2013 Ford Flex

FAILURE OF ENGINE TO START/RUN DUE TO A FAULTY FUEL PUMP CONTROL MODULE. CURRENT FORD SAFETY RECALL #16S31 (NHTSA #16V621) IS LIMITED ONLY TO FORD/LINCOLN VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE ECOBOOST TURBOCHARGED ENGINE. THE FAULTY COMPONENT ON MY NORMALLY ASPIRATED ENGINE, FUEL PUMP CONTROL MODULE #AA8Z-9D370-B, IS THE SAME COMPONENT BEING REPLACED ON VEHICLES AFFECTED BY THE #16V621 NHTSA SAFETY RECALL. TO AVOID ENGINES SHUTTING OFF AT SPEED OR NOT STARTING, IT APPEARS THAT THE RECALL WILL NEED TO BE EXPANDED TO INCLUDE NORMALLY ASPIRATED ENGINES AS WELL. WE WERE FORTUNATE BECAUSE OUR VEHICLE FAILED SITTING IN OUR DRIVEWAY, NOT AT 75 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY. MY WIFE'S CONCERN IS WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED TO HER AND OUR FOUR GRANDCHILDREN IF THIS FAILURE HAD TAKEN PLACE ON THE INTERSTATE IN BUSY TRAFFIC AT 75 MPH. WHY IS THE SAME COMPONENT THAT IS FAILING ON ECOBOOST TURBOCHARGED ENGINES BEING COVERED BY FORD SAFETY RECALL #16S31 NOT BEING RECALLED ON SIMILAR VEHICLES EQUIPPED NORMALLY ASPIRATED ENGINES USING THE IDENTICAL COMPONENT? FAILURE OF THE COMPONENT HAS THE SAME EFFECT OF AN ENGINE THAT CUTS OFF AT SPEED OR WILL NOT START. YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER IS GREATLY APPRECIATED. THE SAFETY OF THE OWNERS OF THESE POPULAR FORD/LINCOLN FAMILY VEHICLES IS AT STAKE.

VEHICLE SHUT OFF WHILE PULLING AWAY FROM A STOP LIGHT. PULLED TO SIDE OF ROAD AND THE AA8A-9D412-CA FUEL PUMP RELAY WAS EXTREMELY HOT AND VEHICLE WOULD CRANK BUT NOT START. PULLED CONNECTOR AND LET THE RELAY COOL. REINSTALLED CONNECTOR AND VEHICLE STARTED WITH NO ISSUES. WHEN I RETURNED HOME I ORDERED A NEW RELAY AND REPLACED THE UNIT. VEHICLE WAS IN A DANGEROUS SITUATION WITH TRAFFIC AROUND. THIS COULD HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT.

PASSENGER FRONT DOOR AJAR WARNING IS DISPLAYED, EVEN THOUGH DOOR IS CLOSED AND LOCKED. BECAUSE THE COMPUTER THINKS THE DOOR IS OPEN THE INTERIOR LIGHTS REMAIN ON CAUSING A VISIBILITY HAZARD WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT. ALSO, WHEN EXITING THE VEHICLE AND LOCKING THE DOORS THE INTERIOR LIGHTS STAY ON FOR 10-15 MINUTES.THIS WILL DRAW ATTENTION TO THE VEHICLE AND LET PASSERBY'S VIEW THE INTERIOR CONTENTS LEFT IN THE VEHICLE FOR POSSIBLE THEFT. THIS STARTED AS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM AND NOW IS CONSTANT EVERY TIME THE DOOR IS OPENED AND CLOSED, THERE IS NO CHANGE OF THE PASSENGER DOOR AJAR STATUS.

THE DOOR AJAR LIGHT COME ON THE DASH EVEN THOUGH ALL DOORS ARE CLOSED. THE DOOR UNLOCKS AFTER LOCKING DUE TO THE CAR THINKING THE DOOR IS OPEN. THIS IS THE FRONT PASSENGER DOOR. THE LIGHT WILL RANDOMLY GO OFF AND ON WITHOUT EVEN TOUCHING THE DOOR.THIS ALSO CAUSE THE INTERIOR LIGHTS TO COME ON WHICH IS NOT SAFE WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT.

