NHTSA Complaint #11609375 — 2017 FORD FUSION

I drove through a strip mall shopping center on 8/13/2024, without warning, my 2017 Ford Fusion's engine shut down and I could not re-start the engine. There was no "Check Engine" light. The shutdown later proved to be caused by the failed Mas Air Flow (MAF) sensor, Ford Part #Part #: AFLS195 (8V2Z12B579A). My understanding is that the MAF sensor sends data to the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) to deliver the specific amount of fuel that’s proportional to the airflow and without that information, the engine just stops. I read, the MAF sensor failure shutdown occurs in vehicles of many makes. I was in a shopping center when the engine shut down, leaving me stranded in the traffic, but minutes before I was in 45 MPH speed limit traffic on a main multi-lane thoroughfare. Had the engine shut down had occurred then. I may have been in a dangerous situation. In fact, an Auto Zone general information article on MAF failure stated, "These issues can create dangerous situations causing accidents and injury." There needs to be a fail safe that, when the sensor fails, like for example that causes the PCM to default value that does not cause a shutdown while activating the "check engine light."