Ignition Switch problems of the 2005 Ford Expedition

This is the fifth incident regarding this vehicle. In each case, the car was traveling at a normal rate of speed under ordinary traffic conditions. Without warning, the car either lost power and shut off suddenly or lost the ability to accelerate and slowed to a stop. In each case the dashboard message center warning "check electronic throttle control" (or something similar) appeared. In each case the driver turned the ignition switch to the off position, waited several minutes, and then started the car. The warning message no longer appeared and the car ran fine without any further immediate incident. In this particular case (incident #5), the car was traveling at approximately 25 mph south on 14th st NW in washington, DC, when the car lost the ability to accelerate, and the "check electronic throttle control" warning appeared in the dashboard message center. Due to traffic and street parking conditions, the driver was unable to move the car out of the active traffic lane, thereby temporarily blocking traffic. The driver turned off the ignition, waited approximately 3 minutes, and then started the car. The dashboard warning light was no longer illuminated, and the car was able to accelerate normally. Incidents similar to this have been reported on various websites.

This is the fourth incident regarding this vehicle. In each case, the car was traveling at a normal rate of speed under ordinary traffic conditions. Without warning, the car either lost power and shut off suddenly or lost the ability to accelerate and slowed to a stop. In each case the dashboard message center warning "check electronic throttle control" (or something similar) appeared. In each case the driver turned the ignition switch to the off position, waited several minutes, and then started the car. The warning message no longer appeared and the car ran fine without any further immediate incident. In this particular case (incident #4), the car was traveling at approximately 10 mph and was turning right into a supermarket parking lot in chevy chase, maryland. As the car pulled into the parking lot, the car lost the ability to accelerate, the "check electronic throttle control" warning appeared in the dashboard message center. Thankfully, the car had enough momentum to safely pull into a parking space without further incident. The driver turned off the ignition, waited approximately 5 minutes, and then started the car. The dashboard warning light was no longer illuminated, and the car was able to accelerate normally.

This is incident 3 of 3 with respect to this vehicle. In each case, the car was traveling at a normal rate of speed under ordinary traffic conditions. Without warning, the car either lost power and shut off suddenly or lost the ability to accelerate and slowed to a stop. In each case dashboard message center warning "check electronic throttle control" (or something similar) appeared. In each case the driver turned the ignition switch to the off position, waited several minutes, and then started the car. The warning message no longer appeared and the car ran fine without further immediate incident. In this particular case (incident #3), the car was traveling at approximately 25 mph on a two-lane (one lane in each direction) DC city street. The car lost power completely, and the driver was not able to move the car out of the lane of traffic, thereby blocking the heavy line of traffic behind her. After several minutes, the driver was able to restart the vehicle.

This is incident #2 of 3 with respect to this vehicle. In each case, the car was traveling at a normal rate of speed under ordinary traffic conditions. Without warning, the car either lost power and shut off suddenly or lost the ability to accelerate and slowed to a stop. In each case dashboard message center warning "check electronic throttle control" (or something similar) appeared. In each case the driver turned the ignition switch to the off position, waited several minutes, and then started the car. The warning message no longer appeared and the car ran fine without further immediate incident. In this particular case (incident #2), the car was traveling at approximately 60 mph on a four-lane (in each direction) interstate highway (the inner loop of the capital beltway in montgomery county, MD). The driver was able to move the car from the second lane from the right to the shoulder before losing all power to accelerate, although at rapidly decelerating speed, this maneuver was extremely dangerous. When the car was next taken to the dealer for service, the dealer did not report an on-board diagnostic code that would account for this incident.

This is incident #1 of 3 with respect to this vehicle. In each case, the car was traveling at a normal rate of speed under ordinary traffic conditions. Without warning, the car either lost power and shut off suddenly or lost the ability to accelerate and slowed to a stop. In each case dashboard message center warning "check electronic throttle control" (or something similar) appeared. In each case the driver turned the ignition switch to the off position, waited several minutes, and then started the car. The warning message no longer appeared and the car ran fine without further immediate incident. In this particular case (incident #1), the car was traveling at approximately 35 - 40 mph on a three-lane (in each direction) state highway. The driver was able to move the car from the middle lane to the right lane before losing all power to accelerate. This road has no shoulder, so the car blocked traffic in the right lane until it was restarted. When the car was next taken to the dealer for service, the dealer did not report an on-board diagnostic code that would account for this incident.