2008 Ford Edge Electrical System

Purchased a duralast battery from AutoZone store #1299 in Hialeah in August 3rd and installed it. The staff was insistent that this battery was a direct replacement part for my lead acid battery. The car drove normally for approximately a month, and on the morning of September 6th started normally with no warning lights. After being driven less than a quarter mile, in slow-moving traffic, the car suddenly lost all power and large amounts of smoke came from under the hood accompanied by a burning smell. This happened in an intersection during 830 AM traffic on a weekday and I was unable to immediately exit the vehicle. This could have been a fatal incident for myself or potentially others. It was towed to a mechanic who started disassembling it to determine the damages. As per the mechanic, there is evidence of an electrical fire - the cables connected to the battery have melted and the alternator (which was TESTED AND INSTALLED BRAND NEW LESS THAN 2 YEARS AGO) are damaged. The mechanics have also stated that the fans and cooling system have been affected, but not to what extent as they are still mid-teardown. When they attempted to put a load on the battery, it began to overheat dangerously, and they state that it is the likely culprit of the fire. I attempted to return the battery to the store I had purchased it at, where the staff were verbally abusive and insisting that it was impossible for a battery to cause an electrical fire and they'd never heard of such a thing, and that perhaps my mechanic was the one who had messed up my car. They refused to aceept a return, and kept telling me the battery was good. They provided me with a area manager phone number who is avoiding all communication. Meanwhile, I am without my vehicle, which requires EXTENSIVE ELECTRICAL REPAIRS and may be a total loss. If they are selling defective batteries to clients, they are putting the public at risk, doubly so by refusing to take any sort of accountability for their product.

REAR TAIL LIGHT BULBS ARE MELTING, SEVERAL TIMES NOW, AFTER DOING RESEARCH IT SEEMS TO BE HAPPENING TO A LOT OF PEOPLE, SO I SEE IT AS A SAFETY ISSUE. MY TURN SIGNAL WENT OUT AND WENT TO REPLACE IT AND DISCOVERED THE BULB WAS MELTED INTO THE SOCKET. (THIS HAPPENED THREE TIMES NOW, I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE ISSUE. (IT MAY BE A FACTORY ELECTRICAL DESIGN FLUKE)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD EDGE. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL CEASED TO OPERATE, THE HEADLAMPS FAILED TO REMAIN ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE INDEPENDENTLY DECELERATED WITH THE AIR BAGS WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER FOR SEVERAL MINUTES BEFORE DRIVING TO AN AUTO ZONE STORE TO HAVE THE VEHICLE DIAGNOSED. THERE WAS NO DTC CODES RETRIEVED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED OR NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 98,000. *TR

BOTH THE REAR TAIL/STOP LIGHT BULB SOCKETS MELT FROM EXTREME BULB HEAT. THIS ISSUE IS POSTED BY OTHERS ALL OVER THE INTERNET. THIS IS A POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARD THAT SERIOUSLY NEEDS ADDRESSING BY FORD. IN THE PAST I REPLACED THE RIGHT REAR BULB WHICH IS WHEN I DISCOVERED THE ISSUE. YESTERDAY I HAD TO REPLACE THE LEFT REAR BULB AND DISCOVERD THAT SOCKET TOO IS MELTED ALONG WITH THE BASE OF THE BULB ITSELF.

THE SUNROOF STAYS OPEN AND CANNOT CLOSE UNLESS THE VEHICLE IS STOPPED AND MANUALLY FORCED CLOSE. THE SUNROOF MECHANISM TO CLOSE TO GLASS BREAKS EASILY. THIS APPEARS TO BE A COMMON ISSUE WITH THE PANORAMIC SUNROOF, BUT IS EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE TO FIX. THE DEALERSHIP IS WANTING TO CHARGE BETWEEN $1900 - $2500 TO FIX AND TWO PLASTIC CLIPS THAT CLOSE THE SUNROOF, BECAUSE THEY ARE INDICATED THEY HAVE TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE TRACK SYSTEM, AS THE SPECIFIC SMALL PART THAT NEEDS REPLACING IS NOT AVAILABLE.

NOTICED THE R/H BRAKE LIGHT WAS OUT. WENT TO CHANGE THE BULB AND FOUND THE SOCKET IS BURNED AND CHARD. I REMOVED THE L/H SIGNAL LIGHT AND FOUND THE EXACT SAME SITUATION. THIS IS A SERIOUS FIRE HAZARD AND A QUICK ON-LINE SEARCH FOUND MULTIPLE SIMILAR SITUATIONS. A COWORKER OF MINE WITH EXACT SAME VEHICLE HAD THE EXACT SAME THING HAPPEN.

