Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | ||||||
| PE10033 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | 08/23/2010 | 07/15/2011 | Engine Stalling | ||
| The subject vehicles suffered from a design issue whereby water could run down onto the cowling under the hood and located in the area of the windshield wipers and then drip onto a computer module, the powertrain control module (pcm), which could be manifested in a variety of symptoms depending on which part of the circuit board became wet or which of the connector pins shorted out.in addition to causing an engine to stall, which may or may not then restart, the water intrusion could also cause the transmission to shift poorly, the vehicle to have erratic power, a malfunction indicator light to come on, or result in an inability to start the vehicle, an inability to shift the vehicle into either forward or reverse. also the problem could cause a higher than normal idle rpm in park, or for the radio to malfunction, or the interior lights to stay on.during this investigation odi was concerned with the effect of the engine stalling or a drastic and sudden loss of power either of which may create a safety risk.in reviewing the actual number of these types of incidents, collectively referred to here as engine stalls, the number was found to be below what would be considered a defect trend.for example, the number of engine stalls identified in ford's warranty claims for the model year (my) 2004 subject vehicles, the my with the most failures, was 200 out of population of 125,865, for a failure rate of 0.16%.the one crash recorded by a complainant to nhtsa, voq 10311522, alleged that the engine stalled, due to water intrusion into the pcm, while the road was turning causing her to go off the road and according to the police report the vehicle then hit an embankment and a tree stump. ford reported in their response that there were three alleged crashes but none of these were validated as being caused by a problem with water intrusion into the pcm causing a stall.accordingly this investigation is closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by nhtsa that a safety-related defect does not exist.the agency will continue to monitor complaints and other information relating to the alleged defect in the subject vehicles and take further action in the future if warranted. | ||||||
| PE10033 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | 08/23/2010 | Engine stalling | |||
| This preliminary evaluation (pe) is being opened based on information obtained during the investigation dp09-004, which was specifically related to model year (my) 2004 ford freestar vehicles.the manufacturer's numbers presented on the failure report of the opening of this pe are for my 2004 ford freestar vehicles only, the odi number represents 15 my 2004 complaints and 12 my 2005 complaints; the scope of this pe investigation for my 2004 to 2007 freestars and montereys is based on complaints received to odi and on ford's technical service bulletin tsb 06-14-10. the one crash noted is for a my freestar, voq #10311522.this pe has been opened to assess the scope, frequency, and potential safety-related consequences of the alleged defect. | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | |||
| 12/31/2012 | 130600 | 1 | |
| Returning from a 'dump run', i noticed the plastic cover for the 3rd row passenger seat, driver side, had been dislodged and was lying on the floor. i went to reconnect it and i found the latch 'floating'. it was no longer part of the vehicle. i could see out through the wheel well. after further inspection, i saw that the welded plate, that should be part of the van was no longer attached. i haven't looked at the tire for damage, yet. this is a design and manufacturing error, as the latch bracket used to secure the passenger seat in place, needs to be a permanent part of the vehicle. the van isn't too old, and should last many more years/miles and for this piece to come loose, is a safety issue as well as a quality issue. i'm afraid to take it to the local ford dealer for fear of being gouged on the cost to repair, which should be at ford's cost. if this was a pick up truck with exposure to the elements all the time, i could see a rust issue. this vehicle is lightly used and garaged nightly, so it shouldn't happen - ever. the other comments on this page are all similar to my experience with this part. right now, i'm using a strap to hold the piece in place, stretching to the latch on the passenger side. comment: this van has had too many quality issues since we purchased it in 2006 - torque converter replaced, driver seat heater replaced, transmission replaced, cruise control switch mech. replaced, ignition replaced. *tr | |||
| 12/21/2012 | 81000 | 1 | |
| Having this problem 4 days in a row, engine quits at any speed loss of steering and brakes, car will speed up without the accelerator being moved, ford said water in the computer could cost 1,000 to 1,500. checked on my computer found page after page of the same complaint and ford motor company refuses to fix the problem!! has anybody been killed yet? when is the n.t.s.b going to act. *tr | |||
| 03/01/2012 | 86000 | ||
