NHTSA Complaint #10020561 — 1998 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER

WHILE TURNING RIGHT THROUGH A CLOVERLEAF INTERSTATE ENTRANCE RAMP AT APPROXIMATELY 35-40 MPH I ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE AND MERGE WITH ON-COMING TRAFFIC. THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL POPPED AND WENT UNDER THE BRAKE PEDAL. I WAS ABLE TO PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND VISUALLY VERIFIED THAT THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BRACKET HAD BROKEN. THIS IS THE METAL BRACKET THAT WAS SPOT WELDED TO THE COWL PANEL/("FIREWALL"). THIS LEFT 3 HOLES IN THE COWL PANEL, EACH BEING APPROXIMATELY 7/32" IN DIAMETER. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE HOME BY PULLING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL TOWARDS ME UNTIL I WAS ABOVE 30 MPH, THEN I CONTROLLED THE SPEED USING THE CRUISE CONTROL. I WAS OUT OF MY HOME STATE WHEN THIS OCCURED, AND BECAUSE OF MY LOCATION AT THE TIME OF FAILURE I WAS FORCED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE IN THIS CONDITION FOR 3 HOURS. BOTH MY WIFE AND I HAD EXTREME HEADACHES THE REMAINDER OF THE NIGHT AND MY 2 YR OLD DAUGHTER SCREAMED MOST OF THE TRIP AFTER THAT OCCURENCE. THIS POSSIBLY COULD HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING DUE TO THE 3 HOLES LEFT IN THE COWL PANEL WHICH ARE DIRECTLY NEXT TO THE LH CYLINDER HEAD OF THE ENGINE. WE ALL FELT FINE THIS MORNING. I AM AN ASE CERTIFIED MASTER TECHNICIAN SO I WILL LIKELY REPAIR THIS MYSELF USING SCREWS AND LOCTITE.