NHTSA Complaint #10144426 — 2000 FORD EXPLORER

DRIVER OF 2000 FORD EXPLORER VIN [XXX] WAS DRIVING ON I90 E IN MA AND SET SPEED CONTROL. UPON PRESSING SET/ACCEL BUTTON TO INCREASE BY 1-2 MPH, VEHICLE THROTTLE POSITION STUCK IN ACCELERATING MODE BRINGING THE VEHICLE TO APPROXIMATELY 85 MPH BEFORE BRAKING AND DOWNSHIFTING WAS ABLE TO DECELERATE SPEED. ONLY UNDER EXCESSIVE BRAKING FORCE ON PEDAL WAS VEHICLE ABLE TO BE BROUGHT TO UNDER 50 MPH, AT WHICH TIME THE VEHICLE TRANSMISSION WAS PUT INTO PARK JUST TO STOP. DRIVER THEN CALLED 911 AND HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO LOCAL SHOP. I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO REPRODUCE THIS ISSUE IN CONTROLLED CONDITIONS. THE THROTTLE IS FIXED IN ITS SPEED CONTROL POSITION (THIS CAN BE SET TO MAINTAIN SPEED OR FIXED IN ACCELERATE MODE). BRAKING SHUTS OFF THE SPEED CONTROL LIGHT BUT DOES NOT DISENGAGE THE THROTTLE. ONCE VEHICLE IS BROUGHT UNDER CONTROL AND STOPPED THE THROTTLE CAN BE MANUALLY RELEASED BY HAND AND IT SNAPS BACK TO IDLE POSITION. INVESTIGATION HAS REVEALED THAT THIS VEHICLE HAD BEEN RECALLED BY FORD UNDER 03S03 (NHTSA 03V280000) FOR A SPEED CONTROL CABLE REPLACEMENT. IT IS APPARENT THIS THIS PART FAILURE HAS OCCURRED AGAIN TO THIS VEHICLE. FURTHER INVESTIGATION WILL TAKE PLACE TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE CABLE IN THE VEHICLE IS ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT OR A REPLACEMENT PART. ADDITIONALLY, IT IS THE REPLACEMENT PART WE WILL REQUEST INVESTIGATION WHY THE REPLACEMENT PART FAILED AS WELL. *NM UPDATED 07/17/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)