Air Bags. Review the 615 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Service Brakes. Review the 126 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Power Train. Review the 74 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

58 crash reports5 fire reports38 injury reports

Vehicle Speed Control complaints

35 reports

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64,000 miles · Aug 6, 2014

Vehicle Speed ControlCrashInjury

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 2007 FORD FUSION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FLOOR MAT SHIFTED TO THE BRAKE PEDAL AND CAUSED THE CONTACT TO CRASH. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED AND A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. INJURIES WERE SUSTAINED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 64,000.

NHTSA ODI #10619378

86,000 miles · Jul 15, 2014

EngineVehicle Speed Control

WRENCH LIGHT FLASHES ON THE DASH AS THE CAR SLOWS TO 20 MPR OR LESS, GAS PEDAL TO THE FLOOR AND IT WONT GO. I SHUT THE CAR OFF AND TURN IT BACK ON IT RUNS UNTIL IT SLOWS DOWN AGAIN ANOTHER 20-30 MILES. THIS YEAR SHOULD'VE BEEN RECALLED AS THE 2009-2012 MODELS. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10610800

86,621 miles · May 29, 2014

Power TrainVehicle Speed Control

UPON DRIVING THE SPEED BECAME ERRATIC AND THE CAR SLOWED DOWN VERY QUICKLY REQUIRING ME TO PULLOVER QUICKLY FOR FEAR OF A REAR END COLLISION. AT THAT TIME I SAW THE WRENCH LIGHT ON MY DASH. I FEEL THAT IS A HAZARD THAT SHOULD BE CORRECTED UNDER THE WARRANTY OR AS A RECALL FROM FORD COMPANY. THE WAIT FOR PARTS IS ALMOST A MONT…

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NHTSA ODI #10594769

140,000 miles · May 13, 2014

EnginePower TrainVehicle Speed Control

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I WAS DRIVING TO HOUSTON FROM SAN ANTONIO ON I10 AND GOING THE SPEED LIMIT. SHORTLY AFTER STARTING MY DRIVE I WAS SHOCKED BY A SLIGHT JERK AND A "WRENCH" SYMBOL APPEAR. I WAS IN THE CENTER LANE AND HARDLY HAD ANY ACCELERATION TO MOVE OFF THE ROAD. EVENTUALLY, I WAS ABLE TO GET TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY, TURN OFF MY CAR AND TURN IT BACK ON. IT ALLOWED ME TO DRIVE ABOUT 5 MIN BEFORE HAPPENING AGAIN. I ENDED UP PULLING OF THE ROAD 8 TIMES UNTIL I JUST DECIDED TO CALL AAA AND PAY ADDITIONAL FEES TO TOW MY CAR INTO HOUSTON. IT WAS SCARY AND DEF. A SAFETY HAZARD FOR ANYONE EXPERIENCING THIS MALFUNCTION. I TOOK THE CAR TO GET A DIAGNOSTIC AND SURE ENOUGH IT'S A THROTTLE BODY FAILURE. I DROVE TODAY WITH NO ISSUES, BUT I AM SURE IT WILL OCCUR AGAIN VERY SOON. FORD REALLY NEEDS TO RECALL AND THINK ABOUT THEIR CUSTOMER'S SAFETY. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10588158

93,000 miles · Apr 1, 2014

Electrical SystemEngineFuel System, Gasoline

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WENT TO PASS A SLOW MOVING VEHICLE AND WHEN GAS PEDAL WAS PRESSED THE VEHICLE RESPONDED WITH NO POWER, SHUDDERED, AND STALLED. HAD TOWED TO A LOCAL TRUSTED MECHANIC WHO WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE A SPECIFIC PROBLEM BECAUSE THE HE WAS GETTING "CRAZY PROBLEM CODES". VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A FORD DEALER WHO DISCOVERED THE COILS WERE DESTROYED DUE TO A PCM FAILURE. COILS AND PCM REPLACED AT THE COST OF $2,200. DRIVING HOME AFTER VEHICLE WAS "REPAIRED" CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. TOOK VEHICLE BACK TO DEALERSHIP, DIAGNOSED A CATALYTIC CONVERTER FAILURE. CATALYTIC CONVERTER FAILED DUE TO THE PCM/COIL FAILURE. VEHICLE WILL NOT PASS EMISSIONS INSPECTION UNTIL CONVERTER IS REPAIRED/REPLACED AT AN ADDITIONAL COST OF $2,000+. DEALERSHIP INDICATED THAT NOTHING COULD HAVE BEEN DONE TO PREVENT THE PCM/COIL FAILED, IT "JUST HAPPENED". BASIC RESEARCH SHOWS THAT THIS HAPPENS WITH ENOUGH FREQUENCY THAT FORD MUST BE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. VEHICLE 2007 FORD FUSION V6 AWD. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10576320

