NHTSA Complaint #10452234 — 2004 FORD TAURUS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD TAURUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE DEACTIVATED THE CRUISE CONTROL WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT DECELERATE. THERE WAS A CONSTANT INCREASE IN ENGINE RPMS UNTIL THE CONTACT APPLIED HEAVY PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC AND THE THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR WAS REPLACED. THE CONTACT EXAMINED THE VEHICLE THE FOLLOWING MORNING AND NOTICED THAT TRANSMISSION FLUID HAD LEAKED ONTO THE GROUND. THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE CONTACT THEN DISCONNECTED THE CRUISE CONTROL CABLE AND THE FAILURE HAD NOT RECURRED SINCE. THE TRANSMISSION LEAK CONTINUED DESPITE NUMEROUS REPAIRS PERFORMED BY THE CONTACT AND AN AUTHORIZED DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 86,311. UPDATED 04/13/12 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT DECELERATE NORMALLY. THERE WAS A HIGHER THAN NORMAL ENGINE RPM AND HE HAD TO USE HEAVIER THAN NORMAL BRAKING TO BOTH SLOW AND STOP THE VEHICLE. JUST PRIOR TO ARRIVING AT A SAFE PARKING AREA, THE IDLE RETURNED TO NORMAL. AFTER A BRIEF STOP, THE CONSUMER WENT BACK HOME. INITIALLY, THE IDLE WAS NORMAL, BUT THEN THE HIGH IDLE RETURNED. THE VEHICLE WA TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHERE THE THROTTLE POSITION SENSOR WAS REPLACED. THE CONSUMER EXAMINED THE VEHICLE THE NEXT DAY, WHERE HE NOTICED TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS LEAKING. THE TRANSMISSION DIPSTICK SHAFT AND DIPSTICK WAS EXTENDED ABOUT 3-4 INCHES ONTO THE GROUND. ALL FLUIDS APPEARED NORMAL AFTER INSPECTION WAS PERFORMED. THE CONSUMER REPLACED THE IAC AND RETURNED TO THE MECHANIC TO VERIFY PROPER INSTALLATION. THE CONSUMER THEN DISCONNECTED THE CRUISE CONTROL CABLE FROM THE THROTTLE BODY AS THE HIGH IDLE PERSISTED. THE TRANSMISSION LEAK CONTINUED DESPITE NUMEROUS REPAIRS PERFORMED BY THE CONSUMER AND THE AUTHORIZED DEALER. UPDATED 04/23/12