| Last thursday around 3:00pm i was driving 55 mph in the highway when suddenly i heard a strange whinning noise every time i tried to accelarate the car. after a few seconds, i realized that the car was slowing down in the middle of the highway so i immediately drove all the way to the emergency lane with the momentum that the car had left. the car was not responding to the shifting gears but the engine was running and the signals were working. later i found out that it was the transmission. but what i thought was strange was that it never gave me a warning. that was a scary experience with fully loaded trucks going over 70mph next to my van, which was shaking with their speed. i thought that was my end. | |||
| 10/21/2011 | 119494 | ||
| It started with my driver side window working erratically. simultaneously, the buttons on my radio quit working, although it randomly kept trying to reprogram preset 2. without warning, at 65mph on a busy road, i abruptly lost power and could not maintain speed or accelerate. i also experienced erratic rpm. currently vehicle will chronically not start due to power failure, even though battery and alternator have been checked and are functioning properly. the sudden and unexpected loss of acceleration and erratic rpm is dangerous. i am unable to drive this vehicle because i fear for my safety. | |||
| 04/20/2011 | 100553 | ||
| 2004 ford freestar rpm's 3000 at idle. diagnosed as water intrusion in original pcm (powertrain control module) in april of 2011. water intrusion occurred on replacement pcm as well within 3 months because rain kit per service bulliten ( # tsb-06-14-10) was not installed at the ford dealer. second incident occurred with the replacement (new) pcm on 9/8/11. on 9/8/11 vehicled stalled out while in traffic. replacement pcm diagnosed as water intrusion as well by different ford. second dealer noted rain kit had not been installed by 1st dealer when new pcm was put in. second dealer installed kit, but vehicled stalled out in traffic once again on 9/17/11. replacement (new) pcm had been contaminated prior to rain kit installation. vehicle is now at the ford dealer (that installed tsb rain kit) for 3rd pcm unit. contact was made with the original dealer that installed the replacement pcm as well as ford warranty department, and as of this date of 9/23/11 neither has accepted responsibility for failure to install the recommended tsb rain kit that caused the replacement (new) pcm failure. we were very fortunate that no one was hurt during the 2 incidents when the vehicle stalled out while in traffic. we will continue to pursue action to make the first ford dealer / ford motor company financially responsible for neglecting to install the rain kit per fords service bulliten upon installation of the first new pcm unit. | |||
| 05/11/2008 | 40000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford freestar. the contact was driving 50 mph when the accelerator pedal was depressed yet the vehicle began to decelerate independently. the contact moved the vehicle from the roadway and depressed the accelerator with extreme force. the vehicle began to jerk forward abnormally before engaging into gear and accelerating as normal. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who advised the contact that the transmission would need replacing. the manufacturer was contacted and a claim was filed but no other assistance was provided. the vehicle was not repaired. in addition, the contact stated that the torque converter failed twice. the failure mileage was 40,000 and the current mileage was 105,000. | |||
| 02/16/2011 | 74000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2004 ford freestar. the contact stated that while driving 35 mph, the vehicle suddenly lost power. she was unable to drive over 10 mph. the vehicle was towed to a local mechanic who changed a fuel filter. the contact was driving 40 mph when the vehicle had no acceleration power at all. the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer who stated that the torque converter was the cause of the failure. the vehicle was being repaired. the contact called the manufacturer who offered no assistance. the vin was unavailable. the current mileage was approximately 75,000. the failure mileage was approximately 74,000-bk | |||
| 08/07/2010 | 78000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford freestar. the contact stated that while driving uphill approximately 45 mph, the vehicle became resistant to the contacts attempts to accelerate. the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer where they contact was informed that the torque converter would need to be replaced. the torque converter was replaced. approximately six months later, the failure recurred while the contact was attempting to accelerate from a traffic stop. as the vehicle began to increase in speed to 25 mph, it then stalled without warning. the vehicle was towed to the contacts residence and was not examined for the cause of failure or repaired. the failure mileage was 78,000 and the current mileage was 80,000. | |||
| 09/06/2010 | 76634 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2004 ford freestar. the contact stated while driving at 45mph he attempted to pass a vehicle his vehicle didn | |||
| 11/30/2005 | 77000 | 1 | |
