NHTSA Complaint #10451501 — 2001 FORD TAURUS

I HAVE READ THE NEWS THIS WEEK ABOUT THE PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION INTO 2005-06 TAURUS SPEED CONTROL PROBLEMS AND IT IS EXACTLY THE SAME AS A VERY SCARY PROBLEM I EXPERIENCED LAST YEAR WITH MY 2001 TAURUS. A FORD DEALER REPLACED A CABLE FOR THE SPEED CONTROL ON THE CAR'S CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM. I STILL HAVE A COPY OF MY FORD INVOICE AND I KEPT THE BROKEN CABLE THAT WAS REPLACED ON MY CAR. I WAS DRIVING MY CAR DOWN A BOULEVARD WHEN THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RACE EVEN THOUGH I WAS NOT ACCELERATING. I HAD TO PRESS HARD ON MY BRAKES TO STOP FOR A RED LIGHT, AND PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL, BUT THE ENGINE CONTINUE TO RACE AT ABOUT 4,000 RPMS. I TURNED THE ENGINE OFF, THEN TURNED IT ON AGAIN, HOPING I COULD MOVE OUT OF THE LANES OF TRAFFIC. HOWEVER, THE ENGINE CONTINUE TO SPEED SO I TURNED THE ENGINE OFF AGAIN AND SAT IN MY CAR UNTIL A GOOD SAMARITAN PUSHED ME OUT OF TRAFFIC. AAA TOWED THE CAR TO WORTHINGTON FORD IN LONG BEACH, CA. BOTH THE GOOD SAMARITAN AND THE AAA TOW TRUCK DRIVER TURNED THE ENGINE ON WITH THE HOOD OPEN AND SAID THE THROTTLE WAS STUCK. THE AAA DRIVER SHOWED ME A CABLE WITH A FITTING THAT WAS LOOSE, AND WHEN HE PUSHED THE FITTING IN, THE ENGINE SLOWED DOWN. THE FORD DEALER SAID THE PROBLEM WAS NOT THE THROTTLE BUT THE CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM. THEY OFFERED TO DISABLE THE CRUISE CONTROL, BUT I HAD THEM FIX IT. THE FORD INVOICE STATES: "CUSTOMER STATES VEHICLE HAS A STICKING THROTTLE/CABLE. SOMETHING BROKEN CAUSING RPMS TO GO OVER 4K AND ADV. REMOVED CYLINDER AND ADDED NEW SPEED CONTROL CABLE." THE NEW PART IS LISTED AS YF1Z-0A825-CA, WITH DESCRIPTION "ACTUATO 540397." THE COST WAS $307.82. *TR