Complaint 700808

Complaint Summary

FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL

Owner Narrative

VEHICLE WAS REGULARLY MAINTAINED BE AN OWNER WHO HAS HAD EXPERIENCE WITH AND OWNED DIESEL VANS FOR OVER 20 YEARS. THE FAILURE OCCURS WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, WHEN AVERAGE SPEEDS ARE AROUND 60 MPH AFTER DRIVING FOR ABOUT FIFTEEN MINUTES. WHILE DRIVING, THE ENGINE BEGINS TO STEADILY LOSE POWER AND SPEED CONSISTENTLY DECREASES. THIS WILL LEAD THE DRIVER TO HASTILY CHANGE LANES TO ATTEMPT TO GET TO THE SHOULDER BEFORE THE VAN STOPS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. ONCE ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, THE ENGINE WILL CUT OFF ONCE THE VEHICLE HAS COME TO A STOP AND WILL NOT START UP AGAIN FOR 10-20 MINUTES. OTHER TIMES THE VEHICLE WILL NOT START UP AGAIN AND WILL NEED TO BE TOWED. ONCE THE FAILURE STARTED FOR THE FIRST TIME, IT WOULD REPEAT THIS FAILURE ONCE EVERY OTHER WEEK, THEN ONE WEEK, THEN A FEW TIMES A WEEK, THEN ALMOST EVERYDAY. THE CONSEQUENCES, FOR EXAMPLE, WAS WHEN THE ENGINE FAILED AND LOST POWER I HAD TO HASTILY TRY TO GET TO THE NUMBER 3 LANE FROM THE NUMBER 1 LANE DURING MORNING RUSH HOUR, WHICH ENDANGERS EVERYONE ON THE ROAD. AFTER GETTING TO THE SIDE, I ATTEMPTED TO TURN INTO AN EXIT WHEN THE WHEELS LOCKED AND ENGINE CUT OFF. THE FRONT HALF OF THE VAN WAS DIRECTLY IN THE WAY OF ONCOMING TRAFFIC, ALMOST HITTING A CAR AND CAUSING A MASSIVE BACKUP BECAUSE THE VAN CANNOT MOVE. THE CONSEQUENCES OF THIS FAILURE IS THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN FALSELY ATTEMPTS AT FIXING THE PROBLEM FROM THE FORD DEALERSHIP. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIRS A TOTAL OF FIVE TIMES BY WHICH THE FIFTH ONE THE DEALERSHIP WANTED $2000 DOLLARS TO REPLACE THE GAS TANK BECAUSE OF PARTICULATES FROM THE COATING OF THE TANK ERODED AND DESTROYED THE FUEL SYSTEM. THE FIRST SAID IT WAS THE FUEL INJECTORS, THEN FUEL PUMP, THEN TWO ADDITIONAL FUEL PUMPS, THEN CHARGED $1000 FOR AN ENGINE FLUSH. THE VAN WAS IN THE SHOP FOR APPROX. 25 DAYS TO WHICH NOTHING WAS RESOLVED. WE ARE CURRENTLY TAKING LEGAL ACTIONS TO PAY FOR COSTS OF UNNECESSARY REPAIRS, RENTAL FEES, AND THE DAYS UNABLE TO WORK. *TR

Owner-submitted narrative on file with NHTSA. Complaint narratives are self-reported and have not been verified.