NHTSA Complaint #11203656 — 2017 FORD TAURUS

I WAS TRAVELLING ON A FREEWAY ~70MPH IN LEFT HAND LANE. WITHOUT WARNING THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WENT BLACK AND THE ENGINE STOPPED. THE VEHICLE STARTED TO DECELERATE AND THERE WAS NO RESPONSE FROM THE THROTTLE PEDAL. AN ORANGE BOX APPEARED ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE OF THE SPEEDOMETER SAYING 'TRANSMISSION NOT IN PARK'. I SIGNALED INTENTION TO PULL ONTO LEFT HAND SHOULDER BUT THERE WAS NO SOUND OR FLASHING FROM THE INDICATOR ARROW LIGHT IN THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. I BRAKED AND THE VEHICLE CAME TO A STOP. I PUT THE GEAR SELECTOR INTO 'PARK' AND DEPRESSED ENGINE START BUTTON. THE INSTRUMENT LIGHTS THEN ILLUMINATED, AND THE INDICATOR LIGHT STARTED FLASHING. I THEN DEPRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND ENGINE START BUTTON AND THE ENGINE STARTED. ALL CHECK LIGHTS WENT OUT, ENGAGED 'D', WAITED FOR BREAK IN TRAFFIC, INDICATED AND ACCELERATED INTO LEFT HAND LANE. I CONTACTED THE DEALER AND EXPLAINED THE SITUATION AND THEY WANTED ME TO WAIT UNTIL THE PROBLEM REPEATED OR THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS TO ILLUMINATE. I TOLD THEM THAT THIS WAS A SAFETY CRITICAL PROBLEM AND THAT I WOULD NOT WAIT UNTIL THIS PROBLEM REPEATED. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER AND THEY FOUND FAULT CODES - B11D8:14, U0423:82, U0415:00, U0028:08. THE FAULT CODES WERE CLEARED, AND THE DEALER DROVE THE VEHICLE FOR ~70 MILES BUT WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. ON APRIL 25, 2019, THE FORD REGIONAL CUSTOMER SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME THAT AS THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED, FORD MOTOR COMPANY CANNOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE AT THIS TIME. SHE STATED THAT THE VEHICLE IS SAFE TO DRIVE AND ANY ISSUE IS NOW BETWEEN MYSELF AND THE DEALER. OVERALL, THERE WAS NO ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF THE GRAVITY OF THIS ISSUE. THE FACT THAT THE PROBLEM CANNOT BE DUPLICATED SHOULD BE EVEN MORE CONCERNING WHEN, AT RANDOM, CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE CAN BE LOST. FORD MOTOR COMPANY HAS NOW WALKED AWAY FROM THIS SAFETY CRITICAL ISSUE.