NHTSA Complaint #11052480 — 2013 FORD F-150

WHILE TRAVELING IN OUR 2013 F150 WITH 37,000 MILES FROM WISCONSIN TO TEXAS ON INTERSTATE 35 AT 70 MPH TOWING A 4000 LB TRAILER THE ENGINE SUDDENLY SHUT DOWN AND THE GOLD WRENCH ILLUMINATED. HAD TO QUICKLY PULL TO THE SHOULDER TO GET OUT OF THE WAY OF TRAFFIC TO AVOID GETTING REAR ENDED. THE ECOBOOST ENGINE WENT INTO LIMP MODE WHEN THE GOLD WRENCH APPEARED AND MAX SPEED WAS ABOUT 2 MPH WITH THE TRAILER ATTACHED. TURNED THE ENGINE OFF AND WHEN RESTARTED AFTER 10 MINUTES IT SEEMED TO BE BACK TO NORMAL. WENT TO THE NEAREST FORD DEALER, RUSTY ECK FORD, WICHITA, KANSAS WHERE A SELFTEST WAS PERFORMED. NO CODES WERE FOUND, NO TSB OR SSM FOUND, BUT SAID THEY SUSPECT THE THROTTLE BODY IS GOING OUT (INVOICE NO FOCS664277). CONTINUED ON OUR TRIP AND THE SAME THING HAPPENED FOUR MORE TIMES THAT SAME DAY. THE NEXT DAY OF OUR TRIP SOUTH THE TRUCK RAN FLAWLESS DURING THE REMAINING 500 MILES OF OUR TRIP. SINCE WE HAVE REACHED OUR DESTINATION THE PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED ONCE DURING LOCAL DRIVING. I AM PLANNING ON REPLACING THE THROTTLE BODY BUT NO ONE CAN ASSURE ME THE THIS WILL FIX THE PROBLEM. THIS SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND DEPENDING ON THE SPECIFIC ROAD AND TRAFFIC CONDITIONS COULD RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT WITH INJURIES AND/OR FATALITIES. WE WERE TERRIFIED DRIVING THROUGH FORT WORTH CONSTRUCTION AT NIGHT WITH HEAVY TRAFFIC AND ABSOLUTELY NO SHOULDERS FOR MANY MILES FEARING THE GOLD WRENCH WOULD APPEAR.