NHTSA Complaint #11452904 — 2018 FORD FUSION

The audio/navigation display screen on my 2018 Ford Fusion went black as I was backing out of a parking spot almost causing an accident. It immediately came back on after this but unfortunately, it started to happen regularly upon startup, while driving, parked, just randomly, and for longer periods of time. It also started to increase the volume and I couldn't control it. The system completely stopped working after several weeks. I did a lot of research and noticed that this is a significant problem with Ford Accessory Protocol Interface Modules (APIM). Some have already been recalled on certain models of Fords and why they are not recalled on any that go out is beyond me. Seems that in and of itself would place some liability on the manufacturer in the event of an accident. The dealership wants to charge over $1,200 to replace the faulty APIM, which they described as a continued problem that everyone knows about. So maybe that is the reason it is not recalled. They can make money selling the vehicle and then another $1,200 after 40,000 miles when it goes out. I am very frustrated and will now be $1,200 less happy. Yes, I am frustrated at the financial impact, but it was a safety issue initially and at times startled me while driving, which could have caused an accident. I am sure that there are numerous examples of previous complaints that are able to prove this.