NHTSA Complaint #10462801 — 2005 FORD FIVE HUNDRED

WHILE STUCK IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC, CAR WAS AT A COMPLETE STOP AT A RED LIGHT. WHEN TRYING TO LET OFF THE GAS, THE CAR LURCHED FORWARD ALMOST PLOWING INTO THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. THIS OCCURRED ON 06/20/2012. DURING SUMMER 2011, THIS SAME TYPE OF BEHAVIOR OCCURRED 4 DIFFERENT TIMES. THE ENTIRE PROCESS BEGINS WITH THE CAR BEING AT A COMPLETE STOP, THEN WHEN LETTING OFF THE GAS, THE CAR'S ENGINE REV'S AND THE CAR LURCHES FORWARD REQUIRING THE DRIVER TO SLAM ON THE BREAKS FROM HITTING OTHER DRIVERS/PEDESTRIANS. WHEN THE VEHICLE DOES THIS LURCHING FORWARD MOTION, SEVERAL RED LIGHTS COME ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND ALSO THE COMPUTER READS AN ERROR OF "FAILSAFE ENGINE MODE". POWER STEERING, POWER BRAKES HAVE BEEN LOST WHILE THIS EVENT OCCURS AS WELL. SEEMS AS IF IT COULD BE AFFECTED BY WARMER WEATHER BECAUSE I HAVE OWNED THE VEHICLE TWO YEARS AND HAVE ONLY HAD THIS HAPPEN DURING WARMER (90 DEGREE OR MORE) WEATHER. DURING SUMMER 2011, TWO OCCURRENCES HAPPENED THAT ALSO ALMOST CAUSED COLLISIONS. THE FIRST TIME WAS ON A SUMMER NIGHT IN A PARKING GARAGE. AS I WAS COMING INTO A STOP IN A PARKING SPACE, THE ENGINE LURCHED FORWARD AND CAME APPROXIMATELY 4-5 INCHES FROM HITTING A CONCRETE WALL. DURING THE OTHER OCCURRENCE, I WAS STOPPING AT A RED LIGHT AND CAME CLOSE TO RUNNING OVER A PEDESTRIAN DUE TO LURCHING FROM CAR. WHEN CAR ENTERS "FAILSAFE ENGINE MODE' AND LURCHES FORWARD, CAR MUST BE PARKED AND RESTARTED FOR THE VEHICLE TO RUN NORMALLY AGAIN. ALSO, IT ONLY HAPPENS AT LOW SPEEDS (I.E. WHEN SLOWING THE CAR BELOW 5 MPH OR FIRST BEGINNING TO ACCELERATE THE CAR WHILE STILL BELOW 5 MPH). OTHER OWNERS THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS SAME ISSUE CAN BE FOUND HERE: HTTP://WWW.FORDTAURUS.NET/FORUMS/VIEWTOPIC.PHP?F=5&T=9366 AND ALSO: HTTP://WWW.ABOUTAUTOMOBILE.COM/COMPLAINT/2007/FORD/FIVE+HUNDRED/10439966 *TT