Accident Statement â Instrument Panel Cluster Failure & Collision While driving my 2025 Ford Outerbanks, the Instrument Panel Cluster (IPC) screen suddenly went completely black without warning. At the time of the malfunction, I was attempting to merge into traffic on my left with my left turn signal activated. Simultaneously, an 18-wheeler in the lane beside me was merging to his right. The sudden loss of my IPC screen meant I could not see my speedometer, warning indicators, safety messages, or any visibility cues needed to safely judge traffic speed and spacing. This created an immediate hazardous situation and made it extremely difficult to manage both my own speed and the surrounding traffic patterns. As I recognized the danger, I attempted to brake and avoid a collision. During this moment, my steering wheel began to shake slightlyâpossibly due to the lane-keeping or lane-safety system responding. Despite my efforts to correct and avoid impact, the 18-wheeler collided with my vehicle. At the time of the crash, I had no visibility of any dashboard warnings, alerts, vehicle speed, or safety notifications due to the IPC failure. My insurance representative has inspected my vehicle and deemed it a total loss.