NHTSA Complaint #10453903 — 2000 FORD EXPLORER SPORT

THIS WAS A TERRIBLE EVENT... MY CAR WAS AIMED DOWN MY 300 FT DRIVEWAY. I DON'T BELIEVE AT THAT POINT OR IF IT WAS STUCK I DIDN'T KNOW THE ACCELERATOR WAS STUCK BUT I SOON REALIZED SOMETHING WAS WRONG. AS I HEADED TO NEW ALBANY HIGH SCHOOL FOR WATER CLASS THE EXPLORER WENT FASTER AND FASTER ON RT 161... THE CLUTCH WOULD NOT ALLOW A DOWN SHIFT AT ALL AFTER THE FIRST TIME OR TWO... I MAY HAVE BLOWN IT OUT... THE SUV WENT FASTER AND FASTER AND IN 3RD GEAR IT WAS REVVING SO HARD... WHEN I COULD I PULLED INTO A PARKING LOT AND TURNED THE ENGINE OFF... I LET IT COOL AND ATTEMPTED TO START THE EXPLORER BUT IT WOULD HAVE RED WARNING LIGHTS WHEN I STARTED IT IN NEUTRAL AS IT REVVED SO HIGH... I PUSHED IT INTO GEAR AND WHEN I GOT TO THE TWO RED LIGHTS I TURNED THE KEY OFF... ONCE I STOPPED IN THE INTERSECTION AND ABOUT 8 CARS WERE HONKING AT ME. I HAD TO DEAL WITH FIVE TRAFFIC INTERSECTIONS. WHEN I GOT HOME I TURNED THE KEY OFF AND FOUGHT THE WHEEL TO GET TURNED INTO THE DOWNSWING OF MY DRIVEWAY... I RACED AROUND MY HOUSE TO FACE OUT AND TURNED OFF THE KEY... THE EXPLORER WAS SMOKING AND "LAID RUBBER" AND TORE OUT GRASS IN MY HOUSE... IT ALMOST SKIDDED INTO MY POND. I THINK THE CLUTCH IS BURNED OUT AND THE BRAKE ABS LIGHT WAS ON AS I HAD TO BRAKE ALL THE WAY HOME... I TRIED TO DISENGAGE THE CRUISE CONTROL IF THAT WAS IT DURING MY TERROR RIDE BUT IT HAD NO EFFECT... THE BRAKES COULD NOT STOP THE SPEEDING VEHICLE, THE GEARS WERE LOCKED WHILE THE SPEED ACCELERATED SO THERE WAS NO DOWNSHIFTING, THE PEDAL WAS PUSHED TO THE FLOOR AND WOULD NOT CHANGE SPEED WHEN I PULLED IT UP WITH MY HAND OR TOE OF MY SHOE... *TR