DRIVER DOOR LATCH/RELAY SWITCH NOT WORKING PROPERLY. DRIVER DOOR SHOWS AJAR EVEN WHEN PROPERLY SHUT. INTERIOR DOME LIGHTS STAY ILLUMINATED AT NIGHT CAUSING A DRIVING HAZARD AS THE CAR THINKS THE DOOR IS OPEN. REPEATED DOOR AJAR, ENGINE ON AND SHIFT TO PARK WARNINGS SHOWN ON SCREEN. THE WARNINGS ARE RANDOM AND HAPPEN WHILE DRIVING, IN PARK, IN GEAR WITH FOOT ON BRAKE. WHILE DRIVING THE DOOR IS SEEN AS SHUT AND THE NEXT MOMENT IT "APPEARS" OPEN TO THE CAR COMPUTER ALERTING THE WARNING. THE WARNINGS MAY BE CONSTANT FOR DAYS THEN NOT OCCUR FOR AN HOUR AND BEGIN AGAIN. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE BY FORD AND AFFLICTS MANY, MANY FLEX OWNERS. A DOOR LATCH, WHICH CONTAINS THE SWITCH RELAY, HAS ALREADY BEEN REPLACED ONCE ON THE VEHICLE.

2 ISSUES 1) THE FRONT PASSENGER DOOR THOUGH CLOSED IS READ AS A WARNING "DOOR AJAR". THE WARNING STAYS ON AT ALL TIMES. IT DRAINS THE BATTERY AND I HAVE REPLACED THE BATTERY ONCE SINCE OWNING THE 2013 FORD FLEX WHEN PURCHASED IN 2016 WITH JUST UNDER 20,000 MILES ON IT. THE INTERIOR LIGHTS STAY ON FROM STARTING THE ENGINE UNTIL ACCELERATED SPEED. THE INTERIOR LIGHTS AFTER PARKED STAY ON FOR A MINIMUM OF 30 MINUTES THOUGH IT COULD BE LONGER CONTRIBUTING TO DRAINING THE VEHICLE BATTERY. 2) THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO FEEL AS IF IT IS PULLED WHILE IN COMMUTE. NOT STARTING RIGHT AWAY OR SHUTS DOWN/STALLS. IT HAS STALLED AND NOT TURNED OVER THOUGH THE LIGHTS AND RADIO WORK. FORTUNATELY THIS HAS HAPPENED AFTER BEING PARKED IN MY PARKING SPOT. IT WILL NOT TURN OVER, BUT THE NEXT MORNING IT WILL START. AFTER READING ABOUT SIMILAR ISSUES FOR OTHER FORD FLEX VEHICLES LAST WEEK WITH MY VEHICLE DOING THE ABOVE ACTION I REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP RELAY MODULE. WHICH IS LOCATED IN THE REAR PASSENGER AREA BETWEEN REAR PASSENGER DOOR AND FURTHEST REAR WINDOW WHERE THE SEAT BELT PULLS FROM I FELT I HAD RESOLVED THE ISSUE. HOWEVER, A WEEK EXACTLY LATER I ATTEMPTED TO START MY VEHICLE WHEN THE EXACT SCENARIO HAPPENED ALL OVER AGAIN. VEHICLE WOULD NOT START, BUT LIGHTS AND RADIO WORKED. LEFT ALONE OVERNIGHT I WENT TO START IT THIS MORNING AND IT STARTS. THROUGH OUT THE DURATION OF THIS ISSUE OF STALLING, NOT STARTING, PULLING WHILE IN MOTION AS IT FEELS LIKE THE VEHICLE IS BEING JERKED THERE IS NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT OR WHEN CHECKING SYSTEM THE ONLY WARNING IS PASSENGER SEAT AJAR.

THE CAR REPORTS THE FRONT PASSENGER DOOR AS BEING OPEN/AJAR. THIS CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO UNLOCK ALL DOORS EVEN WHEN THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION. THE CAR ALARM ACTIVATES RANDOMLY AS WELL. THE FORD DEALER'S CERTIFIED REPAIR TECHNICIANS CHARGE TO REPLACE THE SENSOR, BUT I HAVE HAD THIS PART REPLACED 3 TIMES AND THE DEFECT CONTINUES TO OCCUR.