NHTSA Complaint #10108148 — 2001 FORD TAURUS

ON THE DATE BELOW ABOUT 8.00 AM, I WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT WITH MY 2001 FORD TAURUS. ALTHOUGH IT WAS VERY COLD THAT MORNING THE SKIES WERE CLEAR AND THEIR WAS NO PRECIPITATION AT ALL. ROADWAYS WERE CLEAR FOR THE MOST PART. I WAS COMING DOWN A MOUNTAIN ROAD TRAVELING TO WORK WHEN I ENCOUNTERED AN ICY PATCH OF ROAD THAT HAD FORMED PROBABLY DUE TO FROST CONDITIONS SINCE IT WAS VERY COLD. WHEN I APPLIED THE BRAKES MY FORD TAURUS SEEMED TO ACCELERATE PUSHING ME FASTER DOWN THE HILL. A SLOW MOVING TRUCK WAS A HEAD OF ME AND I COULD NOT SLOW DOWN IN TIME. AT THE SAME TIME A CAR WAS IN IN THE PASSING LANE BESIDE ME SINCE THIS WAS A FOUR LANE HIGHWAY. I SWERVED AN STRUCK THE CAR IN THE PASSING LANE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. MY TAURUS HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE GARAGE AND UPON REPAIRING THE VEHICLE I WAS NOTIFIED THAT A FUEL CENSOR NEEDED REPLACING AT MY EXPENSE. I SPOKE WITH THE MECHANIC AND HE INFORMED ME THAT THIS PART COULD CAUSE THE CAR TO ACCELERATE SUDDENLY. MY INSURANCE IS FORCING ME TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS ACCIDENT AND THE POLICE HAS CITED ME ALSO. I WAS NOT SPEEDING AS EVIDENCED BY THE CAR PASSING ME. I KNOW MY CAR HAD ACCELERATED FORWARD AND I BELIEVE THIS MAY BE A DEFECT WITH THE TARRUS. ONE LAST FOOTNOTE IS THAT A CAR BEFORE ME SKIDDED ON THE SAME ICY PATCH AND HAD A MORE SERIOUS ACCIDENT THAT INVOLVED AN AMBULANCE AND FIRE ASSISTANCE. THIS VEHICLE WAS ALSO A LATE MODEL FORD TAURUS.*AK