NHTSA Complaint #11064692 — 2008 FORD TAURUS

ON 1/23/2018, MY 2008 FORD TAURUS EXPERIENCED, FOR THE FIRST (AND SO FAR, ONLY) TIME, THE SAME POWERTRAIN SYMPTOMS DESCRIBED AT FORD TSB NUMBERS 07-21-11 AND 08-26-13 (FOUND AT HTTP://WWW.REVBASE.COM/BBBMOTOR/TSB/DOWNLOADPDF?ID=139970 AND HTTP://WWW.REVBASE.COM/BBBMOTOR/TSB/DOWNLOADPDF?ID=147402, RESPECTIVELY). SPECIFICALLY, WHILE IDLING AT A STOP LIGHT IN PREPARATION FOR A TURN, MY VEHICLE SHIFTED OUT OF GEAR WITH NO INPUT FROM ME. I NOTICED THIS WHEN, AS I ATTEMPTED TO SLOWLY ACCELERATE INTO THE MERGE LANE, THE VEHICLE DID NOT MOVE. THERE WAS NO SOUND OR OTHER SIGN THAT THE VEHICLE HAD SHIFTED OUT OF GEAR SPONTANEOUSLY. I SHIFTED THE VEHICLE INTO REVERSE, AND THE VEHICLE ROLLED BACK AS IT SHOULD. WHEN I SHIFTED BACK INTO DRIVE, THERE WAS A SMALL CLUNK. THE VEHICLE DID NOT RESPOND TO THE ACCELERATOR, UP TO AROUND 1,500 RPMS. I PUT THE CAR IN PARK, AND HEARD/FELT A LARGER CLUNK, AND NOTICED THAT THE YELLOW WRENCH ICON ON THE DASH ILLUMINATED. I TURNED OFF THE ENGINE, WAITED 30 SECONDS, AND RESTARTED THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE THEN OPERATED NORMALLY FROM THAT POINT FORWARD WITH NO SIGNS OF TRANSMISSION OR SHIFTING ISSUES. THE YELLOW WRENCH LIGHT DID NOT REAPPEAR, AND NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS ILLUMINATED SINCE THAT TIME. I HAVE DRIVEN APPROXIMATELY 100 MILES AND 6 DRIVE CYCLES SINCE THAT TIME WITH NO SYMPTOMS. MY RESEARCH INTO THIS ISSUE IDENTIFIED THE ABOVE TSBS AND I CONTACTED FORD DIRECTLY ABOUT THE ISSUE. THEY TOLD ME THAT, WHILE THOSE TSBS DO APPLY TO THE SAME MODEL AND YEAR OF VEHICLE, MY VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED ON THE LIST. THEY SAID I NEEDED TO HAVE MY VEHICLE INSPECTED BY NHTSA SO THAT IT CAN BE ADDED TO THIS LIST.