NHTSA Complaint #11209439 — 2012 FORD F-150

WHILE TRAVELING AT 70 MPH THE VEHICLE STALLED WITH THE ENGINE SHUTTING DOWN IN MAIN LANES OF AN INTERSTATE. THE STALLED ENGINE RESULTED IN THE LOSS OF ALL POWER ASSIST FEATURES INCLUDING POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES. WE WERE ABLE TO NAVIGATE ACROSS SEVERAL LANES BEFORE COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP IN A TRAFFIC LANE BUT NOT SAFELY OFF THE INTERSTATE. AFTER CALLING FOR A TOW AND REQUESTED SERVICE. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT A FUSE POWERING THE ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP HAD "BURNED" OUT AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. SHOULD HAVE BEEN A SIMPLE SOLUTION, UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION IT WAS DETERMINED THE FUSE PANEL HAD BEEN DAMAGED AND WOULD NO LONGER ACCEPT A FUSE AND HAS TO BE MODIFIED WITH THE FUSE LOCATION MOVED TO A NEW LOCATION AND UPGRADED TO A MORE ROBUST FUSE AND FUSE PLACEMENT SLOT. FORD HAS BEEN AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND HAS ONLY ELECTED TO FIX THOSE VEHICLES THAT EXHIBIT FAILURE AND AT THE COST OF THE CONSUMER IF NOT WITHIN THE WARRANTY PERIOD. THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN RETURNED TO FORD DEALERS MULTIPLE TIMES WITH NO MENTION OF THIS PROBLEM OR REPAIR. FORD HAS ISSUED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN (TSB 15-0137) AND HAS CREATED A SPECIFIC REPLACEMENT KIT, WHICH INCLUDES INSTRUCTIONS AND ALL NECESSARY PARTS TO PERFORM THE RELOCATION (MOTORCRAFT # EL3Z-14293-A). THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL AS IT IMPACTS THE SAFETY OF FORD'S F150 OWNERS, THEIR PASSENGERS AND THOSE THAT SHARE THE ROAD WITH THEM. FAILURE OF ALL POWER ASSIST FUNCTIONS WHILE TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS IS SCARY AND CREATES A DANGEROUS SITUATION FOR THOSE IN THE VEHICLE AND THOSE AROUND IT. IT ALSO CREATES AN EVEN MORE DANGEROUS SITUATION IF THE VEHICLE WAS BEING USED TO CROSS A BUSY INTERSECTION, STALLED AND THEN STOPPED IN THE CENTER OF THE INTERSECTION. INCLUDED ARE PICTURES OF THE FUSE AND THE FUSE BLOCK DAMAGED DURING THE FAILURE AND HONESTLY, A FIRE COULD HAVE EASILY STARTED AS A RESULT OF THIS FAILURE.