NHTSA Complaint #11520695 — 2021 FORD EDGE

My 2021 Ford Edge SEL with 22,000 miles on it, bought new less than 2 years ago, would intermittently show a warning notification on the dash saying “AWD temporarily disabled”. The car drove different when the warning came on. It was slow to accelerate and more difficult to turn. It happened twice in a span of 2 months. I brought it to the dealer and they diagnosed it as a “faulty rear differential”. They told me this is a known Ford issue and directed me to a service bulletin put out by Ford regarding this issue stating Ford is aware. My car did not have normal warning signs- no noises, no vibration, no smell, and I would have never known something was wrong if the warning didn’t pop up those two random times. I was told if the equipment failed while driving, the car could’ve seized up and wouldn’t move. They acknowledged that this is a real safety concern as there were no issues with the car except when the AWD disabled itself temporarily. The car drove normal when it started working again not long after. My car will have been at the dealer 6 days by the time I get it back, estimating about $1500 in repairs (thank you warranty). The car is serviced and maintained regularly and well cared for. This should NOT have happened and put mine and my family’s safety at risk.