NHTSA Complaint #10424685 — 2003 FORD EXPLORER

I WAS DRIVING AT 60 MPH AND APPROACHING A RED LIGHT 1/4 MILE AHEAD I RELEASED PRESSURE ON THE ACCELERATOR BUT THE CAR MAINTAINED 60 MPH AND WOULD NOT SLOW DOWN, I APPLIED THE FOOT BRAKES BUT REALIZED THIS WAS NOT THE ANSWER, IT FELT LIKE THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS NOT RELEASING HOWEVER THE CRUISE CONTROL NOT BEING USED, I PLACED THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND BRAKED TO A STOP THE ENGINE WAS RACING. I TAPPED THE ACCELERATOR WITH MY FOOT AND THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL RETRACTED , THE ENGINE SLOWED,I CONTINUE MY TRIP AND AFTER DRIVING A FEW MILES FOUND THAT THE ACCELERATOR WAS STUCK AGAIN,I SELECTED NEUTRAL AND TAPPED THE ACCELERATOR,THE ENGINE WENT BACK TO IDLE.I PULLED OVER AND LOOKED AT THE ACCELERATOR CABLE WHERE IT CONNECTS TO THE ACCELERATOR TO MAKE SURE THE ACCELERATOR WAS NOT CAUGHT ON THE CARPET, I OPENED THE HOOD TO CHECK THE ACCELERATOR CABLE WHICH WAS HIDDEN UNDER A LARGE PLASTIC SHROUD (COVER), I REMOVED THE SHROUD IN AND IMMEDIATELY DISCOVERED THE PROBLEM. A SMALL CHEAP SNAP AND LOCK FASTENER IN THE END OF THE CRUISE CONTROL CABLE HAD BROKEN ALLOWING THE STIFF CRUISE CONTROL CABLE CONNECTOR TO SLIP FROM ITS CONNECTOR AND RESTRICT OR LOCK THE RETARDING MOVEMENT OF THE ACCELERATOR CABLE, THE THROTTLE CABLE DOES NOT RETRACT AND THE ENGINE IS STUCK AT A HIGH RPM AND A NOVICE DRIVER WOULD NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO AND WOULD PROBABLY PANIC AND EVENTUALLY THE BRAKES WOULD FADE AND THE DRIVER CRASH. WHEN THE REMEDY IS TO 1) SHIFT TO NEUTRAL AND 2) TAP AND RELEASE THE ACCELERATOR QUICKLY WHICH BECAUSE THE CRUISE CABLE IS NOT ATTACHED OR ANCHORED AT IT'S END QUICKLY FREES THE ACCELERATOR CABLE IN MY OPINION THIS CRUISE CONTROL CONNECTOR AND WEAK METAL SPRING TYPE PUSH IN FASTENER IS TOO WEAK AND SUFFERS FROM METAL FATIGUE OVER TIME. I AM JUST GLAD MY WIFE WAS NOT DRIVING ALONE WHEN THIS HAPPENED. *TR