NHTSA Complaint #10367324 — 2009 FORD MUSTANG

ACCELERATOR STUCK - 2009 FORD MUSTANG GT - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION DATE OF INCIDENT: SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2010 LATE AFTERNOON AS I DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, THE CAR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE AFTER LEAVING MY FOOT OFF THE PEDAL AND THE THROTTLE REMAINED OPEN. I APPLIED MY BRAKES UPON REALIZING THE THROTTLE WAS STUCK. I ATTEMPTED TO SLOW THE CAR DOWN (BRAKING ONLY) BEFORE REACHING THE INTERSECTION. THE ENGINE CONTINUED REVVING AT A HIGH LEVEL (AS I CAN BEST RECALL) BETWEEN 3500 AND 4000 RPM FOR WHAT SEEMED TO BE ABOUT 5 SECONDS. LUCKILY, I CAME TO ALMOST A COMPLETE STOP BEFORE ENTERING THE MAIN HIGHWAY AS THE ENGINE SPEED WAS STILL PULLING THE CAR FORWARD WITH THE BRAKE PEDAL FULLY DEPRESSED. THANKFULLY, NO ACCIDENT OCCURRED AND NO ONE WAS HURT OR INJURED. THE CAR THEN RETURNED TO A NORMAL IDLE SPEED AND I DROVE HOME WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. NOTE: THE TCS (TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM) WAS TURNED OFF THIS DATE, WHICH WAS SOMETHING THAT I HAD NOT DONE IN THE PAST DURING OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE. I CONTACTED MY LOCAL FORD DEALER AND TOOK THE VEHICLE INTO THEIR SERVICE DEPARTMENT TO INVESTIGATE THIS SAFETY ISSUE. I WAS TOLD THEY WERE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THIS COMPLAINT AND THAT I WAS THE FIRST. A SERVICE TECH WENT OVER THE VEHICLE AND COULD NOT FIND ANY CODES OR PROBLEMS DURING A TEST DRIVE (4 MILES). BESIDES THE DEALERSHIP, I REPORTED THE INCIDENT TO FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE AS I HOPED THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT CAN BE CORRECTED AS THIS COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. 11/12/10 CALL RETURNED FROM A REGIONAL FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE. I OFFERED TO LET FORD HAVE THE VEHICLE FOR INVESTIGATION OVER THE WINTER MONTHS. I HAVE NOT HAD ANOTHER SIMILAR INCIDENT, BUT HAVE ONLY DRIVEN THE VEHICLE FOR ABOUT 50 MILES. *TR