84,000 miles · Jan 12, 2014

Electrical SystemEngineVehicle Speed Control

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I WAS DRIVING TO WORK ON DECEMBER 11, 2013 DOWN RTE 3A AT APPROXIMATELY 8AM. WHEN I TOOK A LEFT ONTO WESTFORD RD., AND ACCELERATED UP THE HILL THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY CUT OUT TO THE POINT IT WOULD NOT GO ANY FURTHER. I ALMOST WAS HIT FROM A CAR FROM BEHIND ME WHO ALSO WAS ACCELERATING UP THE HILL, BUT FORTUNATELY HE SWERVED AROUND ME IN TIME. I CALLED TRIPLE AAA AND THEY TOWED IT TO PALMER''S AUTOMOTIVE. ACCORDING TO THE MECHANIC, THE DIAGNOSTIC SHOWED ONE OF THE COIL PACKS MALFUNCTIONED.. UPON REPLACEMENT, THE COIL PACK OVERHEATED AND BLEW AGAIN. FINDING IT ODD, THE MECHANIC CONTACTED FORD. WORKING WITH THE FORD TECHNICIAN, A BULLETIN WAS FOUND STATING THE CAR HAD A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THE PCM, THE COMPUTER MODULE FOR THE VEHICLE. FORD TOLD THE MECHANIC, THE PART WOULD BE THERE IN 2 WEEKS. 2 WEEKS WENT BY AND ON CHRISTMAS EVE, OUR MECHANIC WAS TOLD THERE IS A NATIONAL BACK ORDER ON THE PART AND IT WOULD BE 2 TO 4 MORE WEEKS. ALSO, THE REPAIR WOULD COST IN THE VICINITY OF 1700.00 DOLLARS. IT IS NOW 1/12/14 AND WE STILL HAVE NO CAR AND NO WORD ON WHEN IT WILL BE FIXED. FORD''S RECENT ADS INFURIATE ME ON TV ABOUT THEIR RELIABILITY ETC COMPARED TO OTHER BRANDS. THE WARRANTEE EXPIRED AT 80K MILES AND THIS CAR HAS 84K ON IT. WE ARE STILL MAKING PAYMENTS ON A CAR THAT IS INOPERABLE FOR THE PAST 6 WEEKS, AS WELL AS FACING A HUGE REPAIR BILL, WHICH ADDS INSULT TO INJURY. MOST IMPORTANTLY, I THINK ABOUT WHAT MAY HAVE HAPPENED IF I HAD DECIDED TO TAKE THE HIGHWAY INSTEAD OF RTE 3A TO WORK THAT DAY, THE RESULTS MAY HAVE BEEN TRAGIC. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10559502

95,000 miles · Dec 19, 2013

Vehicle Speed Control

THROTTLE BODY I WAS SITTING AT A STOP LIGHT AND WHEN THE LIGHT WENT GREEN I PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR AND MY STEERING COLUMN BEGAN TO SHAKE AND MY CAR WOULD NOT ACCELERATE PAST 20 MILES PER HOUR. I WAS TERRIFIED BECAUSE ALL THE OTHER CARS TOOK OFF AND I COULD BARELY MOVE. THE CAR SHOOK LIKE IT WAS GOING TO FALL APART. AFTER …

