NHTSA Complaint #10442677 — 2005 FORD F-150

THE BRAKE LIGHTS STOPPED WORKING AND THE SPEED CONTROL BRAKE PEDAL DISCONNECT STOPPED WORKING. SPEED CONTROL DISCONNECT WAS ACHIEVED BY USING THE STEERING WHEEL CONTROL BUT IF THE STOPPING SITUATION HAD BEEN AN EMERGENCY ONE, AN ACCIDENT COULD HAVE RESULTED AS THERE WAS ABOUT A 1.5 SECOND DELAY FOR ME TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS GOING ON AND CORRECT THE SITUATION. WHILE TRAVELING AT 70MPH ON I-10 WITH THE SPEED CONTROL ENGAGED, I WENT TO EXIT THE HIGHWAY TO GET FUEL AND WHILE DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL TO REDUCE SPEED, THE SPEED CONTROL BEGAN ATTEMPTING TO RESUME THE ORIGINAL 70MPH SPEED BY REVVING THE ENGINE. LATER I DETERMINED THAT THE ALTERNATOR ON THE VEHICLE HAD FAILED AND WHILE THE BATTERY HAD ENOUGH VOLTAGE TO KEEP THE ENGINE RUNNING AND THE VOLTAGE GAUGE HAD NOT MOVED YET, THE BATTERY DID NOT HAVE A FULL 12.5V OUTPUT. WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL SENSOR DOES NOT HAVE A FULL CHARGING VOLTAGE INPUT, IT SEEMS TO STOP WORKING. THEREFORE, THE SPEED CONTROL DISCONNECT FAILED AND THE BRAKE LIGHTS FAILED TO ACTIVATE EVEN THOUGH THE MOTOR AND OTHER COMPONENTS CONTINUED FUNCTIONING NORMALLY. IT SEEMS THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL SENSOR IS VERY VOLTAGE DEPENDENT (WHICH WAS NOT THE CASE ON OTHER VEHICLES I HAVE OWNED). I NOTIFIED FORD OF THE SITUATION AFTER THE INCIDENT OCCURRED AND HAVE RECEIVED NOTHING IN RESPONSE. I GOT RID OF THE VEHICLE AND PURCHASED A DIFFERENT ONE AS I BELIEVE IT IS NOT SAFE AND COULD RESULT IN TRAFFIC TICKETS/ACCIDENTS (NO BRAKE LIGHTS) AND SPEED CONTROL DISCONNECT FAILURES (ACCIDENTS) IF THERE ARE VOLTAGE FLUCTUATIONS IN THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. *TR