NHTSA Complaint #11230941 — 2011 FORD FIESTA

UPON SHIFTING INTO NEUTRAL AND OR JUST ENGAGING THE CLUTCH THE ENGINE WILL SHUT OFF, USUALLY AS I APPROACH A STOP LIGHT OR AM IN A PARKING LOT. SOMETIMES IT IS A ROUGH STOP LIKE THE TRANSMISSION WAS NOT FULLY DISENGAGED, BUT MOST OFTEN IT IS SMOOTH AS IF TURNING OF THE CAR WITH THE KEY. THE SILENT SHUT DOWN OCCURS BOTH WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION, ANY WHERE FROM 1-70 MPH, AND WHEN A COMPLETE STOP HAS BEEN REACHED. I HAVE HAD THIS HAPPEN AT LEAST TWO DOZEN TIMES IN THE 2.5 YEARS I HAVE DRIVEN THIS CAR. APPROXIMATELY, 80% OF THE TIME IT IS THE 'SILENT SHUT DOWN', WHERE I DO NOT EVEN NOTICE THE CAR IS NOT RUNNING UNTIL I PUT THE CAR BACK INTO GEAR AND TRY TO ACCELERATE. I HAVE ALMOST BEEN REAR ENDED AT STOP LIGHTS IN TRAFFIC SEVERAL TIMES BECAUSE OF THIS ISSUE. THIS ISSUE HAS OCCURRED AT ALL TIMES OF THE YEAR WITH THE AIR CONDITIONER BOTH ON AND OFF, BUT IT IS MUCH MORE PREVALENT IN THE WARM WEATHER WITH THE AIR CONDITIONER RUNNING. IN THE PAST WEEK IT HAS HAPPENED 3 TIMES ALL OF WHICH WERE WITH THE AIR ON, AND THE ENGINE SILENTLY SHUT DOWN.