NHTSA Complaint #11220307 — 2016 FORD EXPLORER

PROBLEM FIRST APPEARED ON JUNE 3, 2016 WITH ABOUT 10,000 MILES. I WAS DRIVING ON INTERSTATE 95 PAST PHILADELPHIA AIRPORT ABOUT 9:30 AM AT ABOUT 60 MPH. THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN DRIVEN FROM A COLD START FOR ABOUT 20 MINUTES. IT WAS RAINING MODERATELY. THE BACKUP CAMERA SUDDENLY APPEARED ON THE SCREEN IN THE CENTER CONSOLE AND THE TRANSMISSION SHUDDERED SLIGHTLY. I ALSO NOTICED THAT THE DASHBOARD DRIVE INDICATOR, WHICH NORMALLY IS LIT RED WHEN IN DRIVE, WAS WHITE, AS WERE ALL THE OTHER INDICATORS (R, N, ETC). I JIGGLED THE SHIFTER WITHOUT PRESSING THE SHIFTER BUTTON BUT THAT DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. THE TRANSMISSION APPEARED TO BE STILL IN DRIVE SINCE THE CAR STILL HAD POWER AND WAS NOT SLOWING DOWN. IT LASTED FOR ABOUT 15 SECONDS AND THEN THE DISPLAY RETURNED TO NORMAL AND THE D INDICATOR RETURNED TO ITS NORMAL RED MODE. ABOUT 30 SECONDS LATER THE PROBLEM RETURNED AND STAYED FOR 10 TO 15 SECONDS AND THEN AGAIN REVERTED BACK TO NORMAL. THIS BEHAVIOR REPEATED ONE OR TWO MORE TIMES IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF MINUTES. AFTER THIS SERIES OF EVENTS THE CAR SEEMED TO BE NORMAL FOR THE REST OF MY 1.5 HOUR TRIP AND HAS BEEN FINE UNTIL AUG 13, 2016 WHEN THE SAME BEHAVIOR HAPPENED AGAIN. THIS COULD BE A SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM IF IT GETS WORSE IF FOR NOTHING ELSE THAN IT IS CERTAINLY A DISTRACTION AND MAY RESULT IN TRANSMISSION DAMAGE AND LOSS OF CONTROL. I DID TALK TO THE SERVICE MANAGER AT MY FORD DEALER (SHERIDAN FORD, RT 2 KIRKWOOD HIGHWAY, WILMINGTON DE) ON JULY 21, 2016 WHEN I WAS GETTING AN OIL CHANGE AND I DESCRIBED THE FIRST INCIDENT. HE DID NOT SEEM VERY CONCERNED. HE SAID THAT THEY HAD NEVER HEARD OF THAT HAPPENING BUT DID NOT HAVE ME WRITE ANYTHING DOWN. I TOLD HIM THAT IF IT HAPPENED AGAIN, I WOULD CONTACT FORD AND THE DEALER. THE PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED 12 MORE TIMES. I HAVE TOLD THE DEALER ABOUT IT EVERY TIME. I HAVE FURTHER TEXT DOCUMENTATION.