NHTSA Complaint #11317068 — 2015 FORD EDGE

MILEAGE AT EVENT: 79,000 ON 2/14/20 A RUMBLING NOISE FROM UNDER THE HOOD BEGAN WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS AT IDLE, MORE PRONOUNCED AT START-UP, AND THE NOISE SUBSIDED WHEN UNDER POWER. TOOK TO DEALER ON 2/20/20 AND THE MECHANIC COULD NOT DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. NOISE CONTINUED AT START-UP AND WHEN AT IDLE. ON 2/25/20 WHILE TRAVELING AT 70 MPH ON THE INTERSTATE, ALL PROPULSIVE POWER WAS LOST YET ENGINE COULD STILL REV AND ALL POWER FUNCTIONS REMAINED (STEERING, BREAKING, AUXILIARY POWER, ETC.). PULLED OFF THE ROAD AND TURNED ENGINE OFF. COULD NOT RE-START VEHICLE AND VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. INITIAL INSPECTION SHOWED THAT THE FLEXPLATE HAD SPLIT INTO TWO PIECES. ONE INNER PORTION REMAINED CONNECTED TO THE CRANKSHAFT, THE OTHER OUTER PORTION CONNECTED TO THE TORQUE CONVERTER. (SEE ATTACHED PICTURE OF FLEXPLATE.) DURING THE FAILURE, THE BROKEN FLEXPLATE DESTROYED THE BENDIX GEAR ON THE STARTER WHICH WAS ALSO REPLACED. IN ADDITION, THE CRANKSHAFT SEAL WAS REPLACED WHICH INDICATES AN ALIGNMENT ISSUE MAY BE THE ROOT CAUSE. THIS IS SIMILAR TO PREVIOUSLY REPORTED COMPLAINTS WITH NHTSA IDS (11218798, 11194165, 111277542, 11204923) AND RELATED TO FORD SERVICE BULLETIN 19-2236 (DATED 06 AUGUST 2019) AS WELL AS FORD COMMUNICATION SSM 47398 (NHTSA ID 10144200). OF THE PREVIOUS COMPLAINTS, TWO HAVE HAD REPEAT FAILURES, LIKELY INDICATING AN INHERENT ALIGNMENT AND ENGINEERING FLAW WITH THE VEHICLE. NOTE THAT THE 2015 FORD EDGE WAS THE FIRST FORD VEHICLE TO HAVE THE 2ND GENERATION 2.0 L ECOBOOST GTDI WITH TWIN-SCROLL TURBO. I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING OF FLEXPLATE FAILURES AS MORE 2015 - 2018 FORD EDGES REACH THE ~75,000 MILE MARK. SAFETY COMMENT: THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION AT 70 MPH WHEN I HEARD A LOUD CRACK AND LOST ALL PROPULSIVE POWER. WHILE I WAS ABLE TO SAFELY GLIDE TO A STOP, THIS COULD HAVE BEEN MORE DANGEROUS AT A HIGH TRAFFIC TIME.