NHTSA complaint: 2024 FORD RANGER — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I flew down to Anchorage Alaska this brand new 024 FORD RANGER XL on [XXX] sight unseen and no test drive from KENDALL FORD Dealership. After buying the truck I started it, engaged 4 wheel drive and slippery/ icy setting. On the way back to Fairbanks the steering was hard to turn and got progressively harder the faster I drove and the colder it became. About half way home it became exhausting to steer requiring a lot of force to turn the steering wheel that actually resisted with real force being turned. I didnât know the lane keeping would turn on with the cruise control but it did and resisted me even more. The roads became black ice and it was freezing rain. The phone charge port lost power, the dash blanked out, there was no radio and the rear power port I had switched to lost power and my phone died. I was driving about 30 to 40 mph on the 2 lane undivided snow covered black ice covered highway. In a curve in the road where the highway maintenance snow plows had stopped plowing I believe the truck mistook the snow line for the painted line and unexpectedly and surprisingly actually turned the steering wheel towards the double solid dividing centerline and I turned back into my lane. This slight movement caused the truck to totally slide out of control and cross the double solid dividing centerline and the truck went into opposite highway oncoming lane! Luckily there was no traffic coming the other way or it could have been a horrible accident. I hit the brakes and the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation