NHTSA Complaint #10689779 — 1991 FORD F-250

I HAD JUST BEEN JUMPED BY AAA BECAUSE MY TRUCK WASN'T STARTING; THE AAA AGENT ALSO CLEANED THE BATTERY TERMINALS. I INTENDED TO HAVE IT TOWED TO THE FORD DEALER BECAUSE I DIDN'T THINK IT WOULD START. SINCE THE AAA AGENT WAS ABLE TO GET TO START, I DECIDED TO STILL TAKE IT TO THE DEALER TO FIND OUT WHY THE BATTERY WAS DEAD (GIVEN THEY HAD THE CAR FOR A MONTH AND HAD PUT IN A NEW BATTERY AND STARTER, AMONG OTHER REPAIRS). DRIVING THE 7 MILES TO THE DEALERSHIP THE CAR SEEMED TO BE ACCELERATING ON ITS OWN, THE ENTIRE WAY, I ONLY STEPPED ON THE GAS ONCE; IT WAS GOING 35 MILES/HOUR BY ITSELF (PER THE SPEEDOMETER). I DIDN'T KNOW WHY THIS WAS HAPPENING AND WHEN I TRIED TO SLOW DOWN USING THE BRAKES, THE TRUCK WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO STOP, SUCH THAT I NEARLY REAR-ENDED MULTIPLE CARS. IT WAS ALL I COULD DO TO PUSH THE BRAKE DOWN AND TWICE HUGE AMOUNTS OF SMOKE CAME FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE (PROBABLY THE BRAKES WERE NOW OVERHEATING?). WHEN I WAS 500 FEET FROM THE DEALERSHIP I TOOK A QUICK LEFT TURN AND HONESTLY COULD NOT STOP THE TRUCK, I THREW IT INTO PARK AND SHUT IT OFF JUST IN TIME TO MISS PLOWING INTO PARKED VEHICLES. SMOKE BILLOWED OUT FROM BELOW THE HOOD. I HAVE NEVER BEEN SO FRIGHTENED IN MY LIFE-I WAS SURE I WAS EITHER GOING TO SMASH INTO SOMEONE SINCE I COULDN'T STOP OR THE TRUCK WAS GOING TO IMPLODE IN FIRE, OR SOMETHING AND I WOULD BE DEAD. I WAS NOT ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY STOP IT USING THE BRAKES. THE PARKING BRAKE WAS ALSO NOT WORKING (WHICH IS ALSO WHY I WAS RETURNING IT TO THE DEALER). WHEN I ASKED THE SERVICE PERSON AT THE FORD DEALERSHIP IF HE'D SEEN A STUCK THROTTLE LIKE THIS BEFORE, HE SAID, "YES, SOMETIMES WHEN VEHICLES SIT FOR A WHILE". THIS IS A SATURDAY, SO THEY ARE GOING TO EVALUATE THE PROBLEM ON MONDAY. THE SERVICE REP ALSO SAID SOMETIMES CLEANING THE TERMINALS MIGHT CONTRIBUTE TO EXTRA CONDUCTION, WHICH MIGHT HAVE CAUSED THE ACCELERATION ISSUE. *TR