NHTSA Complaint #10522787 — 2007 FORD TAURUS

IMPORTANT TO NOTE IS THAT A WEEK BEFORE THE FIRST INCIDENT THE CRUISE CONTROL STOPPED WORKING IN THAT IT WOULD TURN ON BUT I COULD NOT SET A SPEED ANYMORE. I DECIDED I WOULD HAVE THAT FIXED AT MY NEXT SCHEDULED SERVICING. AFTER A WEEK WHEN DRIVING AT ABOUT 40MPH THE CAR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE AFTER I RELEASED THE THROTTLE, THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS NOT TURNED ON IT WAS STILL BROKEN. BRAKING A LITTLE TO STOP THE FORWARD MOMENTUM AND TAPPING THE THROTTLE RESOLVED THE ISSUE AT LEAST TEMPORARILY. AT THE TIME I THOUGHT IT MUST BE THE MAT SNAGGING IT. HOWEVER, ONLY A FEW DAYS LATER THE THROTTLE GOT STUCK AGAIN. AGAIN AT ABOUT 40MPH THE CAR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE EVEN AFTER RELEASING THE THROTTLE. SINCE TAPPING THE THROTTLE DIDN'T WORK IMMEDIATELY I SHIFTED THE CAR INTO NEUTRAL AND THE ENGINE WAS RAGING AT 4000 RPM IN NEUTRAL. THIS WAS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION SINCE I WAS APPROACHING A BUSY INTERSECTION WHEN THIS HAPPENED. WITH THE CAR IN NEUTRAL I COULD STOP, THEN I SLAMMED THE THROTTLE A COUPLE OF TIMES AND IT RELEASED. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP THE NEXT DAY AND THEY REPLACED THE CRUISE CONTROL ASSEMBLY, WHICH FIXED THE PROBLEM. DOING SOME RESEARCH ONLINE SHOWED THAT FOR CERTAIN MAKES, WHEN THE CRUISE CONTROL CABLE GET LOOSE AND MOVES AROUND A LITTLE IT CAN INTERFERE WITH THE THROTTLE, WHICH I BELIEVE IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM THAT FORD SHOULD ADDRESS. *TR