NHTSA Investigation RP04002

ENGINE STALLING

SUMMARY:THE PETITIONER ALLEGES THAT AFTER HAVING THE RECALL REMEDY PERFORMED ON HER MODEL YEAR (MY) 2001 FORD ESCAPE, IT CONTINUED TO EXHIBIT AN INTERMITTENT STALL CONDITION.CONSEQUENTLY, SHE PETITIONED THE AGENCY TO EXAMINE THE ADEQUACY OF THE RECALL REMEDY FOR SAFETY RECALL 04V-165.ON APRIL 5, 2004, FORD MOTOR COMPANY (FORD) NOTIFIED THE AGENCY THAT IT WOULD CONDUCT A RECALL OF 321,903 MY 2001 THROUGH 2002 AND CERTAIN 2003 MY ESCAPE VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 3.0L ENGINES MANUFACTURED BETWEEN JANUARY 21, 2000 AND SEPTEMBER 11, 2002 AT THE KANSAS CITY ASSEMBLY PLANT.THESE VEHICLES EXHIBITED AN INTERMITTENT ENGINE STALL DURING DECELERATIONS AT VEHICLE SPEEDS BELOW 40 MPH DUE TO AN EXCESSIVELY RICH FUEL-AIR MIXTURE IN THE ENGINE.AS A REMEDY, FORD DEALERS ARE INSTRUCTED TO REPROGRAM THE POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE (PCM) TO A REVISED CALIBRATION TO PREVENT THE STALLING CONDITION. IN ITS JULY 23, 2004 RESPONSE TO THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION?S (ODI) JULY 1, 2004 INFORMATION REQUEST LETTER, FORD STATES THAT AS OF JUNE 30, 2004 THE RECALL REMEDY HAS BEEN COMPLETED ON 174,014 VEHICLES.ADDITIONALLY, ONLY A SMALL NUMBER OF VEHICLE OWNERS (LESS THAN .1%) WHO HAVE HAD THE REMEDY PERFORMED ON THEIR VEHICLES HAVE HAD ADDITIONAL DECELERATION STALLING ISSUES.FORD ALSO STATES THAT THE PCM HAS TO ?LEARN? THE NEW PROGRAM AND THAT ANY SUBSEQUENT STALLING WOULD BE TEMPORARY.TO VERIFY FORD?S CLAIM, ODI CONDUCTED A RANDOM SURVEY OF 20 COMPLAINANTS WHO HAD THE REMEDY PERFORMED ON THEIR VEHICLES AND WHO EXPERIENCED A SUBSEQUENT STALLING EVENT.ODI FOUND THAT MOST OF THEM HAD ISOLATED STALLING PROBLEMS, SUPPORTING FORD?S ALLEGATION THAT THE PCM MUST ?LEARN? THE NEW PROGRAM.IN ADDITION, IN A PHONE CONVERSATION WITH ODI, THE PETITIONER STATED THAT A FORD ENGINEER FOUND A FAULTY IGNITION SWITCH AS THE CAUSE OF THE STALLING IN HER VEHICLE.THUS, THERE IS NO EVIDENCE AT THIS TIME TO SUGGEST THE RECALL REMEDY IS INADEQUATE.FOR THE FOREGOING REASONS, FURTHER EXPENDITURE OF THE AGENCY?S INVESTIGATIVE RESOURCES ON THE ISSUE RAISED BY THE PETITIONER DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE WARRANTED AND THE PETITION IS DENIED.

An investigation is a separate record from a recall and from a manufacturer communication. A manufacturer campaign to repair a safety defect or a failure to meet a federal safety standard.