NHTSA Complaint #10362772 — 1991 FORD MUSTANG

1991 MUSTANG LX 5.0 SUDDEN ACCELERATION ACCIDENT. 1991 MUSTANG LX 5.0 MAKING LEFT TURN FROM STOP SIGN IN RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD WHEN ENGINE ON ITS OWN WENT FULL THROTTLE CAUSING DRIVER TO LOSE CONTROL AND LEAVE ROADWAY WHERE IT CONTINUED UNDER FULL THROTTLE THROUGH TREE BRANCHES AND BUSHES, A 6 FOOT WROUGHT IRON STYLE FENCE OVER A RETAINING WALL AT WHICH POINT IT BRIEFLY BECAME AIRBORNE LANDING ON A POOL DECK THEN CONTINUING AT FULL THROTTLE ONTO THE SUBDIVISION SWIMMING POOL TARP UNTIL THE FRONT END CRASHED INTO THE POOL WALL ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE POOL CAUSING THE AIRBAG TO DEPLOY. AFTER IMPACT WITH THE POOL WALL, THE RIGHT REAR TIRE WHICH WAS STILL ON THE POOL DECK CONTINUED SPINNING LEAVING MELTED RUBBER ON THE POOL DECK. THE MUSTANG ENDED UP PARTIALLY SUBMERGED. THANK GOD THAT THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER ESCAPED WITH MINOR INJURIES. 7 YEARS PREVIOUSLY THE SAME 1991 MUSTANG ON ITS OWN, WENT FULL THROTTLE, BUT ON A STRAIGHT 4 LANE ROAD. AT THAT TIME, THE DRIVER TRIED TO STOP THE MUSTANG BY BRAKING TO NO AVAIL. THE MUSTANG TRAVELED OVER 2 MILES WITH THE DRIVER APPLYING THE BRAKES UNTIL THE DRIVER RAN OUT OF ROAD AND DROVE THE CAR UPHILL BETWEEN TWO HOUSES AT WHICH TIME THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS TURNED OFF. WHEN THE CAR WAS RESTARTED IN PARK AFTER THE EVENT, THE ENGINE AGAIN WENT TO FULL THROTTLE IN PARK WITH THE TACHOMETER GOING TO THE 6,000 RPM RANGE. AT THAT TIME, THE CAR WAS TRUCKED TO A FORD DEALER WHICH ACKNOWLEDGED THE PROBLEM AND REPAIRED THE LINKAGE. THE FORD DEALER ASSURED US THE PROBLEM HAD BEEN FIXED. *TR