WE STARTED UP OUR CAR ON A SUNDAY MORNING, PUT IT IN REVERSE, BACKED OUT OF OUR SPOT, AND THEN PUT THE VEHICLE IN DRIVE. RIGHT AWAY, WE NOTICED THE CAR SHAKING, NOT MUCH POWER, AND IT WAS SPUTTERING ALONG. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS FLASHING AS WELL, INDICATING ENGINE MISFIRE. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO A FORD DEALERSHIP. THE FORD DEALERSHIP RAN A DIAGNOSTIC AND DETERMINED THAT THE PCU HAD OVERHEATED AND THE CYLINDER COILS MELTED. THEY ALSO SAID THE PCU IS NO LONGER OPERABLE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, ALONG WITH THE COILS AND PLUGS. GENERALLY, ENGINE MISFIRE INDICATES A TUNE-UP IS NEEDED; HOWEVER, IN THIS CASE, THE CAR NEEDS A BRAND-NEW COMPUTER. THE DEALERSHIP QUOTED US AT 2,700 TOTAL FOR THE REPAIR. FURTHERMORE, THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THE CAR, AS DETERMINED BY FORD, AS IT ISSUED TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN 13-4-7, CITING THIS MODEL AND SEVERAL OTHERS AS PRONE TO THIS MALFUNCTION. FORD SHOULD RECALL THIS MODEL AND HAVE THE ISSUE FIXED. NO RECALLS EVEN THOUGH THIS POSES A FIRE HAZARD? SHOCKING. *JB
