NHTSA Complaint #10078560 — 2003 FORD TAURUS

INTERMITTENT HESITATION DURING ACELERATION. NORTH BOUND, TWO LANE CT 85. CLEAR, DRY PM. RESEVOIR TO MY RIGHT, TREES, SIGNALED FOR A LEFT TURN, NO ONCOMMING TRAFFIC. I SLOWED TO MAKE TURN, THEN ACCELERATED. I SAW A VEHICLE PULL OUT TO PASS, SEVERAL CARS BEHIND. MY CAR STARTED TO GAIN SPEED, THEN HESITATED, THE RPM STARTED TO BUILD UP. THE SUV STRUCK MY RIGHT REAR LIGHT, AND BUMPER. THE ACCIDENT SCENE WAS RUAL, OVER A MILE TO NEAREST DWELING. NO PHONE. OTHER DRIVER RETURNED TO SCENE. NO WITNESSES STOPPED. AFTER THE BODY REPAIR WORK WAS COMPLETE, THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AT SIMON FORD COULD NOT FIND ANY PROBLE. PROBLEB MANIFESTED ITSELF 5 OR 6 TIMES ON THE WAY HOME. IT ALSO SHOWED UP DRIVING BACK TO SIMON FORD. DID NOT RECUR WHILE MECHANIC WAS WITH ME, FOR TEST DRIVE. PROBLEM HAS OCCURED ABOUT 12 TIMES SINCE. THE 2003 FORD TURUS CURRENTLY HAS 482 MILES ON IT. PURCHASED WITH 64 MILES, AND ACCIDENT AT 137MILES. WHEN PROBLEM OCCURS, AFTER ABOUT ONE SECOND RPM BUILDS TO ABOUT 1500 RPM, THEN HANGS THERE FOR ONE TO TWO SECONDS, BEFORE INCREASING. IT IS AS IF THE ENGIN CUT BACK TO TWO CYLINDERS, THEN INCREASES TO FOUR, AND FINANLY BACK TO SIX.*AK