NHTSA Complaint #10135752 — 1993 FORD MUSTANG

STUCK GAS PEDAL THROTTLE LINKAGE CAUSING CONTINUOUS FULL THROTTLE TRANSMISSION KICK DOWN CABLE ON 1993 FORD MUSTANG 5.0 LX MUSTANG THAT CONTROLS FLUID DELIVERY TO TRANSMISSION OVERDRIVE AND IS ATTACHED TO THROTTLE CONTROLS BY A GROMMET CAME OFF AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THE GROMMET FAILED PROBABLY DUE TO AGE, AND THE TRANSMISSION DESTROYS THE OVERDRIVE PORTION OF ITS SELF LEAVING THE DRIVER ONLY ABLE TO GO APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH IN OVERDRIVE POSITION AND ANYTHING OVER THE SHIFTING SPEED INTO OVERDRIVE JUST LETS THE ENGINE RPM RUN AWAY AND THE TRANSMISSION TO SLIP. THE REAL PROBLEM THEN OCCURS IF THE DRIVER USES THE DRIVE POSITION TO GET THE VEHICLE BACK TO HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND NO SLIPPING OF THE TRANSMISSION. IF THE ACCELERATOR IS PUSHED CLOSE TO THE FLOOR, IT ALLOWS THE NOW FLOATING FREE KICK DOWN CABLE TO JAM THE THROTTLE TO FULL OPEN CAUSING A STUCK ACCELERATOR AND THE ONLY WAY TO FREE IT IS TO GET TO NEUTRAL QUICKLY AND TURN OFF IGNITION SWITCH, THEN UNJAM THE CABLE AND THROTTLE LINKAGE BY HAND. POSSIBLE ACCIDENTS/INJURIES OR DEATHS COULD RESULT, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT HAPPENS FROM A STANDING STOP AT AN INTERSECTION, OR IN MY CASE, A HOUSING 25 MPH RESIDENTIAL ZONE. THE TRANSMISSION HAS TO BE REBUILT AND THE GROMMET KICK DOWN CABLE GROMMET REPLACED. THE OLD GROMMET ON MY VEHICLE IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE. THE CABLE AND GROMMET SHOULD BE ON SOME TYPE OF INSPECTION OR REPLACEMENT SCHEDULE/OR REDESIGNED TO KEEP THIS FROM HAPPENING. I HAVE SEEN TWO OTHER MUSTANGS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM I HAD WITH ONE OF THE VEHICLES BEING DRIVEN BY A YOUNG FEMALE WHO PULLED THE VEHICLE IN TO MY WORK AREA(LOT) WITH A RUN AWAY ENGINE IE STUCK GAS PEDAL. I UNSTUCK HER KICKDOWN CABLE AND GAVE HER ADVICE ON REPAIRS AND WHAT WAS WRONG AND COULD HAPPEN.*JB