2002 Ford Ranger

AS I WAS DRIVING ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY, I ATTEMPTED TO PASS ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE OTHER VEHICLE SPED UP; I SLOWED; HE SLOWED; OBVIOUSLY A GAME OF SOME KIND WAS BEING PLAYED THAT I WANTED NO PART OF, SO I TRIED TO GET AWAY AND WHEN I HIT 85MPH, MY VEHICLE CEASED TO ACCELERATE AND BEGAN ACTING LIKE IT WAS STARVED FOR GAS. I SPOKE TO MY DEALER AND FORD MOTOR COMPANY AND LEARNED THAT THE VEHICLE HAS A "REV LIMITER" WHICH IS APPARENTLY A GOVERNOR THAT STOPS ALL ACCELERATION AT 85MPH. AS FAR AS I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DETERMINE, FORD IS THE ONLY VEHICLE MADE THAT HAS SUCH A LIMITER AND IT CANNOT BE REMOVED OR ALTERED. WHEN I ASKED FORD WHY, I WAS TOLD IT WAS FOR MY OWN GOOD SINCE SPEED LIMITS ARE MAXIMUM OF 70-75 MPH ACROSS AMERICA . I THEN ASKED WHY THE SPEEDOMETER WENT TO 120 MPH AND THEY SAID THE VEHICLE WAS DESIGNED FOR IT BUT FORD CHOSE TO NOT LET DRIVERS EXCEED 85. I ASKED WHY FORD FELT COMPELLED TO HOLD A DRIVER TO 85 WHEN EVERY OTHER MANUFACTURER DID NOT AND HOW SAFE WAS IT TO ALLOW ME TO GO ONLY 10MPH OVER THE MAXIMUM SPEED WHEN THAT ALSO MEANT I COULD GO 55MPH OVER IN AN AREA POSTED FOR 30MPH. SAME ANSWER--FOR MY OWN GOOD. ONE OF THE MANY PROBLEMS WITH THIS IS THAT IN RARE EMERGENCY OCCASIONS (SUCH AS PASSING AN 18 WHEELER AND SOMEONE AHEAD PULLING OUT FROM A SIDE ROAD COMING IN MY DIRECTION--THERE ARE PROBABLY BETTER EXAMPLES), I MAY BE PAST THE POINT OF BEING ABLE TO SLOW DOWN OR ANOTHER CAR MAY BE BEHIND ME, AND WE ALL GET KILLED BECAUSE FORD DECIDED THEIR CARS SHOULD GO SLOWER THAN EVERY COMPARABLE VEHICLE ON THE ROAD. I COULD UNDERSTAND ALL CARS TOPPING OFF AT 85, BUT NOT ONLY ONE--AND NOT ONE THAT HAS EVERY INDICATION IT WOULD GO FASTER IN AN EMERGENCY AND FORD NEVER TELLING YOU ANYTHING TO THE CONTRARY UNTIL THE EMERGENCY OCCURS. THIS MAY BE THE FIRST, OR ONLY, COMPLAINT YOU EVER RECEIVE ABOUT A CAR GOING TOO SLOW, BUT IT WAS A REAL PROBLEM AND I FOUND IT EXTREMELY FRUSTRATING AND DANGEROUS.*AK

AFTER FILLING GAS TANK, VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN APPROXIMATELY NINE MILES AND WENT FROM A FULL TANK TO LESS THAN A HALF TANK OF GAS. VEHICLE WAS COVERED IN GASOLINE. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO NEAREST DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR. AFTER REVIEW OF NHTSA WEB SITE IDENTIFIED THAT THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. CONCERNS WERE RAISED WITH REPAIRING DEALERSHIP AS WELL AS SELLING DEALERSHIP. REQUESTED FAILURE ANALYSIS OF FAILED PART TO DETERMINE ROOT CAUSE OF FAILURE, INFORMED THAT DEALERSHIPS DO NOT HAVE PERSONNEL TRAINED TO DO THIS. INFORMED DEALERSHIPS THAT I DO NOT FEEL VEHICLE IS SAFE AND WOULD LIKE THEM TO TAKE THE VEHICLE BACK DUE TO IT ONLY BEING 35 DAYS OLD AND 1700 MILES, TOLD THEM THAT I WOULD CONSIDER THE PURCHASE OF A DIFFERENT FORD VEHICLE. WAS INFORMED THAT FORD DOES NOT HAVE A BUY BACK PROGRAM AND ANY NEGOTIATION WOULD HAVE TO BE DONT WITH REGIONAL FORD REP. WAITED UNTIL 12/11 TO HER FROM REP AND SHE WAS IN A MEETING AND TOLD ME SHE WOULD CALL ME BACK. AFTER NOT HEARING FROM REP FOR OVER A WEEK I BEGAN TO LEAVE HER VOICE MAIL AND STILL DID NOT GET A RETURN CALL. CONTINUED TO CALL CUSTOMER RELATIONS LINE AND DEALERSHIP AND STILL DID NOT HEAR ANYTHING ON MY CONCERN. FINALLY HEARD FROM FORD REP ON 12/15 AND WAS OFFERED AND ESP 5 YRS 75K MILES, INFORMED REP THIS WAS UNACCEPTABLE DUE TO THE LENGTH OF MY TIME THAT WAS WASTED ON THIS ISSUE. REP INFORMED ME THAT THERE IS NOT A PROBLEM WITH THE FUEL LINE ON THE RANGER, I INFORMED REP THAT THERE ARE OTHER DOCUMENTED CASES OF THIS ON THE NHTSA WEB SITE. FORD REP BECAME DEFENSIVE AND ENDED UP HANGING UP ON ME. WHILE WAITING TO HEAR FROM THIS REP I REQUESTED A DSB APPLICATION AND IT TOOK THREE REQUESTS TO FINALLY GET ONE, THIS TOOK FROM 12/21 UNTIL 01/16 TO RECIEVE, NEVER RECIEVED A PHONE CALL FROM DEALERSHIP AFTER REQUESTING DSB APP AS INFORMED BY CUSTOMER LINE THAT I WOULD. CURRENTLY IN PROCESS OF SUBMITTING DSP APP. PROBLEM UNRESOLVED PENDING RESULTS OF DSB. *AK