NHTSA Complaint #10430375 — 1992 FORD E-150

I WAS TRAVELING HOME TO CAMDEN, TN FROM WEST FRANKFORT, IL WITH MY CHILDREN ON HWY 69. CRUISE CONTROL WAS ENGAGED. WHEN ENTERING A LOWER SPEED ZONE, I ATTEMPTED TO SLOW THE VEHICLE, BUT AFTER ATTEMPTING TO SLOW THE VEHICLE, UPON RELEASING THE BRAKE, THE VEHICLE WOULD INCREASE IN SPEED AGAIN AND THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO RUN HIGH. I KNEW THERE WAS A MAJOR PROBLEM WHEN I WAS GOING UPHILL AND THE VEHICLE WAS INCREASING IN SPEED RELATIVELY QUICKLY. I PRESSED HARD ON THE BRAKES, BUT THE BRAKES WERE VERY HARD TO PRESS. I KNEW WE WERE IN TROUBLE AT THIS POINT BECAUSE I HAD JUST REPLACED ALL FOUR BRAKES THE WEEK BEFORE, SO I KNEW THE BRAKES WERE FINE. I SHIFTED THE VEHICLE INTO NEUTRAL, ENGAGED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE, AND MANAGED TO PULL THE VEHICLE OFF TO THE SHOULDER IN FRONT OF A BP GAS STATION IN MURRAY, KY. I TURNED OFF THE CAR, WAITED ABOUT ONE MINUTE AND STARTED IT AGAIN, BUT THE VEHICLE WAS RUNNING HIGH, AS THOUGH THE ACCELERATOR WAS STUCK. A FRIEND CAME TO HELP ME AND WE MANAGED TO GET THE VEHICLE RUNNING AGAIN AND I TRAVELED HOME THE NEXT DAY. THE SAME THING HAPPENED AGAIN ON 10/14/2011. I WAS TRAVELING TO WORK WITH A CO-WORKER AND I PUT THE VEHICLE INTO CRUISE (FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE THE SEPTEMBER INCIDENT). SUDDENLY, UPON TRYING TO SLOW DOWN TO MAKE A RIGHT HAND TURN, THE VEHICLE BRAKES BECAME VERY HARD TO PRESS, THE ENGINE RAN HIGH, AND THE SPEED BEGAN TO INCREASE. I IMMEDIATELY KNEW THAT THE SAME THING WAS HAPPENING AS BEFORE, SO I IMMEDIATELY LOOKED FOR A SAFE PLACE TO PULL OVER (NO GOOD SHOULDERS ON A WINDY COUNTRY ROAD), PUT THE VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL, ENGAGED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE, STOPPED AND TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE. WHEN I TURNED IT BACK ON, IT WAS RUNNING HIGH STILL. I TURNED IT OFF, SHOOK THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL VIGOROUSLY AND THE VEHICLE RAN LIKE NORMAL. I HAVE NOT USED THE CRUISE CONTROL SINCE AND HAVE REMAINED WITHOUT INCIDENT. *TR