NHTSA Complaint #10731803 — 2007 LINCOLN TOWN CAR

THE CAR WAS IDLING AS I WAS PREPARING TO LEAVE MY EMPLOYER'S PARKING LOT. MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE. AT THE MOMENT I SHIFTED THE CAR INTO DRIVE, THE ENGINE RACED AND LUNGED FORWARD. WITH MY FOOT FIRMLY ON THE BRAKE, THE REAR TIRES SCREECHED, BUT THE BRAKES KEPT THE CAR FROM MOVING MORE THAN SEVERAL FEET.. WITHIN SEVERAL SECONDS, I WAS ABLE TURN OFF THE KEY AND RETURN THE SHIFT LEVER TO PARK. I TRIED TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM IN A SAFE AREA, BUT COULD NOT. MY FOOT WAS NOT ON BOTH PEDALS (BRAKE AND ACCELERATOR) SIMULTANEOUSLY AS THE ENGINE WAS AS IDLING WHEN I SHIFTED INTO DRIVE. THERE IS NO FLOOR MAT TO INTERFERE WITH NORMAL OPERATION. THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS IN A "RAISED" POSITION- A FEATURE OF THE CAR. I WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE "SUDDEN ACCELERATION" PROBLEM OTHER DRIVERS HAD REPORTED PREVIOUSLY, BUT I DID READ ABOUT PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH THE RAISED BRAKE PEDAL AND THE CLOSE PROXIMITY OF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL (WITHIN THE PAST FEW DAYS). BEFORE RESEARCHING THE POSSIBLE CAUSE OF THIS INCIDENT, I THOUGHT THE PROBLEM MIGHT HAVE BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH THE LINKAGE OF THE TWO PEDALS. NOW, I'M CONVINCED THE ISSUE WILL NOT BE AN EASY FIX.