NHTSA Complaint #10043120 — 2003 MERCURY SABLE

2003 MERCURY SABLE WITH 20,000 MILES ON IT. WHILE DRIVING AT 60 MPH, I STEPPED ON THE ACCELERATOR TO PASS A TRUCK, I HEARD A THUMP AND THEN THE ENGINE WENT TO IDLE AND WE LOST ALL POWER. WE PULLED OVER AND FOUND THAT THE ACCELERATOR CABLE HAD SNAPPED. I FOUND A SMALL PIECE OF PLASTIC ON THE FLOOR THAT CAME FROM THE MECHANISM. WE WERE STRANDED 100 MILES FROM THE NEAREST CITY ON A SUNDAY NIGHT. I SUBSEQUENTLY ASKED THE RENTAL CAR MANAGER IF HE HAD EVER HEARD OF THIS BEFORE AND HE SAID THE SAME THING HAPPENED TO A TAURUS HE WAS DRIVING. THIS, AS I AM SURE YOU KNOW A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION - IF WE HAD BEEN ON A CROWDED INTERSTATE THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUS PROBLEMS. WE WERE LUCKY. IS THERE ANY RECORD OF THIS PROBLEM OCCURRING. JUDGING BY THE PLASTIC LINKAGE I BET IT HAS HAPPENED A NUMBER OF TIMES. PLEASE LET ME KNOW. *LA