NHTSA Complaint #10451297 — 2005 FORD TAURUS

I WAS ON VACATION DRIVING UP THE COAST OF CALIFORNIA AND I NOTICED IT WAS BECOMING INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT TO BRAKE MY VEHICLE AND MY TACHOMETER WOULD NOT PREDICTABLY FALL AS I LET OFF THE GAS. IT WAS SUBTLE AT FIRST BUT THEN BECAME MORE PRONOUNCED SO I STARTED SHIFTING THE CAR INTO NEUTRAL TO SEE IF IT WAS THE ENGINE OR SOMETHING ELSE. AFTER PUTTING IT INTO NEUTRAL I NOTICED THE CAR WOULD NOT GOES LESS THAN 2000 RPM ON THE TACHOMETER. THEN IT BECAME APPARENT THAT THE CAR WAS ACCELERATING INDEPENDENTLY OF MY INPUT THROUGH THE GAS. I PULLED INTO A PARKING LOT AND COASTED IN NEUTRAL, PARKED AND SHUT OFF THE ENGINE. AS I HAVE SOME AUTOMOTIVE MECHANIC EXPERIENCE, I FIGURED SOMETHING WAS WRONG WITH THE THROTTLE LINKAGE OR SOMETHING WAS STUCK IN THE THROTTLE PLATE. ON INSPECTION, I NOTICED THE CRUISE CONTROL LINKAGE AND SLID OFF. I THEN WENT TO RADIOSHACK AND BOUGHT SOME SMALL ZIP TIES AND ZIP TIED THE LINKAGE IN PLACE. IT IS TO THIS DAY HELD IN PLACE WITH ZIP TIES AND I HAVEN'T HAD ANY PROBLEMS SINCE (108,000 MILES CURRENTLY). I SAW THAT THE NHTSA WAS INVESTIGATING THESE VEHICLES FOR THE SAME COMPLAINTS AND THOUGHT I'D REPORT MY INCIDENT IN HOPES OF HELPING OTHERS. *TR