2011 Ford Transit Connect

TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM. VEHICLE WAS ADAPTED FOR WHEELCHAIR USE. THOUGHT IT WAS SAFE. VEHICLE SHUTS DOWN IN MIDDLE OF ROAD ON ANY KIND OF INCLINE WHEN VEHICLE FEELS ANY KIND OF WHEEL SPINNING. OTHERWISE WOULD OF DRIVEN UP VERY SLIGHT INCLINE. SEVERAL NEIGHBORS HELPED PUSH AND PULL. GOT TO END OF ROAD TURNING CORNER WITH SLIGHT SKID AND AGAIN TIRES STOPPED. FINNALY CALLED TOLL TRUCK. BACK TO MY HOUSE WHICH WOULD BE GOING DOWN THE SLIGHT INCLINE WITH NO PROBLEMS. GRANTED THERE WAS SNOW BUT NOT ENOUGH TO STOP ANYONE ELSE. NEED TO HAVE A OFF BUTTON FOR TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM OR VEHICLE IS UNSAFE AND ANY WEATHER THAN DRY AND SUNNY. VERY UNSAFE TO DRIVE A VERY HANDICAPPED PERSON. BOUGHT A NEW VEHICLE SO IT WOULD NOT BREAK DOWN. FORD NEVER EXPLAINED PROBLEMS DRIVING IN NOT SUNNY AND DRY CONDITIONS. I AM IN MICHIGAN. DRIVEN MANY VEHICLES AND AM A SAFE DRIVER. IS THIS VEHICLE SAFE TO DRIVE OTHER THAN DRY AND SUNNY. SINCERELY, [XXX] WITH A YEAR OLD VEHICLE INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

RE: SAFETY RECALL NOTICE 12S36/NHTSA RECALL 12V-374. WHILE AT MY DEALERSHIP MAC HAIK FORD, 7201 S IH35. GEORGETOWN TX ON 8/6/12, I WAS NOTIFIED OF THIS SAFETY RECALL FOR MY WINDSHIELD WIPERS AT WHICH TIME THE PART(S) WERE ORDERED FOR THIS REPAIR. MY LAST COMMUNICATION WITH MY DEALERSHIP WAS YESTERDAY, WEDNESDAY 9/12/12 AND THEIR RESPONSE: "STILL ON BACK ORDER". THIS IS UPSETTING AS I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT MY WINDSHIELD WIPERS COULD CEASE TO WORK AT ANY TIME AND TODAY IT IS RAINING AND I WAS UNABLE TO RUN NECESSARY ERRANDS AS I DID NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE IN DRIVING IN THE RAIN WITH SUCH FAULTY EQUIPMENT. I WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR ATTENTION, OR SOMEONE'S ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER. *TR

THIS IS A 2011 VEHICLE. MY HUSBAND IS A COURIER SO HE DOES GO QUITE A FEW MILES. ON A PART LIKE THIS, HAD TO COME DIFFECTIVE FROM THE FACTORY. FORD IS NOT STANDING BY THEIR VEHICLE. WE PAID $600.00 TOTAL FOR THIS REPAIR. I HAVE BEEN BACK AND FORTH WITH FORD AND THEIR NON EXISTANT CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT. FOR THOSE IN THE FUTURE, DON'T BOTHER, YOUR ONLY PART IS IN IT, YOU GET TO PAY FOR THE CAR. GOOD LUCK ON GETTING ANYTHING UNDER WARRANTY, WHAT EVER GOES WRONG WILL NOT BE COVERED, NO MATTER WHAT IT IS. *TR

THE ADVANCETRACK RSC, OR TRACTION CONTROL FEATURE, ON THE 2011 FORD TRANSIT CONNECT CAN NOT BE MANUALLY TURNED OFF. THIS HAS RESULTED IN DANGEROUS SITUATIONS WERE THE CAR BECAME INOPERABLE IN TRAFFIC IN INTERSECTIONS, PULLING INTO TRAFFIC, AND DRIVING UP ANY DEGREE OF INCLINE ON MUDDY OR SNOWY SURFACES.THE VEHICLE WOULD OTHERWISE BE CAPABLE OF PROCEEDING SAFELY AND CAPABLY BY SELECTING A MANUAL SHUT OFF OR ELECTING A MINIMUM SPEED CUT OFF FOR THE PROGRAM FROM A MENU SUCH AS 5-10 MPH. I DRIVE A SUBSTANTIAL DISTANCE YEARLY (60,000+ MILES) IN DIVERS CONDITIONS AND MANY KINDS OF VEHICLES. THIS IS A REAL SAFETY FAILURE IN PRODUCT DESIGN. THE FEATURE CREATES DANGEROUS DRIVING SITUATIONS THAT OTHER VEHICLES DO NOT ENCOUNTER WITH THAT DESIGN. A MANUAL SHUT OFF SHOULD BE A STANDARD SAFETY FEATURE FOR THIS TECHNOLOGY. THIS FEATURE ALSO MAKES THE VEHICLE UNUSABLE IN SOME CIRCUMSTANCES NOT SAFETY RELATED BECAUSE OF ITS DESIGN. THE FUNCTION OF THIS FEATURE HAS PUT ME AND MY BEGINNING DRIVER DAUGHTER IN PERIL IN VARIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES THAT THE DESIGN CREATES A HAZARD FOR. THE ENGINEERS NEED TO TEST THIS DESIGN AT ITS FAIL POINTS AND CONSIDER THE SAFETY AND FUNCTIONALITY CONSEQUENCES (FAILURE). *TR