NHTSA Complaint #10148496 — 1996 FORD EXPLORER

I WAS DRIVING MY 96 FORD EXPLORER SPORT, TRAVELING 65 MPH ON A FREEWAY, WHEN THE CAR RPMS SUDDENLY WENT UP TO 5500 WITHOUT ME DOING ANYTHING. THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS NOT ON. AS THE CAR ACCELERATED I DEPRESSED THE BRAKES AND WAS ONLY ABLE TO SLOW DOWN SLIGHTLY, I THEN REACHED DOWN TO CHECK IF SOMETHING WAS CONTACTING THE ACCELERATOR AND I ALSO PULLED THE FLOOR MAT BACK. THE CAR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE PAST 80 MPH. PUMPING THE ACCELERATOR DID NOT CHANGE ANYTHING. I HAVE A MANUAL TRANSMISSION SO I PUSHED DOWN THE CLUTCH AND THE CAR SLOWED, HOWEVER, THE RPM STAYED AT 5500. I MADE IT TO THE SIDE OF THE FREEWAY AND TURNED OFF THE CAR. I RESTARTED IT AFTER THE ENGINE STOPPED AND THE RPM WENT BACK UP TO 5500. I THEN STOPPED THE ENGINE AGAIN AND WAITED 5 MINUTES AND THEN RESTARTED AND THE CAR WAS THEN RUNNING NORMALLY. I TOOK IT TO A FORD DEALER AND THEY COULD NOT FIND A REASON FOR THE PROBLEM AS THERE WERE NO ENGINE MALFUNCTION CODES THAT WOULD CAUSE THE INCIDENT AND THE ACCELERATOR AND CRUISE CONTROL CABLES WERE IN GOOD CONDITION. THEY SUGGESTED THAT THE FLOOR MAT COULD HAVE BEEN THE CAUSE BUT I'M SURE THAT WAS NOT THE CAUSE AS I PULLED THE FLOOR MAT AWAY AND THERE WAS NO CHANGE IN THE PROBLEM. THE SERVICE TECH AND THE DEALERSHIP WERE HONEST AND TOLD ME THEY COULD NOT FIND A CAUSE AND NOTHING WAS DONE TO FIX THE PROBLEM. *AK