NHTSA Complaint #11078787 — 2015 FORD F-150

WHILE DRIVING MY TRUCK IT BEGAN TO SPUTTER AND THEN THE ENGINE STOPPED COMPLETELY. I WAS JUST SHY OF A BUSY INTERSECTION AND HAD NO POWER. THE ERROR MESSAGE WAS "DRIVER HILL ASSIST NOT AVAILABLE" WHICH DID NOT CORRELATE TO THE PROBLEM AT ALL. THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS ALSO ILLUMINATED. AFTER GETTING THE TRUCK TO THE FORD SERVICE CENTER THEY FOUND THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE BODY (ETB) HAD FAILED. I HAVE 50,000 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. THE SHOP SAID THAT THEY NORMALLY DO NOT STOCK MANY PARTS BUT THIS WAS ONE THEY ALWAYS KEEP IN STOCK. THE TECHNICIAN CLAIMED HE HAD SEEN 20+ FAILURES IN THE FAST YEAR. RESEARCH ON LINE INDICATED THAT THERE IS MORE THAN 60,000 COMPLAINTS IN FORD VEHICLES REGARDING THE FAILURE OF THIS ETB. THERE WAS ACTION INITIATED BY THE NHTS AND A RECALL WAS WAIVED PROVIDED THAT FORD EXTEND WARRANTY FOR THIS PART. THAT DID NOT HAPPEN IN MY CASE. MY BILL WAS $604.92 MORE IMPORTANTLY I COULD HAVE LOST POWER IN THE MIDDLE OF THAT INTERSECTION OR DURING A LONG DRIVE HOME WHERE NO CELL RECEPTION WAS POSSIBLE. I WAS LUCKY TO HAVE BROKEN DOWN IN A TOWN WITH A FORD SERVICE CENTER BEFORE MY 3.5 HOUR TRIP BACK TO DENVER. FYI, I CALLED FORD CUSTOMER CARE AND THEY SAID THAT I WAS NOT PART OF A "CUSTOMER SATISFACTION PROGRAM"... INTERESTING CHOICE OF WORDS, BECAUSE I DIDN'T FEEL LIKE I WAS PART OF ANYTHING AT FORD NOR WERE THEY CONCERNED ABOUT THIS ISSUE. IN FACT, THEY CLAIMED IT WAS NOT A SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM.