2011 Ford Flex

MY 2011 FORD FLEX IS BACK AT THE DEALERSHIP AFTER THREE TURBOS BEING REPLACED ON IT'S 3.5 LITER ECOBOOST ENGINE. OUR VEHICLE WAS AT THE DELERAHIP FOR A MONTH AND WE JUST GOT IT BACK ON THURSDAY. ON SATURDAY I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN IT BEGAN SHUTTERING AND JUST DIED. I WAS LEFT POWERLESS IN THE LEFT LANE OF A FOUR LANE HIGHWAY AND HAD TO MANUVER ACROSS THREE LANES TO GET TO THE SHOULDER WITH THREE CHILDREN ON BOARD. VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESTART AND WHILE TURNING THE KEY WHITE SMOKE BILLOWING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. VERY STRONG SMELL OF ELECTRICAL BURNING. I THOUGHT IT WA GOING TO CATCH ON FIRE AND HAD THE CHILDREN GET OUT OF THE VEHICLE ON THE SIDE OF A VERY BUSY HIGHWAY. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME AT THE DEALERSHIP FOR THIS CAR WITH ENGINE PROBLEMS. PLEASE ADVISE ON WHAT COURSE OF ACTION I NEED TO TAKE SO THIS DEFECTIVE ENGINE DOES NOT CAUSE DEATH OR INJURY.

I HAVE FULL DOCUMENTATION FROM FORD TO BACK UP MY STORY: LAST YEAR THE CAR BEGAN STALLING INTERMITTENTLY. IN BUFFALO, NY (WE LIVE IN THE CHICAGO AREA). THE STALLING GOT SO BAD THAT SHE WAS WORRIED ABOUT DRIVING BACK HOME 10-HOURS+. SHE WENT INTO THE LOCAL DEALER THERE AND HAD THE CAR PLUGGED INTO THE COMPUTER...WHICH DETECTED NO FAULTS. SHE MADE SURE TO DESCRIBE THE PROBLEM FULLY AND IT IS DOCUMENTED ON THE RECEIPT. THE CAR HAS CONTINUED TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM. I READ THAT THE FORD DEALER CAN INSTALL A "BLACK BOX" WITH A BUTTON THAT ONE CAN PUSH WHEN AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM HAPPENS. WE DID THIS AND WE GOT THREE GOOD PUSHES OF THE BUTTON WHEN IT SUBSEQUENTLY STALLED AND THE DEALER DOWNLOADED THE INFO AND FOUND THAT THE THROTTLE BODY IS FAULTY....OF COURSE THE CAR (WE HAD EXTENDED SERVICE PLAN) IS NOW OUT OF WARRANTY FOR ABOUT 1.7K MILES (NOT TIME). NOTE THAT THE CAR FAILED TO TRIGGER THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT...IT WAS ONLY AT MY INSISTENCE THAT THEY PUT IN A "BLACK BOX" THAT ANY PROBLEM WAS FOUND. THE FORD CUSTOMER CARE PERSON ON THE PHONE KEEPS TELLING ME THAT "THE CURRENT PROBLEM" OCCURRED AFTER THE CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. BUT OUR DOCUMENTED MAINTENANCE HISTORY PROVES THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM DATING FROM LAST YEAR. THIS IS A YEAR-OLD PROBLEM THAT THE DEALER WAS ONLY JUST ABLE TO DIAGNOSE...AND THEN ONLY BECAUSE I LEARNED ABOUT THE "BLACK BOX" THAT WAS AVAILABLE. THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT THE DEALERSHIP FAILED TO FIND THE PROBLEM LAST YEAR, AND BECAUSE THEY FAILED TO FIND THE PROBLEM WE ARE NOW ON THE HOOK FOR THE REPAIR. I HAVE COPIES OF THE RECEIPT FROM LAST YEAR. OH, AND TO ADD INSULT TO INJURY MY WIFE HAD TO PAY FORD $108.70 FOR THEM TO PLUG THE CAR IN LAST YEAR... THE CAR NEVER HAD A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT OR DISPLAYED FAULT CODES WHEN PLUGGED INTO THE COMPUTER NORMALLY. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN NICE IF THE BLACK BOX WAS SUGGESTED AS A DIAGNOSTIC OPTION HOWEVER. *TR

OUR CAR WAS RECALLED FOR A POWER STEERING FAILURE WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND LUCKILY I WAS DRIVING BECAUSE IT WAS VERY HARD TO STEER. FORD REPAIRED THE STEERING PROBLEM. THE CAR THEN EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEM 8 MONTHS LATER AND FORD IS REFUSING TO COVER THE REPAIR. THEY CLAIM THAT WE ARE PAST THE 1 YR / 12K MILE WARRANTY BUT WE HAD BROUGHT THE CAR INTO THE DEALER SEVERAL MONTHS EARLIER AND THE CLAIMED THEY COULD NOT FIND THE FAULT. THE CAR'S POWER STEERING FAILED AGAIN WHILE MY WIFE WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY NEARLY CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. AFTER THE FAILURE THE CAR WAS 200 MILE OVER THE WARRANTY. FORD NOW CLAIMS THAT WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ENTIRE COST OF REPAIR. CLEARLY THE REPLACEMENT PART THEY USED WAS DEFECTIVE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FORD FLEX. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE WATER PUMP FAILED AND CAUSED THE TIMING BELT TO FRACTURE. THE FAILURE CAUSED THE PISTONS IN THE ENGINE TO BEND THE ENGINE VALVE. THE VEHICLE STALLED AND WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 79,000.

IT HAS HAPPENED SINCE 2012 SEPT, WHEN I BOUGHT IT AT 4000KM. I WAS ABOUT TO START FROM A TRAFFIC LIGHT. I LET GO MY BRAKE AND 'SLIGHTLY' ONTO GAS. "NOTHING AT ALL HAPPENED." I PUSH A BIT HARDER AND IT CRANK INTO ANOTHER GEAR AS I FELT LIKE 'GALLOPING'. I BROUGHT IT TO THE BODY SHOP I KNEW (8 PM) AND WAS TOLD TO GO TO DEALERS FOR TRANSMITTION CHECK UP. DID SO, IN 3 DAYS - 'NO CODE' NO PROBLEM. IT HAPPENED IN NOVEMBER 2012; TRYING TO CATCH UP WITH TRAFFIC ON 401 HIGHWAY - MARCH 2013, MOVING SLOWLY IN SCITY STREET - JUNE AND OCT 2013; FROM STOP - APRIL 2014, JUNE 2015 AND ABOUT TO STOP BEFORE TRAFFICE LIGHT - MAY 2016. I BROUGHT IT INTO 2 DIFFERENT DELEARS, 3 PRIVATE BODYSHOPS. DEALERS FOUND NOTHING - 'NO CODE'; PRIVATE BODY SHOP - WATER/ AIR TRAPPED IN GAS/ FUEL LINE; BAD TRANSMISSION ETC. CONTACTED FORD CUSTOMER SEVICES - TOLD TO CONTACT LOCAL DELEARS, RECORD ON FILE. NO SOLUTION STILL. THIS IS FORD!!!! ONCE GET THE CHANCE - GO ANYTHING OTHER THAN FORD!!

MIDDLE ROW SEATING. SEAT IS DESIGNED TO FLIP FORWARD TO LET 3RD ROW PASSENGERS EXIT. HOWEVER, SEAT MALFUNCTIONS AND LOCKS IN THE FULL UPRIGHT POSITION THUS TRAPPING POTENTIAL 3RD ROW OCCUPANTS. WHEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER, THEIR "FIX" IS TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE ASSEMBLY AT OVER $800. NOTE THAT HEY STOCK THE PART SINCE, IN THE SERVICE WRITER'S WORDS "IT'S A VERY COMMON FAILURE". THIS SHOULD BE FIXED BY THE COMPANY AND NO CHARGE TO THE OWNERS SINCE THEY ARE OBVIOUSLY AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, IT IS A POTENTIALLY LIFE THREATENING SAFETY ISSUE, AND IT IS A DESIGN FLAW OF EQUIPMENT.