NHTSA Investigation
DP09004
Engine stalling
Key Takeaways
- Investigation DP09004 currently maps to 1 tracked vehicle-year page across 1 make.
- This page summarizes the public investigation subject, status, timing, and affected tracked vehicles linked from NHTSA source data.
- The linked component on this record is power train:automatic transmission:control module (tcm/pcm/tecm).
What This Investigation Page Shows
This page summarizes a public NHTSA investigation record tied to one or more tracked vehicle-year pages in our database. Investigation records sit between owner complaints and recall campaigns: they can remain open, close without a recall, or connect to a later remedy action. Use this page to see which tracked vehicles are linked to the record, then open the individual vehicle pages for complaints, recalls, and crash test context.
Investigation Summary
On May 6, 2009, NHTSA received a request for a hearing through Title 49 of the United States Code, Chapter 301, Motor Vehicle Safety, Part 557. the request was in reference to vehicle owner complaint, 10266067, filed with NHTSA on April 20, 2009, which described a problem with engine stall in a model year (MY) 2004 Ford Freestar minivan due to water entering the PCM.Part 557 of Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations establishes procedures for holding a hearing to determine whether a manufacturer has reasonably met its obligation to notify owners of a safety related defect.Because a safety related defect has not been determined regarding the alleged defect in MY 2004 Ford Freestar vehicles, the Office of Defects Investigation interpreted the request as a defect petition under Part 552 of Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations.In response to the Information Request letter sent by ODI for DP09-004, Ford indicated that a variety of symptoms could result from water intrusion into the PCM, including no start, rough idle, engine misfire, transmission performance degradation, lack of transmission engagement, illumination of the check engine light, and engine stall while driving or parked.Ford stated that it believes that the overall complaint rate for engine stalling is low and comparable to other similar stalling related investigations that the agency has recently closed.Ford stated that the water entry into the PCM is a customer satisfaction issue.ODI has granted DP09-004 and opened a Preliminary Evaluation, PE10-033, to further assess the scope, frequency and potential safety-related consequences of the alleged defect.
Manufacturer listed on the source record: Ford Motor Company
Component listed on the source record: POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM)
Affected Vehicles (1)
| Year | Make | Model |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Ford | Freestar |
Browse Affected Vehicles
Affected Models
Affected Years
All data is sourced from NHTSA public records. This site is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration or any government agency. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and may not reflect confirmed defects. For official information, visit nhtsa.gov.
Latest vehicle import recorded anywhere on this site: Sep 14, 2026. Individual vehicles and datasets may have older records; this is not this page's update date.