NHTSA Complaint #10128828 — 1997 FORD EXPLORER

1997 FORD EXPLORER, 5.0 L ENGINE, AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. THE CAR'S ENGINE UNEXPECTEDLY RACES TO THE POINT THAT ITS BRAKES WILL NOT HOLD IT BACK. THIS SOMETIMES HAPPENS WHEN BACKING FROM A COLD START AND SOMETIMES WHEN BRAKING FOR A STOP AT AN INTERSECTION. THE ONLY WAY TO STOP THE VEHICLE IS TO SHIFT INTO PARK AND TURN OFF THE ENGINE. THE EFFECT IS LIKE BEING SLAMMED INTO BY A LARGE VEHICLE. IT ALMOST KILLED MY PREGNANT DAUGHTER AND ME EARLIER THIS MONTH WHEN IT HAPPENED AS I WAS BRAKING FOR A TRAFFIC LIGHT. IT FELT LIKE WE HAD BEEN HIT FROM THE REAR, BUT IT WAS THE ENGINE PULLING ITS OLD TRICK AGAIN. THE LOCAL FORD DEALER HAS BEEN UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE AND REPAIR THE PROBLEM. ONE YEAR AGO HE SAID THAT IT WAS THE PCV VALVE AND HE REPLACED THE VALVE. THE CAR THEN BEHAVED FOR ABOUT ONE YEAR. THEN, WITHOUT WARNING, WITH MY WIFE AT THE WHEEL, THE CAR, IN REVERSE, RACED OUT OF OUR GARAGE INTO THE STREET. IT WAS UNSTOPABLE. LATER IT DID THE SAME THING, WHILE IN DRIVE, AT INTERSECTIONS. I RETURNED IT TO THE DEALER WHO COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG. IT THEN HAPPENED TO ME AND MY DAUGHTER AND I RETURNED IT TO THE DEALER WHO TESTED IT FOR A WEEK WITHOUT RESULTS.