NHTSA Complaint #705340 — 1997 FORD E-350

OUR VEHICLE QUIT WHILE WE WERE DRIVING ON A 2-LANE RURAL HWY. W/NO SHOULDER. IT ACTED LIKE IT WAS LOSING POWER. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STARTED FLUTTERING ON & OFF AND THEN THE OTHER ELECTRICAL FUNCTIONS STARTED TO FADE. THE ENGINE THEN QUIT TOTALLY. WE TRIED TO RESTART THE ENGINE; IT WOULD TURN OVER BUT NOT FIRE. AFTER APPROX. 10 MINUTES WE TRIED AGAIN AND IT STARTED AND RAN FINE THE REST OF THE WAY HOME. WE TOOK OUR VEHICLE TO THE GALLOWAY FORD DEALERSHIP ON 3/25/99, INV.#FDTS344292, AND THEY SAID THE FOLLOWING ON THE INVOICE: ROAD TESTED 48 MILES AT HWY SPEED AND STOP & GO SEED W/FIRM & SOFT ACCELERATION. 2 DIFFERENT EVENTS DID HAPPEN. AFTER SHORT DRIVE HEADING TOWARDS I-75, TRANSMISSION SEEMED TO NEUTRAL OUT, THE ENGINE WAS STILL RUNNING. BROUGHT VEHICLE BACK TO SHOP, BUT DID NOT HAPPEN ON THE WAY BACK. TOOK TO TECH. THEY TRIED 1 MORE TIME TO RECORD ON GPS, NEGATIVE RECORDING/TOOK OUT 1 MORE TIME. BEFORE GETTING OFF LOT, THE ENGINE SEEMED LIKE IT WAS GOING TO SHIFT, BUT JUST DIED. STARTED BACK UP. TOOK OUT AGAIN WITH GPS, NEITHER EVEN OCCURRED. AT VERY LOW SPEEDS, TRANSMISSION SEEMS TO BE SLIPPING OR NOT UP SHIFTING. VERY VERY LOW SPEEDS . . . . BOB BROOKS. THE TECHNICIAN AND SERVICE ADVISER TOLD ME THAT THEY DID NOT KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS OR HOW TO CORRECT IT. I THINK THAT THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD. WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IT MY FAMILY AND I WERE ON AN INTERSTATE AND THE ENGINE QUIT? WITH NO ENGINE POWER, DO WE HAVE STEERING AND BRAKE CONTROL? I AM AFRAID TO USE MY VEHICLE BECAUSE OF THIS. ANY HELP YOU CAN BE WITH THIS PROBLEM WILL BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. *AK