NHTSA Complaint #10451532 — 2001 FORD TAURUS

THIS VEHICLE HAS A LONG HISTORY OF SPEEDING UP ON ITS OWN. I TOOK IT TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP WHEN IT BEGAN IN LATE 2007, BUT THEY COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM. I ALSO HAVE RECORD OF ITS HISTORY INVOLVING THIS ISSUE WITH MY PERSONAL MECHANIC. NO MECHANIC HAS EVER FOUND A SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM, AND I CONTINUE TO DRIVE THIS CAR. I RECORDED CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING EACH INCIDENT, DOWN TO THE TEMPERATURE OUTSIDE AND WEATHER CONDITIONS TO FIND A COMMON CAUSE. EACH CASE WAS UNIQUE AND NO CAUSE WAS FOUND. OFTEN, I WOULD RECOGNIZE THE ISSUE WHEN TRYING TO STOP FOR A RED LIGHT OR STOP SIGN AND FOUND MYSELF FIGHTING THE CAR TO STOP. THE BRAKES CONTINUED TO WORK DURING THESE EPISODES, HOWEVER I COULD NOT COME TO A COMPLETE STOP UNLESS I PUT THE CAR INTO NEUTRAL. DURING ONE INSTANCE, THE CAR REACHED 70 MPH BEFORE THERE WAS A POPPING NOISE, AND IT SLOWED. MOST COMMONLY, THE CAR WOULD SPEED UP TO ABOUT 45 MPH BEFORE I PUT IT INTO NEUTRAL AND TURNED IT OFF, OFTENTIMES IN FRONT OF INTERSECTIONS. THE CRUISE CONTROL HAS BEEN DISABLED, THE THROTTLE BODY CLEANED, AND ELECTRICAL SYSTEM CHECKED. NONE OF THESE WERE DETERMINED TO BE THE CAUSE. *TR