NHTSA Complaint #11207917 — 2006 FORD FREESTYLE

HELLO, I WAS DRIVING 60 MPH ON US HIGHWAY 2, DRIVING FROM SNOHOMISH, WA TO MONROE, WA, WHICH IS A 2 LANE HIGHWAY WITH NO MEDIAN (DEATH HIGHWAY) SUDDENLY, THE CAR SEEMED TO LUNGE AND I LOST ACCELERATION WITH THE YELLOW SERVICE WRENCH DASH LIGHT COMING ON. MY SPEED SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED AND THE CAR PULLED AT THE SAME TIME. RPM'S JUMPED TO 5000+ BUT I WAS DROPPING SPEED. I AVOIDED THE CAR COMING UP BEHIND ME AND THE ONCOMING TRAFFIC BY QUICKLY PULLING INTO AN AREA ON THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY. THIS WAS A VERY SCARY EXPERIENCE THAT COULD HAVE TURNED OUT VERY BADLY IF I WOULD HAVE BEEN HIT FROM BEHIND AND PUSHED INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. I SAT ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, STUNNED FOR 5-10 MINUTES, NOT KNOWING WHAT HAPPENED. IT HAD ALSO HAPPENED ONCE EARLIER THAT DAY AT MUCH LOWER SPEEDS AND THEN SEEMED TO RESET ITSELF. AGAIN THE WRENCH LIGHT RESET AND I WAS ABLE TO PULL OUT ONTO THE HIGHWAY AND DRIVE TO A TRANSMISSION SHOP FOR DIAGNOSIS. AS OF NOW, I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THE DAMAGE MAY BE OTHER THAN I'M BEING TOLD IT'S A BAD TRANSMISSION AND THAT I NEED A NEW ONE, WITH REALLY NO GUARANTEE THAT THE SAME THING WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN. SINCE THIS INCIDENT I HAVE DONE A GREAT DEAL OF RESEARCH ON THIS CAR AND SPECIFICALLY THE 05-07 FORD FREESTYLE WITH THIS CVT. IT IS NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS HOW CAN FORD GET AWAY THIS AND WHY HASN'T THIS TRANSMISSION BEEN RECALLED AND FORD MADE TO FINALLY RESOLVE THE ISSUE SAFELY OR MADE TO REIMBURSE ALL AFFECTED PARTIES THE PURCHASE PRICE OF THE SEVERELY UNSAFE VEHICLE. I AM THANKFUL THAT I HAD A PLACE TO TURN OFF, RATHER THAN THE POTENTIAL OF AN ACCIDENT ON THAT HIGHWAY!! NO PHYSICAL INJURY, BUT DEFINITELY AN EMOTIONALLY CHARGED EVENT!! THANK YOU. (XXXX) PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)