NHTSA Complaint #11113535 — 2013 FORD FUSION

POORLY DESIGNED SEAL AROUND BACK-UP CAMERA HOUSING ALLOWS MOISTURE INTO HOUSING, SENDS FAULTY SIGNAL TO ENGINE WHEN VEHICLE IS STARTED AND SHIFTED TO REVERSE ULTIMATELY SHUTTING DOWN THE ENGINE. THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN 100% OF TIME, BUT IT IS CONCERNING. USUALLY OCCURS DURING/AFTER RAIN, SNOW, OR HIGH HUMIDITY DAYS. THIS DESIGN FLAW ALSO DISABLES THE BRAKES, EMERGENCY BRAKE, AND POWER STEERING. VEHICLE DOES NOT TURN ON RIGHT AWAY AND STARTER CONTINUOUSLY CLICKS UNTIL VEHICLE COMPUTER RESPONDS TO START, KEY FAUB IS THE ONLY WAY I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO START THE VEHICLE AFTER THIS EVENT OCCURS. SOMETIMES THE COMPUTER GETS SO JAMMED UP THAT I MUST COMPLETELY DISCONNECT THE BATTERY AND HARD RESTART THE COMPUTER. WHEN THE ISSUE OCCURS THE VEHICLE CANNOT BE STOPPED AND WILL CONTINUOUSLY MOVE BACKWARDS UNTIL IT STOPS ON ITS OWN, IT HITS SOMETHING, OR THE VEHICLE CAN BE STARTED AGAIN. THIS DID HAPPEN TO ME WHILE I WAS PARKED ON A SLIGHT INCLINE AND MY CAR STOPPED AFTER IT ROLLED IN TO A PARKED CAR, LUCKILY NO DAMAGE OCCURED. AS SOMEONE WHO USED TO BE AN AIRBAG DESIGN ENGINEER I DEFINITELY BELIEVE THIS TO BE A SAFETY ISSUE. A MECHANIC AT THE FORD DEALERSHIP I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE FROM INFORMED ME THAT THIS ISSUE IS KNOWN TO FORD(HE FOUND THE INFORMATION ON HOW TO DIAGNOSE, REPAIR, AND WHAT PARTS TO BUY IN THE REPAIR DATABASE) AND I CALLED FORD TO CONFIRM THAT THEY DO KNOW THIS ISSUE. FORD INFORMED ME THAT THEY DO KNOW OF THE ISSUE, BUT IT IS NOT A SAFETY CONCERN. THIS ISSUE COSTS OVER $800 TO FIX AT A DEALERSHIP. MY EXTENDED WARRENTY WON'T COVER THE COST OF THE REPAIR BECAUSE IT IS CONSIDERED "WATER DAMAGE"