NHTSA Complaint #10660295 — 2004 FORD TAURUS

COMING DOWN POWAY ROAD IN POWAY, CA IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO STOP AND IT SEEMED THE ENGINE WAS REVVING. I PULLED OVER TO A SAFE TURNOUT AND IT WAS DIFFICULT TO STOP COMPLETELY AS THE BRAKES WERE SPONGY. WHEN I PUT THE TRANSMISSION IN PARK, THE ENGINE SPEED WAS OVER 2500 RPM. I TURNED THE ENGINE OFF AND COULD SMELL THE BRAKES. SUSPECTING A STUCK THROTTLE, I REMOVED THE PROTECTIVE COVER AND THE ACCELERATOR WAS BEING HELD OPEN BY THE CRUISE CONTROL CABLE WHICH HAD BECOME DISCONNECTED AT THE THROTTLE LINKAGE AREA. I REMOVED THE ASSEMBLY AND PUSHED IT ASIDE SO WE COULD CONTINUE DRIVING. I CONSIDER THIS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION AS WE WERE DRIVING DOWN A GRADE AND I WAS TRYING TO APPLY THE BRAKES AT THE SAME TIME THE ENGINE WAS PUSHING US FASTER. SINCE IT WAS SATURDAY I DRIVE TO THE DEALER. I KNEW THERE HAD BEEN A SIMILAR RECALL I CHECKED TO SEE IF OUR VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED AND IT WAS NOT BUT THE SERVICE ADVISOR WAS VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE RECALL WHICH FORD HAD DONE AS "CUSTOMER SATISFACTION PROGRAM 13B04" WHICH HE PROVIDED ME A COPY OF. I HAVE SEEN THIS IN MY SON'S 2002 FORD TAURUS ALSO. THE CLIP THAT HOLDS THE CRUISE CONTROL CABLE TO THE THROTTLE LINKAGE DISCONNECTS AND BECAUSE OF THE STIFFNESS, ACTUALLY PREVENTS THE ACCELERATOR LINKAGE FROM RETURNING TO IDLE. ALTHOUGH IT HAS NOT FAILED, I CAN SEE THE SAME LINKAGE ON MY 2003 MERCURY SABLE WHICH OF COURSE IS A REPACKAGED TAURUS. THIS CLIP IS A VERY POOR DESIGN IN THAT IT DOES NOT DO A GOOD JOB OF HOLDING ONTO THE ACCELERATOR PIN. FROM OBSERVATION I KNOW THAT IT WAS USED IN AT LEAST 3 MODEL YEARS AND PERHAPS MORE. THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE THAN A COURTESY FIX AS UNINTENDED ACCELERATION CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS AS THE LAST FEW YEARS HAVE SHOWN. IT SHOULD BE EXPANDED TO INCLUDE ANY VEHICLE THAT USED THIS DESIGN. IT'S NOT A QUESTION OF IF IT WILL FAIL BUT AS OUR EXPERIENCE TODAY SHOWS, WHEN. *TR