2005 FORD THUNDERBIRD Complaints

ON NOV 24,2009, THE THROTTLE BODY MOTOR FAILED AND CAUSED MY 2005 FORD THUNDERBIRD TO CUT OFF IN TRAFFIC. I TOOK THE CAR TO METRO FORD FOR REPAIR. THEY SAID THE PART WOULD TAKE SEVERAL WEEKS. METRO SAID I COULD DRIVE MY CAR UNTIL THEY REPAIR MY CAR BECAUSE FORD COULD NOT PROVIDE ME WITH A LOANER. I LATER FOUND OUT THAT THERE ARE OTHERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM SINCE JULY 2009. AFTER SEVERAL PROMISES TO NO AVAIL, I DECIDED TO WRITE SEVERAL EXECUTIVES. I HAVE NOT HEARD FROM ANYONE YET. TWO DAYS AGO, I WAS ALMOST REAR-ENDED WHEN THE CAR OFF IN TRAFFIC. THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THE THROTTLE BODY AND MOTOR ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. UPDATED 04/16/10

MY TEMPERATURE GAUGE HAS RISEN TO HOT THREE TIMES WHILE DRIVING WITH NO PRIOR WARNING. THE FIRST WAS 12/29/2008. THEY REPLACED THE MOTOR RADIATOR COOLING FAN. MY MILEAGE AT THE TIME WAS 35673.THE 2ND TIME WAS 3/17/2009 AND THEY REPLACED THE TANK ASSY-RADIATOR, SEAL, CAP ASY RADIATOR, THERMOSTAT ASY - SPO. MY MILEAGE THIS TIME WAS 38000.THE 3RD TIME WAS 9/21/2009, THIS TIME THEY REPLACED THE HEATER CONTROL VALVE ASSY. MY MILEAGE THIS TIME WAS 42921. EACH TIME THIS OCCURRED, IT WAS SHORTLY AFTER I HAD MY CAR IN FOR ITS USUAL MAINTENANCE. OF COURSE THE DEALER DENIES THIS HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH MY TEMP GAUGE RISING TO HOT WITHIN WEEKS AFTER THEY SERVICE THE CAR AND THE CAR SHUTTING DOWN.*TR

1. I WAS ACCELERATING FROM A STOP POSITION AND THE "WRENCH ICON" CAME ON AND THE CAR WENT ON :"LIMP MODE". 2. HAS OCCURRED TWICE, ONCE, A WEEK AFTER THEY INSTALLED A NEW ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL. 3. I AM AFRAID THE THROTTLE COULD JAM ON THE MAJOR HIGHWAY THAT I TRAVEL EVERYDAY TO WORK. 4. I DID A SEARCH ON THIS PROBLEM AND SO FAR I HAVE COUNTED 20 COMPLAINTS AND I STOPPED SEARCHING. 5. THIS HAPPEN ON A 2005 FORD THUNDERBIRD THAT I JUST PURCHASED. *TR

ON SEPTEMBER 6, 2006 WHILE TRAVELING ON AN 8-LANE HIGHWAY AT A SPEED OF APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH THE DRIVERS SIDE AIRBAG ON MY 2005 FORD THUNDERBIRD DEPLOYED WITH A VERY LOUD NOISE AND CONSIDERABLE FORCE. THERE WAS NO IMPACT OR ACCIDENT INVOLVED WITH THIS INCIDENT. THE AIR BAG SIMPLY DEPLOYED FOR NO APPARENT REASON. FORTUNATELY, THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO BE CONTROLLED AND PULLED OFF THE HIGHWAY SAFELY. THE CAR WAS THEN TAKEN TO DARLING FORD IN BANGOR MAINE ON SEPTEMBER 11, 2005 WHERE IT WAS INSPECTED AND FOUND TO HAVE NO SIGNS OF ANY RECENT IMPACT EITHER ON THE EXTERIOR OR THE UNDERBODY. THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED NEW ON FEBRUARY 14TH 2005 AND HAS GONE APPROXIMATELY 16,000 MILES. THIS IS WELL WITHIN THE WARRANTY PERIOD FOR THIS VEHICLE. THE DEALER TOLD US THE CAR WOULD LIKELY HAVE TO BE INSPECTED BY FORD PERSONNEL TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE AND TO AUTHORIZE ANY REPAIRS. THE DEALER LATER CONTACTED US ON SEPTEMBER 18TH WHO TOLD HIM THAT FORD HAD DECIDED NOT TO COVER ANY COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS INCIDENT EVEN THOUGH THERE WERE NO SIGNS OF ANY IMPACT. THIS DECISION WAS MADE WITHOUT ANY FURTHER INSPECTION OF THE VEHICLE. THIS INCIDENT WAS CLEARLY A FAULT OF THE AIRBAG SYSTEM, AND SINCE WE CANNOT FIND ANY EXCLUSION OF THE FORD WARRANTY REGARDING THE AIRBAG SYSTEM WE ARE SEEKING AUTHORIZATION FOR REPAIRS TO THIS VEHICLE. IT IS VERY FORTUNATE NO ONE WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED DUE TO THE FAULTY OPERATION OF THIS DEVICE. FURTHER, THE DEALER TELLS US THAT THE DEPLOYMENT OF THE SIDE AIR BAG NOW DISABLES ALL OF THE AIR BAGS LEAVING THE DRIVER AND ANY PASSENGERS IN A VERY VULNERABLE SITUATION. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE AUDIBLE WARNING THAT ALERTS THE OCCUPANTS THE SEAT BELTS ARE NOT SECURED WORKS INTERMITTENTLY. THE DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, BUT HAS NOT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE.

WHILE DRIVING TO WORK AT APPROX. 65 MPH, MY DRIVERS SIDE, SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED. THANKFULLY I DIDN'T LOSE CONTROL OF MY VEHICLE. I PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND EXITED MY VEHICLE. I CHECKED MY CAR, ALTHOUGH I KNEW I DIDN'T HIT ANYTHING OR RUN OVER ANYTHING. THERE WERE NO SIGNS OF IMPACT AND NOTHING IN THE ROAD BEHIND ME. I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE I BOUGHT IT. THEY SAID THEY'D NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE IT. THAT WAS 2/17/06. TODAY, ON 2/20/06 THEY TOLD ME THEY WOULD NOT REPAIR IT AS I HAVE 40,000 MILES ON MY CAR AND THAT THE DEPLOYMENT WAS CAUSED BY MY RUNNING OVER SOMETHING IN THE ROAD. APPARENTLY THAT'S WHAT THE COMPUTER CODE TOLD THEM. THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO REASON FOR THAT AIR BAG TO DEPLOY. I BELIEVE THEY JUST DON'T WANT TO ADMIT RESPONSIBILITY FOR A MALFUNCTION. I COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED AT THAT SPEED. IT KNOCKED MY OVER TOWARDS THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CAR. MY INSURANCE COMPANY IS NOW TAKING CARE OF THE CLAIM AND THE AIRBAG AND SEAT WILL BE REPAIRED AT THEIR AND MY COST. THE THING THAT UPSETS ME IS, THAT AIRBAG SHOULDN'T HAVE DEPLOYED FROM RUNNING OVER SOMETHING. THEY COULDN'T EVEN TELL BY LOOKING UNDER THE CAR THAT I RAN OVER SOMETHING, ONLY WHAT THE COMPUTER CODE TOLD THEM. *JB