER DID NOT LIKE THE PRICE TAG. I FEAR THAT THIS KNOWN ISSUE WILL LEAD TO A DEATHLY ACCIDENT AND IT IS UNFORTUNATE THAT A RECALL HAS NOT BEEN ISSUED YET. I HOPE THIS POST HELPS MAKE A CHANGE, SAVING CONSUMERS A COSTLY REPAIR AND EVEN SOMEONES LIFE FROM A FUTURE ACCIDENT.