NHTSA Complaint #10420858 — 2001 FORD FOCUS

WHILE PASSING A CAR WHILE DRIVING DOWN A TWO LANE ROAD, MY ACCELERATOR PEDAL CONTINUED GOING DOWN TO THE FLOOR ON ITS OWN. I TAPPED THE BRAKES, CHECKED TO SEE IF THERE WERE ANY OBSTRUCTIONS BY THE PEDAL, TRIED EVERYTHING I COULD TO FREE THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BUT NOTHING WORKED. BY THIS TIME THE CAR WAS TRAVELING IN EXCESS OF 80 MPH AND APPLYING THE BRAKES WERE NOT SLOWING THE CAR DOWN AT ALL. FINALLY I PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND WHILE THE ENGINE KEPT RACING AT FULL THROTTLE, I TURNED OFF THE IGNITION AND COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. MY HUSBAND RETURNED TO LOOK AT THE CAR AND FOUND THE ACCELERATOR CABLE DISCONNECTED AND LODGED BETWEEN THE MOUNTING BRACKET AND THE THROTTLE ACTUATOR, JAMMING THE THROTTLE AT FULL THROTTLE. FORTUNATELY THIS HAPPENED ABOUT TWO MILES FROM THE HOUSE. HE WAS ABLE TO RECONNECT THE CABLE AND DRIVE THE CAR HOME, BUT HE SAID THAT WHILE DRIVING BACK, THE THROTTLE WAS SLOW TO THROTTLE DOWN WHEN HE RELEASED THE PEDAL. ONCE BACK HOME HE FOUND THE CABLE HAD DISCONNECTED AGAIN. WE ARE GOING TO CONTACT FORD TO SEE IF THERE HAS BEEN ANY RECALLS ON THIS FOR THE 2001. WE FOUND RECALLS ON THE 2000 MODEL BUT NONE ON THE 2001. WE ALSO FOUND ONE COMPLAINT THAT WAS DESCRIBED EXACTLY AS OURS WITH THE CABLE DISCONNECTING AND HANGING UP ON THE BRACKET. *TR