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NHTSA ODI #10556633

40,000 miles · Nov 23, 2013

Latches/locks/linkagesVehicle Speed Control

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WHILE L WAS DRIVING ON WET PAVEMENT WITH THE SPEED CONTROL ENGAGED AND SET TO 35 MPH, I ROUNDED THE TOP OF A HILL AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SPEED UP AS USUAL. I APPLIED THE BRAKES LIGHTLY TO MAINTAIN 35 MPH AND THE SPEED CONTROL FAILED TO DISENGAGE AND SPUN THE LEFT FRONT TIRE UNTIL BLACK SMOKE WAS ROLLING OUT FROM UNDER THE FENDER. IT LASTED A FEW SECONDS BEFORE IT RELEASED. I HAD A FORD DEALER CHECK THE BRAKES TO SEE IF THE LEFT FRONT CALIPER HAD A PROBLEM AND THEY DID NOT FIND A PROBLEM. THEY ALSO HAD NO SOLUTION FOR THE SPEED CONTROL FAILING TO DISENGAGE. NOTE: THE DAYTIME PHONE IS USELESS SINCE I AM ASSIGNED TO ANOTHER BUILDING AT WORK AWAY FROM THE PHONE ON MY DESK. UPDATED 01/28/14*LJ I CONTACTED FORD ONCE AGAIN AFTER THE THIRD THROTTLE PROBLEM. THE THIRD TIME INVOLVED THE SPEED CONTROL BURNING RUBBER ON A WET ROAD AFTER I APPLIED THE BRAKES TO MAINTAIN SPEED GOING DOWN HILL WITH THE SPEED CONTROL SET FOR 35. THEIR RESPONSE WAS TO IGNORE THE PROBLEM AS USUAL. THEY DIDN'T DO ANYTHING FOR ANY OF MY COMPLAINTS EVEN WHEN THE CAR WAS UNDER WARRANTY. THE DEALER WOULD NOT EVER REPLACE A BROKEN PLASTIC DOOR HANDLE IN THE INSIDE UNTIL IT BROKE OFF COMPLETELY. AFTER THEY REPLACE IT WITH ANOTHER PLASTIC HANDLE THE SPRING CUT THROUGH THE PLASTIC AGAIN, BUT I REALIZED THAT THE PIECE OF PLASTIC THE BROKE OFF WAS STILL IN THE RECESSED AREA FOR THE HANDLE AND WOULD HAVE CAUSED IT TO BREAK OFF COMPLETELY AGAIN IF I HAD NOT REMOVED IT. THE CHROME ALSO PEALED OFF AND CUT MY FINGERS AGAIN SO I SCRAPED IT OFF THE TOP OF THE HANDLE. THEY STILL HAVEN'T CHANGED THE DESIGN OF THAT. FOR OVER $21,000 THAT I PAID FOR THE CAR, THEY COULD HAVE AT LEAST MADE ONE OUT OF ALUMINUM.

NHTSA ODI #10553521

125,964 miles · Oct 14, 2013

Fuel/propulsion SystemVehicle Speed Control

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DRIVING ALONG A FOUR LANE HIGHWAY AT APPROXIMATELY 60MPH WHEN SUDDENLY THE VEHICLE STOPPED ACCELERATING, I HAD TO PUT IT IN NEUTRAL, LETTING IT COAST, TURN THE ENGINE OFF AND QUICKLY BACK ON. IT ALLOWED ME TO CONTINUE NORMALLY AFTER THAT. HOWEVER THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN OCCURRING INTERMITTENTLY EVER SINCE. WHEN IT GETS REALLY BAD, IT WILL REPEAT THE PROBLEM ANYWHERE FROM 5-10 MINUTES AFTER I TURN IT AND BACK ON AND THE TRACTION CONTROL AND MAINTENANCE LIGHTS WILL COME ON. AFTER AWHILE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WILL COME AND STAY ON FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS. HAD A DIAGNOSTICS RUN ON IT WHILE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON AND IT INDICATED THAT THE THROTTLE CONTROL SYSTEM WAS MALFUNCTIONING. FORD WANTS OVER $600 FOR PARTS AND LABOR TO FIX THE PROBLEM WHICH I THINK IS RIDICULOUS CONSIDERING HOW MANY OTHERS ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. WILL BE CONTACTING THE REGIONAL SALES MANAGER REGARDING THIS. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10547826

120,000 miles · Aug 26, 2013

Fuel System, GasolineVehicle Speed Control

DRIVING 60-70 MPH DOWN AN INTERSTATE AND CAR LOSES TOTAL ACCELERATION CONTROL. YOU CAN PUT THE GAS TO THE FLOOR AND NOTHING HAPPENS. RPM DOESN'T MOVE AND NO ACCELERATION. HAVE TO COAST OFF THE INTERSTATE. THOUGHT IT WAS THE GAS, PUT NEW GAS IN THE CAR. WENT TO TN ON FRIDAY HAD TO "COAST" OVER TO THE SHOULDER 3 TIMES. CAME HOME Y…

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NHTSA ODI #10537285

Official recalls

21V158000 · Air Bags:frontal:driver Side:inflator Module

Mar 10, 2021

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2007-2011 Ranger, 2006-2012 Fusion, Lincoln Zephyr, Lincoln MKZ, 2006-2011 Mercury Milan, 2007-2010 Ford Edge, and Lincoln MKX vehicles. The driver's side air bag inflator may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver-side airbag inflator or module with an alternate one, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on April 9, 2021 for the passenger side, and November 14, 2022 for the driver side. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S12.

19V904000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip:control Unit/module

Dec 18, 2019

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2006-2010 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, Lincoln Zephyr and MKZ vehicles. The valves within the ABS Hydraulic Control Units (HCU) may react with brake fluids containing specific corrosion preventative additives. This reaction may cause the valves to not close properly.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the valves do not properly close, additional brake pedal travel may be required to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will flush the brake system with DOT 4 fluid and install a new brake fluid reservoir cap. In addition, the HCU will be tested to detect a possible stuck valve condition, replacing the HCU as necessary. All services will be performed free of charge. The recall began April 1, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S54.

17V024000 · Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module

Jan 10, 2017

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2012 Ford Fusion and Mustang and Lincoln Zephyr and MKZ vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A." Additionally, unless included in "Zone A" above, Ford is recalling certain 2009 Ford Ranger, Edge, Fusion and Mustang, Lincoln MKX, MKZ and Zephyr and Mercury Milan vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia, or "Zone B." Additionally, unless included in "Zone A" or "Zone B" above, Ford is recalling certain 2007-2008 Ford Ranger, Edge and Lincoln MKX, 2006-2008 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, Lincoln Zephyr and MKZ, 2005-2008 Ford Mustang and 2005-2006 Ford GT vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repair has been performed. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. Interim letters informing owners of the recall and that parts are not yet available began mailing March 1, 2017. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S01.

16V384000 · Air Bags:frontal:passenger Side:inflator Module

May 31, 2016

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2007-2011 Ford Ranger vehicles, 2006-2011 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan and Lincoln Zephyr/MKZ vehicles, 2007-2010 Ford Edge, Lincoln MKX vehicles, 2005-2006 Ford GT vehicles, and 2005-2011 Ford Mustang vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A." Additionally, unless included in "Zone A" above, Ford is recalling certain model year 2007-2008 Ford Ranger, Edge and Lincoln MKX vehicles, 2006-2008 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan and Lincoln Zephyr/MKZ vehicles, 2005-2006 Ford GT vehicles and 2005-2008 Ford Mustang vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, or "Zone B." Any vehicle not included in "Zone A", or "Zone B" is not included in the safety recall. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repair has been performed. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. Ford mailed interim letters informing owners that parts are not yet available on July 15, 2016. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S01.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

EA18002 · Extended Braking Distance

Opened Apr 18, 2018 · Closed Jan 15, 2021

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Service Brakes, Air:antilock:control Unit/module

On April 18, 2018, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Engineering Analysis (EA) 18-002 to investigate reports of braking concerns in model year (MY) 2006-12 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ, and MY 2006-11 Mercury Milan vehicles manufactured with Continental Automotive System?s ABS hydraulic control units (HCUs). Complainants report that after an ABS braking event (initiated by slippery or uneven surfaces) the brake pedal moved towards the floor and the vehicle stopping distance increased beyond driver expectations.Inside the HCU are four hydraulic normally closed (NC) valves with zinc-coated moving armatures that control the flow of brake fluid. Unstable brake fluid can degrade over time, allow the brake fluid to gel, and corrosion to form on the armatures. The high-viscosity gelation and corrosion can cause the armatures to become stuck (open). In some cases, braking returns to normal when the armature(s) subsequently become unstuck. The intermittent condition proves difficult to diagnose with complainants reporting having (non-HCU) repairs conducted only to have the condition return.During the investigation, 14 HCUs from complaint vehicles were recovered, including seven from reported crashes. NHTSA?s Vehicle Research and Test Center (VRTC) disassembled the HCUs, removed the four NC valves in each, and confirmed 22 of the 56 NC valves contained stuck armatures. On seven of the 14 HCUs, both front wheel armatures were stuck, on nine of the 14 HCUs two or three armatures were stuck. And 52 of the 56 NC armatures exhibited corrosion of the zinc coating. Forces required to extract stuck armatures from the valve sleeve were measured to range from 1.1 to 18.0 lbs. VRTC also conducted ABS braking tests on a variety of test surfaces that showed HCU failures cause increases in pedal travel and braking distances. Testing also showed that if the driver was able to apply four times the brake pedal force and two times the brake pedal travel, then high-vehicle decelerations could be achieved, however, single or multiple wheel lockups were also occurring.Based on Ford?s response to ODI?s July 20, 2018 information request letter, and complainants' reports to NHTSA, ODI identified a population of vehicles with an elevated level of field failure compared to vehicles produced both before and after.Further evaluation of Ford?s response identified that the brake fluid used to produce these vehicles, a specific formulation of a DOT3 fluid provided by CCI Corporation between February 2006 and July 2009, differed from the brake fluid used in other vehicle populations. ODI used the correlation of fluid specification and elevated field failures to identify a vehicle population exhibiting a defect trend. The complaints, crashes and injuries cited above, and the 14 recovered HCUs involve vehicles from this population.On December 18, 2019, Ford submitted safety recall (19V-904) to remedy HCU failures on the MY 2006-2010 Ford Fusion, Lincoln MKZ, and Mercury Milan vehicles manufactured with the suspect CCI brake fluid formulation. Ford will function test the HCU and replace the DOT 3 brake fluid with an improved DOT 4 brake fluid. If the HCU fails the function test, Ford will install an HCU with a different armature coating (black oxide). HCUs with black oxide coating were fully phased into Ford?s new vehicle production by MY 2016; these HCUs do not appear to be experiencing armature corrosion. ODI notes that the non-recalled EA18-002 subject vehicles, which were manufactured with a different specification brake fluid, did not display an elevated level of field failures like the recalled vehicles.Based on available information, Ford?s rec

PE16017 · Extended Braking Distance

Opened Dec 20, 2016 · Closed May 4, 2018

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Service Brakes; Service Brakes, Hydraulic; Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip; Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip:control Unit/module

On December 20, 2016, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation (PE) 16-017 to investigate reports of braking concerns in model year 2007 through 2009 Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan vehicles.Complainants report that after an ABS braking event (caused by braking on a slippery or uneven surface) the brake pedal moved towards the floor and the distance in which the vehicle stopped increased beyond what was expected by the driver.The cause of the problem appears to be the Antilock Braking System (ABS) Hydraulic Control Unit (HCU), a component manufactured for Ford by Continental Automotive Systems.Hydraulic control valves within the HCU can experience corrosion and become stuck.In some cases, braking returns to normal when the valve(s) subsequently become unstuck.The intermittent condition proves difficult to diagnose and complainants report having several brake system components replaced only to have the condition return.ODI has identified 544 reports submitted to the agency that relate to this issue in model year 2006-2012 Ford Fusion/MKZ and MY 2006-2011 Mercury Milan, the subject vehicles.Complainants report an increase in pedal travel which in some cases resulted in going past expected stopping points or having to steer to avoid contacting another vehicle; twenty six report a crash with 3 injuries alleged.The Ford reports shown above, which are from PE16-017 and involved the scope discussed above, were similar in content and identified 7 crashes without injury.During PE16-017, ODI was able to recover HCUs from some complaint vehicles, including some from the reported crashes.The recovered HCUs were sent to NHTSA's Vehicle Research and Test Center (VRTC) in East Liberty, Ohio for evaluation.VRTC was able to confirm stuck valves and corrosion of the zinc coated control valves, and it's testing indicates that HCU failures cause increases in pedal travel that may affect braking distance.According to Ford, newer version HCUs have a different coating on the affected valves that do not currently appear to be experiencing corrosion.In it's response to ODI's information request letter, Ford described analysis of two failed HCUs removed from complainant vehicles.In both cases, a gelatinous material found inside the HCU prevented control valves from properly returning to the closed position after actuation.Ford found that an interaction between the valve coating and brake fluid was the likely source of the gelatinous material.It acknowledged that stuck valves can result in increased pedal travel but maintains the affected brake circuit will develop pressure and respond if the brake pedal is pressed sufficiently.While it has not identified an unreasonable risk to safety due to this issue, Ford states that it continues to investigate the possible causal and contributory factors including additional engineering evaluations and testing.An Engineering Analysis has been opened to assess the scope, frequency, and safety-related consequence of the alleged defect.Based on information received during PE16-017, the scope of the investigation has been increased to include another model, the Lincoln MKZ, and to expand the model years of the subject vehicles.

Additional source detail variants (4)

Service Brakes

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip:control Unit/module

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

EA12009 · Floor Mat Interference With Accelerator

Opened Dec 12, 2012 · Closed Jun 12, 2014

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Vehicle Speed Control; Vehicle Speed Control:accelerator Pedal

On May 27, 2014, Ford Motor Company submitted recall 14E-028 (Ford recall #14S07) to correct a safety-related problem with certain driver's side Ford optional all-weather floor mats sold for use in model year 2006 through 2011 model year Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, Lincoln Zephyr, and Lincoln MKZ vehicles built at Hermosillo Assembly Plant (HAP) from November 9, 2007, to October 31 ,2010.NHTSA testing determined that the original accessory all-weather mat with a single retention clip (Figure 1), may interfere with accelerator pedal return to idle with the mat retained by the clip and rotated clockwise.Both the single- and double-clip (Figure 2) all-weather floor mats may interfere with the accelerator pedal return to idle when the mats are not secured by the retention clip(s).Testing showed that this can occur if the mats are moved forward from the clipped position approximately two inches into a position in which the rear edge of the mats will abut the retention clip(s) when installed singly and align with the clip(s) when stacked on another floor mat.The pedal interference incidents reviewed by the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) include 1 crash and 9 incidents with allegations of brake friction materials smoking and/or requiring repair for heat related damage.The crash incident occurred after the parking brake was applied at speed, resulting in loss-of-control vehicle yaw event caused by lock-up of the rear tires.The spin-out resulted in a side impact collision with an oncoming vehicle in an opposing lane of traffic. For the 29 incidents with sufficient information available to make an assessment; 23 (79%) were controlled by the driver either shifting to neutral, turning the engine off, or both; 4 (14%) were ended by the driver either kicking the pedal free (2) or pulling the mat away from the pedal (2); and 2 (7%) were ended by the pedal freeing itself from the mat with no apparent driver action.None of the drivers who reacted to the incident by shifting to neutral or turning the engine off reported any difficulties with either action.The subject mats were sold by Ford and Lincoln dealers directly to customers as an optional accessory equipment item or, beginning in November 2007, the mats were also available as a factory installed accessory if ordered with a new vehicle.Ford estimates that approximately 82,579 affected driver's side all weather floor mats were sold worldwide; either over the counter through Ford dealerships or as original equipment.Owners that purchased the subject all-weather floor mats as a factory installed accessory with their new vehicle will be notified to return their all weather floor mats to their Ford or Lincoln Dealership in exchange for replacement mats.Owners of all other potentially affected vehicles will be notified that, if they have an affected Ford driver's side all weather floor mat, they should return their mats to the dealership in exchange for replacement mats.The VOQs associated with the closing of this investigation are: 10327597, 10332233, 10334211, 10335336, 10339330, 10348772 (and duplicate 10342572), 10372674, 10379562, 10415911, 10426255, 10434107, 10521053, 10554966.This investigation is hereby closed.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Vehicle Speed Control:accelerator Pedal

