TRANSMISSION ON FLEX OFTEN HESITATES AND THUNKS WITH A LURCH. THE LURCH IS SO BAD IT NOW FEELS LIKE WE ARE BEING HIT. IT HAS HAPPENED IN BOTH FORWARD AND REVERSE. TRIED TO GET IT REPAIRED TWICE AT DEALER - HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO FIX. ONLINE FORUMS WITH OWNERS AND SERVICE BULLETINS DESCRIBE SIMILAR PROBLEM. FORD NOT ACKNOWLEDGING ISSUE OR HELPING. *TR
2010
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
I AM THE OWNER OF A 2010 FORD FLEX, VIN #[XXX]. MY VEHICLE SUFFERS FROM EPISODIC BRAKE FAILURES. THIS OCCURS AS THE VEHICLE IS FIRST DRIVEN OFF AND THE ENGINE IS COLD. BRAKING POWER IS THEN REDUCED TO 10% OF NORMAL, RESULTING IN ALARMINGLY LONG STOPPING DISTANCES. ONCE DRIVEN A FEW MILES THE BRAKES RESUME NORMAL FUNCTION. THE ISSUE SURFACED AT 20,000 MILES IN JANUARY 2010. THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED UNDER WARRANTY FOR THIS PROBLEM AT LEAST 4 TIMES. THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN PINPOINTED TO A PROBABLE VACUUM LOSS PRESENT ONLY ON THESE VEHICLES THAT ARE DRIVEN AT ALTITUDE ABOVE 7000 FEET AND SHARE THE FLEXESВ?? ECOBOOST AWD DRIVE TRAIN. I LIVE AT 9000 FT. THE SERVICE MANAGER AT MY LOCAL DEALERSHIP, SUMMIT FORD OF SILVERTHORNE COLORADO, HAS ACKNOWLEDGED I AM NOT ALONE WITH A VEHICLE EXPERIENCING THIS DANGEROUS MECHANICAL PROBLEM BUT ADMITS TO BEING UNABLE TO FIX IT AND HAS NOTHING FURTHER TO OFFER. TO DATE I HAVE NOT BEEN INVOLVED IN A COLLISION. HOWEVER IN THE LAST 12 MONTHS I HAVE HAD A FEW DISTRESSING CLOSE CALLS. FORD MOTOR CO. WAS INITIALLY ALERTED OF THIS SITUATION BY PHONE IN APRIL 2010 WITH A CALL TO THEIR CONSUMER RESOLUTION CENTER. MY REQUEST FOR HELP IS BEING IGNORED BY FORD MOTOR COMPANY. MY PHONE CALLS ARE NOT RETURNED, MY EMAILS ARE IGNORED, EVEN CERTIFIED MAIL IS NOT ACKNOWLEDGED. IT HAS BEEN MY DESIRE TO WORK WITH FORD MOTOR COMPANY ON SOLVING THIS ISSUE BUT I HAVE EXHAUSTED ALL AVENUES. FORD REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE MY COMMUNICATIONS, FORD HAS BEEN ALERTED TO THIS PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUE BUT HAS OBVIOUSLY CHOSEN TO DISREGARD IT. I HOPE ALERTING THIS ORGANIZATION WILL GENERATE SOME ACTION BEFORE AN INJURY OCCURS. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
