NHTSA Complaint #10389328 — 2003 FORD F-150

THE VEHICLE BEGAN ACCELERATING ON ITS OWN (> 75 MPH). CRUISE CONTROL WAS NOT ON. THE BREAK WAS EFFECTIVE AT MITIGATING INCREASING SPEED UNTIL THE VEHICLE COULD BE STOPPED SAFELY ON THE SIDE OF HWY 85S. DISTANCE TRAVELED WITH UNCONTROLLABLE ACCELERATION WAS APPROXIMATELY 2.5 MILES. PRIOR TO STOPPING AND TURNING THE ENGINE OFF, AN ATTEMPT TO PUT THE ENGINE IN NEUTRAL WHILE SPEEDING WAS FRUITLESS -- THE ENGINE RACED TO MAXIMUM RPM WHEN PUT IN NEUTRAL. FOR FEAR I WOULD BLOW THE ENGINE, I PUT THE TRANSMISSION BACK INTO "DRIVE" AND CONTINUED TAMPING ON MY BREAKS TO CONTROL MY SPEED. HEAVY BREAKING WAS UTILIZED ONCE I WAS IN SAFE PLACE TO PULL OFF THE ROAD AND TURN OFF THE ENGINE. I ATTEMPTED TO RE-START THE ENGINE MULTIPLE TIMES, EACH TIME WITH THE SAME RESULT - - THE ENGINE RED-LINED AT MAXIMUM RPMS. I CONTACTED AAA FOR ROADSIDE SERVICE. THE TRUCK WAS TOWED TO A RALEIGH FORD DEALER. THE FORD DEALER STARTED THE VEHICLE AND THE ENGINE RED-LINED AT MAXIMUM RPMS. THEY TURNED THE ENGINE OFF AND INSPECTED THE ENGINE. THEY FOUND A PLASTIC COVER FOR THE THROTTLE ASSEMBLY HAD COME LOOSE AND LODGED ITSELF IN SUCH A WAY AS TO PUT TENSION ON THE THROTTLE CABLE/LEVER. A SAFETY CLIP THAT HOLDS THE COVER IN PLACE WAS MISSING. THEY RE-SECURED THE COVER WITH A DIFFERENT TYPE OF SAFETY CONNECTOR, AND THEN RE-STARTED THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE'S ENGINE WAS NORMAL. THE FORD DEALER REPRESENTATIVE INDICATED HE HAD SEEN THIS BEFORE ON A MUSTANG, BUT NOT OF F-150. THE FORD DEALER REPRESENTATIVE TRIED TO DOWN-PLAY THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE INCIDENT -- AS IF IT WAS "NO BIG DEAL". THEY DID NOT OPEN A SERVICE WORK ORDER TO DOCUMENT THE ISSUE OR REPAIR. THE TOLD ME THERE WAS "NO CHARGE" FOR THE SERVICE.