BOTH TAILLIGHT SOCKETS WERE FOUND BURNT. BRAND NEW LIGHT BULB WAS NOT MAKING SUFFICIENT CONTACT IN THE SOCKET TO ILLUMINATE (LIGHT BULB WAS NOT BAD). DEFECT WAS FOUND WHEN REPLACING BULBS DUE TO NON-FUNCTIONING REAR TURN SIGNAL.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD EDGE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THERE WAS AN ODOR OF BURNING PLASTIC EMITTED THROUGH THE VENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 175,180.

REAR TURN SIGNAL BULB METING

HEATER ON DRIVER SIDEBAR BLOWS EXTREMELY COLD. LUKE WARM ON PASSENGER SIDE. MULTIPLE REPORTS OF THIS.

UPON REPLACING ORIGINAL FACTORY BRAKE/TURN SIGNAL BULBS I FOUND BOTH THE BULBS AND THE SOCKETS ON BOTH SIDES TO BE BLACKENED AND MELTED; MY FEAR IS ELECTRICAL FIRE.

FOUND THE VEHICLE WITH A DEAD BATTERY THIS MORNING. BATTERY IS ONLY 1.5 MONTHS OLD. JUMP STARTED THE VEHICLE AND THEN FOUND THAT WHILE RUNNING AND DOORS CLOSED, THE DOOR AJAR LIGHT WAS ON AND ALL DOME LIGHTS. CHECKED ALL DOORS MULTIPLE TIMES, STILL WOULD NOT SHUT OFF. TRIED TO LOCK DOORS WHILE ENGINE RUNNING AND SINCE THE CAR BELIEVED A DOOR WAS OPENED IT IMMEDIATELY UNLOCKED ALL THE DOORS. NOT LOOKING FORWARD TO TRAVELING WITH A RISK OF A DEAD BATTERY AGAIN OR ON THE HIGHWAY WITH NO ABILITY TO LOCK THE DOORS. SEEMS FORD HAS EXACT SAME ISSUES WITH OTHER MODELS. THEY NEED TO RECALL THE 08S AS WELL.

REAR TAILLIGHTS MELTING IN THEIR SOCKETS.

OUR VEHICLE BEGAN TO STUTTER WHILE DRIVING DOWN A 4 LANE HIGHWAY AND THEN SUDDENLY TURNED OFF WHILE CAR WAS STILL IN DRIVE AND IN MOTION. ONCE THE ENGINE TURNED OFF ON ITS OWN THE POWER STEERING DID NOT WORK MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO STEER TO THE SIDE OF ROAD. CAR WAS TOWED TO DEALERSHIP PROBLEM WAS NOTED AS A FAULTY PCM WHICH CAUSED THE COILS TO OVERHEAT AND CAUSE BOTH THE PCM AND COIL TO FAIL. COILS WAS SEVERELY MELTED FROM OVERHEATING AND MAY HAVE EVENTUALLY CAUGHT ON FIRE. FORD WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM AND STATES THAT THE MANUFACTURE DATE WAS ACKNOWLEDGED IN A TSB 14-0059 BUT THAT THERE IS NO RESPONSIBILITY OF FORD MOTOR COMPANY END. COST TO REPAIR WAS $3000 DUE TO TSB STATING THAT CUSTOMER NEEDS TO REPLACE ALL COILS AND PCM WITH A UNIT THAT DOES NOT CAUSE OVERHEATING AND LOSS OF POWER TO CAR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD EDGE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE ODOMETER AND AIR BAG INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. ALSO, THE SPEEDOMETER WAS AT ZERO. THE CONTACT DROVE TO A STOP SIGN AND ROLLED TO SIDE. THE VEHICLE WAS COASTED TO A FUEL STATION AND THEN TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. A LOCAL DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND ASKED THAT THE VEHICLE BE BROUGHT TO THE SHOP FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE BATTERY WAS CORRODED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.