| Traveling on interstate 95 with cruise control on at 79mph in heavy traffic as was end of thanksgiving holiday and engine revved and could not control speed-no forward motion when attempting to accelerate. turned on the hazard lights and coasted to side of road. no warning or lights on dashboard to indicate any trouble just unable to accelerate. towed and informed that torque converter the issue and may be additional problems-at this time attempting to find parts(new or refurbished). *tr | |||
| 10/02/2009 | 70000 | 1 | |
| Engine stalling, electrical problems, traction control system disengages, and cruise control will not engage. all problems are intermittent and occur during or after rain. problems linked to pcm water intrusion. today entire electrical system failure. *tr | |||
| 10/01/2007 | 60000 | 1 | |
| 2004 ford freestar experiencing problems with cruise control that is consistent with the symptoms of ford's speed control deactivation system recall. cruise control intermittently works which is a symptom that led to fires in ford's recall. *tr | |||
| 04/04/2009 | 58000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford freestar. while driving approximately 35 mph on normal road conditions, the idle speed increased and the vehicle accelerated unexpectedly. suddenly, the vehicle stalled. the engine restarted and resumed normal operation. in addition, the vehicle failed to operate intermittently when shifted into reverse. the engine warning light illuminated on the instrument panel and remained lit until the engine was turned off. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for inspection and they stated that water was leaking from the front windshield, which damaged the computerized system. the vehicle was repaired. on a separate occasion, the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer and independent mechanic for identical failures. the vehicle is in the process of being repaired. the failure and current mileages were 58,000. | |||
| 04/01/2006 | 26000 | 2 | 04/30/2005 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford freestar. while driving between 55-60 mph, the throttle became stuck and the cruise control would not disengage. as a result, the vehicle failed to stop. the contact struck a guard rail, which caused over $5,000 in damages. this is the second time that this failure occurred. the dealer could not find any failures with the vehicle. the current mileage was 58,000 and failure mileage was 26,000. updated 11/24/08 *cn updated 11/26/08. *jb | |||
| 01/14/2005 | 25500 | 3 | 01/08/2005 |
| Dt: when the consumer tried to stop the car it accelerated/ kicked in, and the consumer had to take the car out of gear to get it to stop. the consumer had the dealership look at the car 5 times. the dealership said that they could not duplicate the problem, there was no way that they could fix it. this has been ongoing on for about 6 months. the consumer has not contacted ford or the manufacturer. *ak the air bag light had illuminated and ford fixed the problem. on another occasion, while driving in traffic, the consumer applied the brakes but the accelerator kicked in. (this happened on many occasions) *sc | |||
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL - CRUISE CONTROL | |||
| 06/15/2009 | 103000 | 1 | 10/01/2003 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford freestar. while driving approximately 70 mph with the cruise control activated, the engine began to rev excessively high. the contact deactivated the cruise control and depressed the accelerator pedal, but there was no response. the vehicle was coasted to the side of the road. there were no warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel. roadside assistance was called to the scene and the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer for diagnostic testing. they stated that the transmission intake shaft was cracked. the transmission was replaced. the failure and current mileages were 103,000. updated 08/04/09 *bf updated 08/05/09.*jb | |||
| 04/08/2007 | 1 | ||
| Driving with cruise control on in a 2004 ford freestar. tap brake to release cruise control. once i was ready to accelerate again, i tried to push the gas pedal. however the gas pedal was all the way to the floor and i had a loss of acceleration power. i could not accelerate and had to pull off the highway. once the car was inspected, it was found that a plastic clip came off of the gas pedal. vehicle was taken in for repairs. an entire throttle panel was order to fix the problem. | |||
| 01/01/2006 | 6 | 08/01/2004 | |
| 2004 freestar will not shift out of park and cruise control is hard to disengage. *ts initially this was an intermittent problem but recently it had been more frequent. this problem only occurred during very damp and/or cool weather. the dealer was unable to determine if this was an electrical or brake problem. *nm | |||
| 09/20/2005 | 5388 | 1 | 10/20/2004 |
| Driver was operating a 2004 ford freestar van on 9/20/05. this vehicle is equipped with a transmitter, receiver style cruise control. he was behind a dump truck when suddenly his cruise control activated, which caused sudden acceleration, almost causing him to rear end the truck. the cruise control transmitter was removed from this van several months ago. i feel another motorist activated their cruise control, which activated our company's van cruise control. how many frequency codes did ford use with this dangerous set up for cruise control? *nm | |||