NHTSA Complaint #11519997 — 2015 FORD FLEX

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Flex. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle made abnormal grinding sounds. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed but no issues were found. The dealer sprayed rust off the exhaust. The contact stated that while driving 50 MPH, there was a loud banging sound coming from under the hood before losing control of the vehicle. The contact was able to regain control of the vehicle and veered to the side of the road. The contact noticed an abnormal burning odor. The dealer was notified of the failure and advised the contact to tow the vehicle to their location. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the power transfer unit (PTU) had exploded. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 96,000.