THE BLINKERS STOP WORKING. YOU DO NOT KNOW THIS UNTIL COP STOPS YOU. UPON INSPECTION I FOUND THAT THE SOCKET HAD MELTED AND HAD THAT MOLTED LOOK TO THEM. THE LIGHT BULBS HAD BURNT OUT. THIS NEEDS TO BE LOOKED INTO SINCE IT IS A POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARD. HERE IS ANOTHER COMPLAINT IN YOUR RECORDS REAGARDING THE SAME ISSUE- CRASH:NO FIRE:NO NUMBER OF INJURIES:0 NUMBER OF DEATHS:0 MANUFACTURER: FORD MOTOR COMPANY VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NO. (VIN): 2FMDK38C48B... SUMMARY: REAR TURN LIGHT SOCKETS BURN UP WITH NO WARNING LIGHT TO DISPLAY THAT YOUR REAR LIGHTS NO LONGER WORK. YOU DO NOT KNOW UNTIL THE POLICE PULLS YOU OVER TO TELL YOU WHICH CAN RESULT IN FINES. I HAD TO PAY TO REPLACE BOTH REAR LIGHT SOCKETS (APPROX. $150)

DRIVERS SIDE REAR TURN SIGNAL BULB MELTED THE SOCKET FROM EXCESSIVE HEAT.

AC PROBLEMS QUIT COOLING.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD EDGE. WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE VEHICLE WOULD LOSE POWER AND ACCELERATION, AND JERK IN ADDITION, THE AIR BAG AND TIRE PRESSURE LIGHTS ILLUMINATED, THE ODOMETER GAUGE FAILED TO PROVIDE THE ACTUAL READING, AND ERROR CODE (ODO) INDICATED A DATA ERROR WITH NO MILEAGE. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO COULD NOT REPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THE CODE OUTPUT SHAFT SENSOR CIRCUIT AND THE OUTPUT SHAFT SENSOR (NO SIGNAL P0722) SENSOR FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE TSSO SENSOR WAS REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 85,276.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD EDGE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND LOST POWER. A WRENCH ICON ILLUMINATED ON THE DASHBOARD. THE CONTACT PLACED THE GEAR IN PARK AND SHUT OFF THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE LATER RESTARTED. THE CONTACT CALLED A LOCAL DEALER WHO REQUESTED THAT THE VEHICLE BE BROUGHT IN FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND TRANSFERRED THE CONTACT TO NHTSA. THE FAILURE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 117,700.

WHILE DRIVING MY 2008 FORD EDGE, THE "WRENCH" LIGHT COMES ON AND MY CAR LOSES ALL POWER. WHEN I STEP ON THE GAS IT IS LIKE I AM IN NEUTRAL MY CAR WILL NOT DRIVE. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS ESPECIALLY IN TRAFFIC. I AM SO SCARED I AM GOING TO BE REAR-ENDED. I DID A LOT OF RESEARCH AND FOUND MANY OTHERS HAVE THE SAME ISSUE. APPARENTLY IT IS THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE BODY. *TR

DRIVER DOOR AJAR LIGHT REMAINS ON AFTER CLOSING THE DOOR SEVERAL TIMES. ONCE LIGHTS FINALLY GO OUT, IT WILL POP RIGHT ON AGAIN, EVEN AS I WAS DRIVING. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS, BECAUSE WE'LL NEVER KNOW WHEN THE DOORS ARE AJAR. EVEN BIGGER ISSUE IS THE DOORS NOT BEING UNLOCKED IN THE PROCESS. JUST ANNOYED WITH THIS ALLTOGETHER. HOPEFULLY SOMETHING WILL BE DONE ABOUT IT. IT'S DRAINING THE BATTERY IN THE PROCESS. THANK YOU.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD EDGE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE WENT INTO LIMP MODE AND SHE WAS UNABLE TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT MANEUVERED THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD TO A COMPLETE STOP AS ALL WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE IGNITION COIL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,100.

DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY THE INSTRUMENT PANEL STOPPED WORKING. THE ODOMETER DROPPED TO ZERO WHILE I MAINTAINED A STEADY SPEED ALONG WITH GAUGE MEASURING RPM. OD DATA ERROR MESSAGE APPEARED. AIRBAG LIGHT AND TIRE PRESSURE LIGHTS CAME ON AS WELL. THE ACCELERATION IMMEDIATELY DID NOT FEEL RIGHT. FROM A STOP I HAD VERY WEAK ACCELERATION ALMOST NONE. IT IMPROVED AS I DROVE BUT DID NOT FEEL NORMAL.

DOOR AJAR WARNING LIGHT COMES ON SO DOORS WON'T LOCK, DOME LIGHT WON'T GO OUT AND NOTHING WILL SHOW UP ON THE DASHBOARD DISPLAY. *TR