NHTSA Complaint #10786667 — 2008 FORD TAURUS

PURCHASED VEHICLE IN FEB 2010. DRIVEN TO TAKE CHILDREN TO AND FROM SCHOOL AND BACK HOME APPROX TOTAL MILEAGE ROUND TRIP DAILY IS 6 MILES AT MOST. FIRST INSTANCE HAPPENED WHEN APPROACHING A STOP SIGN AND SLOWING DOWN BY PRESSING THE BRAKE BUT THE MOTOR ACCELERATED RPMS INSTEAD AS IF I WERE PRESSING THE GAS. LASTED FEW SECONDS AND BEGAN DOING AS IT SHOULD. NEXT INSTANT HAPPENED COUPLE MONTHS LATER WHEN PRESSING THE BRAKE TO STOP AFTER RETURNING HOME FROM TAKING CHILDREN TO SCHOOL. TRIED TO STOP IN MY DRIVEWAY WHEN I REACHED THE HOUSE AND THE MOTOR ACCELERATED INSTEAD AND HAD TO TURN THE SWITCH OFF TO MAKE IT STOP MAKING THE ACCELERATION NOISE. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES WITH EACH TIME A LITTLE MORE INTENSE. MOST RECENTLY, WHILE TAKING MY SON TO A TRAVELBALL TOURNAMENT I SLOWED TO STOP AT A STOP SIGN AND IT BRIEFLY REVVED THE MOTOR. WHEN I TRIED TO START GOING AGAIN IT TOOK A SECOND FOR THE CAR TO ACTUALLY GO, THEN BEGAN RUNNING NORMAL. FEW MILES DOWN THE ROAD TRAVELING ABOUT 45 MILES PER HOUR ALL OF A SUDDEN LOST ALL ABILITY TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE WHEN THE MOTOR BEGAN ACCELERATING BUT CAR SLOWING DOWN AS IF IT HAD BEEN KNOCKED OUT OF GEAR. THE DIFFERENCE WAS IT WAS STILL IN GEAR AND PRESSING THE BRAKE DID NOTHING AND STEERING BECAME VERY DIFFICULT. MANAGED TO GET OFF THE ROAD AND STOPPED THEN IT JUST STARTED DRIVING NORMAL AGAIN. PROCEEDED TO DRIVE TO DESTINATION AND SLOWED TO TURN RIGHT AT INTERSECTION WITH ONCOMING TRAFFIC WHEN CAR DID THE SAME THING AGAIN. THAT WAS A MONTH AGO AND HAS NOT DONE IT SINCE.