NHTSA Complaint #10991446 — 2011 FORD F-150

DRIVING 2011 FORD F150 ECOBOOST ON THE HIGHWAY ON A 8 HR TRIP TO RENO FROM LAS VEGAS. WENT TO PASS A LARGE TRUCK AND EXPERIENCED SHAKING AND STUDDERING. HAD TO BACK OFF AS ONCOMING TRAFFIC WAS APPROACHING. HAD TO BACK OFF AND ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT IN RAINY CONDITIONS BECAUSE ANOTHER VEHICLE WAS BEHIND ME ATTEMPTING TO PASS ALONG WITH ME. THIS CAUSED SWERVING AND HARD BRAKING BY MANY VEHICLES BEHIND THAT VEHICLE. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT FLASHED BUT DID NOT REMAIN ON. I LATER REPLICATED THIS BY DOING A HARD ACCELERATION ON A CLEAR STRETCH OF ROAD SAME STUDDERING AND FLASHING LIGHT. DROVE CONSERVATIVELY THE REST OF THE WAY. IN RENO, I HAD THE TRUCK SCANNED AT AN AUTO PARTS STORE. NO CODES SHOWED. HAVE NOT HAD AN ISSUE SINCE. THIS COULD HAVE KILLED PEOPLE. THE INTERNET SAYS THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE TO FORD ON THE EARLY ECOBOOST ENGINES HAVING TO DO WITH FAULTY INTERCOOLER DESIGN WHICH GATHERS MOISTURE THEN BLOWS IT INTO THE CYLINDERS WHEN ACCELERATING. I LIVE IN THE DESERT AND SO HAVE NOT HAD THIS PROBLEM UNTIL THAT TRIP. THEY (FORD) HAVE NEVER NOTIFIED ME THAT THIS IS A POTENTIAL PROBLEM. THERE IS A TSB FOR IT BUT THAT WON'T HELP THE LARGE BILL FOR THE FIX OR THE SAFETY HAZARD THIS CONDITION CREATES. THIS NEEDS ATTENTION. AT THE LEAST, FORD SHOULD NOTIFY OWNERS THAT THE PROBLEM EXISTS, THAT IT IS A SAFETY HAZARD AND FIX AT NO COST.