Vehicle Speed Control

PE08060 · Tire Valve Cracking

Opened Oct 14, 2008 · Closed Apr 9, 2009

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Tires:valve

ON OCTOBER 14, 2008, ODI OPENED PE08-060 TO INVESTIGATE ALLEGATIONS OF CRACKED AND LEAKING SNAP-IN TIRE VALVES IN MODEL YEAR (MY) 2007 VEHICLES MANUFACTURED BY FORD MOTOR COMPANY.THE VALVES WERE SUPPLIED TO FORD BY TOPSEAL AUTO-PARTS, A SUBSIDIARY OF THE SHANGHAI BAOLONG AUTOMOTIVE CORPORATION IN CHINA.VALVES MADE BY TOPSEAL FOR AFTERMARKET SALE WERE THE SUBJECT OF TWO RECENT SAFETY RECALLS BY TECH INTERNATIONAL (08T-018) AND DILL AIR CONTROLS (08T-028), THE LATTER OF WHICH WAS INVESTIGATED BY ODI IN PE08-036 AND EA08-022.THE DEFECT CONDITIONS ADDRESSED BY THE AFTERMARKET TIRE VALVE RECALLS BOTH INVOLVED INADEQUATE RESISTANCE TO OZONE CRACKING DUE TO ISSUES WITH THE SUPPLY OF ANTI-OZONANT CHEMICALS TO TOPSEAL FOR A PERIOD FROM JULY TO MID-NOVEMBER 2006.THE AFTERMARKET VALVES WERE COMPOUNDED WITH A BLEND OF EPDM AND NATURAL RUBBER, USING A RELATIVELY LOW PERCENTAGE OF EPDM (EPDM PROVIDES INHERENT RESISTANCE TO OZONE CRACKING).HENCE, THE NEED FOR ANTI-OZONANT CHEMICALS AND THE PROBLEMS WITH CRACKING WHEN THOSE CHEMICALS WERE MISSING OR OUT OF SPECIFICATION IN SOME LOTS OF VALVES.BOTH RECALL CAMPAIGNS INVOLVED INSPECTION PROGRAMS TO IDENTIFY AND REPLACE VALVES WITH VISIBLE SURFACE CRACKING.ALTHOUGH THE TOPSEAL VALVES SUPPLIED TO FORD ALSO APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY THE ANTI-OZONANT SUPPLY ISSUES IN MID TO LATE-2006, FORD INDICATED THAT ITS VALVES WERE MADE AT A DIFFERENT TOPSEAL PRODUCTION LINE AND WERE COMPOUNDED WITH A HIGHER PERCENTAGE OF EPDM RUBBER TO MEET MORE STRINGENT SPECIFICATIONS FROM FORD.ODI'S ANALYSIS OF COMPLAINT AND WARRANTY DATA PROVIDED BY FORD SHOWED THAT PROBLEMS WITH CRACKED TIRE VALVES WERE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER FOR MY 2007 VEHICLES PRODUCED FROM DECEMBER 2006 THROUGH MARCH 2007.FORD RESPONDED BY IMPLEMENTING CHANGES IN ITS MATERIAL SPECIFICATIONS FOR SNAP-IN RUBBER TIRE VALVES AND ALSO INCREASING THE QUALITY AND ACCEPTANCE STANDARDS FOR VALVES IMPORTED FOR USE IN ITS VEHICLES.WHILE THE COMPLAINT AND WARRANTY CLAIM RATES ARE ELEVATED FOR SUBJECT VEHICLES PRODUCED FROM DECEMBER 2006 THROUGH MARCH 2007, THE RATES OF LEAKING VALVES ARE WELL BELOW ONE PERCENT OF PRODUCTION FOR EACH OF THE PEAK MONTHS FOR ALL OF THE AFFECTED MODELS.A SUBSTANTIAL MAJORITY OF THE SUBJECT VEHICLES ARE EQUIPPED WITH TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEMS (TPMS) WHICH WARN THE DRIVER WHEN ANY TIRE PRESSURES DROPS BELOW 25 PERCENT OF RECOMMENDED INFLATION PRESSURE. AS OUTLINED IN A LETTER TO ODI DATED APRIL 6, 2009, FORD HAS AGREED TO SEND LETTERS TO OWNERS OF CERTAIN MY 2007 AND 2008 FORD, LINCOLN AND MERCURY VEHICLES TO PROVIDE INFORMATION ABOUT THE CRACKING CONCERN. LETTERS WILL BE SENT TO OWNERS OF VEHICLES BUILT FROM NOVEMBER 2006 THROUGH MAY 2007.OWNERS CAN OPT FOR A FREE DEALER INSPECTION.VALVES EXHIBITING SURFACE CRACKS OR AIR LEAKAGE RELATED TO OZONE ATTACK WILL BE REPLACED BY FORD UNDER ITS NORMAL WARRANTY TERMS.FORD EXPECTS TO SEND THE LETTER BY APPROXIMATELY MID-MAY 2009. BASED ON THE USE OF TPMS IN THE MAJORITY OF SUBJECT VEHICLES AND THE RELATIVELY LOW RATES OF REPAIRS ASSOCIATED WITH LEAKING VALVES AND RESULTANT TIRE DAMAGE, ODI BELIEVES THAT THE ACTIONS FORD HAS AGREED TO TAKE WILL PROVIDE EFFECTIVE AND EXPEDITIOUS RESOLUTION FOR VEHICLES THAT WERE BUILT DURING THE PERIOD WHEN VALVES WITH INADEQUATE RESISTANCE TO OZONE CRACKING WERE MOST LIKELY TO HAVE BEEN USED IN VEHICLE PRODUCTION.FURTHER INVESTIGATION OF THIS MATTER WOULD NOT BE AN EFFICIENT ALLOCATION OF AGENCY RESOURCES.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