DETROIT, M.I. – MI Ford dealers may have already received complaints from owners of 2005 to 2007 Ford Freestyle crossovers. The current investigation by the National Traffic Highway Safety Administration (NTHSA) may lead to a recall of about 170,000 vehicles.
Although Ford Motor Corp no longer produces the Freestyle, all three model years of the crossover have the ability to unexpectedly lunge in a forward or backward direction up to 10 feet.
An office within the NHTSA called the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI), conducts investigations into possible defects in vehicles as complaints rise with the same problem. For this particular investigation, the ODI has received 238 complaints from owners about the possible lunging issue.
The complaints state that without cause, the Ford Freestyle will suddenly jolt forward if in drive and backward if in reverse. MI Ford dealers may have heard that the lunge normally occurs while the driver is in an idle position. The lunging seems to be occurring while the driver is not touching the accelerator and is either pressing firmly or lightly on the brake pedal or hovering over the pedals while coasting under idle speed.
The following are details as reported by the NHTSA:
- 18 minor crashes have been reported
- One pedestrian has been hit, but only minor knee bruising
- Condition may be worse while air conditioning on or steering wheel is turned significantly, as when in a parking lot
MI Ford dealers may be aware that Ford Motor Corp spokesperson, Susan Krusel, announced that the corporation will be cooperating "fully" with the investigation as it continues. If a recall is announced, owners may be able to visit their local dealerships for the chosen solution.
At this point, the NHTSA and ODI are conducting a Preliminary Evaluation to investigate the scope, frequency and safety-related consequences of this possible lunging defect.
Check back as MI Auto Times follows the investigation.
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[Source(s): Reuters, Autoblog]
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