NHTSA Complaint #10537402 — 2005 FORD FREESTYLE

2005 FREESTYLE SAT PARKED AT IDLE (IN PARKING LOT) FOR APPROXIMATELY 7 MINUTES. BRAKE PEDAL WAS THEN PRESSED AND GEAR SHIFT PUT INTO "DRIVE". VEHICLE RPM'S IMMEDIATELY WENT UP OUT OF CONTROL WITHOUT FOOT ON ACCELERATOR. VEHICLE QUICKLY LURCHED FORWARD ABOUT 10 FEET BEFORE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED FAR ENOUGH TO CEASE THE MOVEMENT. SPEED ESTIMATED AT 8MPH. RPM'S CONTINUED TO INCREASE AND VEHICLE LURCHED AGAIN AND TRAVELED ABOUT A FOOT BEFORE BRAKE PEDAL WAS FURTHER DEPRESSED ENOUGH TO CEASE MOVEMENT. FOR ABOUT ONE-HALF SECOND AFTER BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, RPMS STAYED HIGH AND THEN VEHICLE SHOOK VIOLENTLY AND STALLED. DASH READOUT SAID, "ENGINE FAILSAFE MODE". FORTUNATELY, NO PERSONS WERE IN FRONT OF VEHICLE DURING INCIDENT. ONE HOUR LATER, SAME DAY, VEHICLE WOULD NOT PROPERLY ACCELERATE DURING PASSING ATTEMPT. UNKNOWN IF THIS ISSUE WAS RELATED. THE NEXT MORNING, VEHICLE WOULD NOT START AND HASN'T STARTED SINCE. VEHICLE CURRENTLY IN AUTO REPAIR SHOP (WE'VE BEEN AFRAID TO DRIVE VEHICLE AND WILL NOT DRIVE IT UNTIL SITUATION IS RECTIFIED). *TR