NHTSA Complaint #10980120 — 2011 FORD TAURUS

I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK, TRAVELING UPHILL WHEN MY 2011 TAURUS SHO SPUTTERED AND QUICKLY LOST POWER FOR MORE THAN 5 SEC. WHILE I WAS ACCELERATING. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME. I AM GLAD THERE WASN'T ANYONE DRIVING BEHIND ME BECAUSE I'M SURE THEY WOULD HAVE REAR-ENDED ME. ONCE I REGAINED CONTROL OF MY VEHICLE, I NOTICED MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. THE CAR WAS SHAKING AND SPUTTERING AS IT WAS TRYING TO MAKE IT UP THE REST OF THE HILL. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STARTED TO BLINK. BY THE TIME I MADE IT TO THE TOP OF THE HILL THE VEHICLE SEEMED BETTER BUT I KNEW FROM EXPERIENCE IT WAS IN LIMP MODE. I MADE IT HOME SAFELY DRIVING AS CAREFULLY AS I COULD. I DID NOTICE THE CAR SHOOK MUCH MORE WHEN I SLOWED DOWN TO STOP FOR STOP-SIGNS, ALMOST LIKE IT WAS GOING TO STALL. I EVEN RAN A COUPLE SIGNS BECAUSE I WANTED TO MAKE IT HOME, SAFELY. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP GUS JOHNSON FORD IMMEDIATELY TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT. I TOOK IT IN, MY SERVICE ADVISOR CALLED ME DAYS LATER AND SAID HE ADVISED I PUT A WHOLE NEW ENGINE IN MY CAR. CYLINDER #4 MISFIRING, FOUND LEAK THAT IS CAUSING LOW COMPRESSION. HE SAID THEY COULD TEAR APART THE MOTOR AND INSPECT FURTHER BUT DOING A COMPLETE ENGINE ASSEMBLY COULD COST UPWARDS AROUND $10,000. I WAS PARALYZED! I FOUND OTHER STORIES AND COMPLAINTS JUST LIKE MINE WHEN I CAME HERE TO NHTSA. IF FORD WAS, OR STILL IS AWARE OF ANY DEFECTS TO THE ENGINE THROUGH MANUFACTURING OR BAD DESIGN THAT MAY CAUSE LOSS OF POWER, SHAKING, SHUDDERING, SPUTTERING, STALLING, LOSS-OF-POWER DURING ACCELERATION, THEY SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE BEFORE SOMEONE IS SERIOUSLY INJURED.