NHTSA Complaint #10846196 — 2000 FORD EXPLORER

WHEN THE CRUISE CONTROL COMMANDED CONSIDERABLY MORE THROTTLE ON AN INTERSTATE AT 60MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY TOOK OFF AT VERY HIGH SPEED (85+MPH AND ACCELERATING WHEN I FINALLY SHUT THE IGNITION OFF). I ATTEMPTED TO DISCONNECT THE CRUISE CONTROL VIA OFF SWITCH AND USING THE BRAKES TO NO AVAIL. I SHUT THE IGNITION SWITCH OFF AND COASTED TO THE SHOULDER SAFELY. ATTEMPTED A RE-START, AND THE ENGINE APPEARED TO START AT FULL THROTTLE. I RAISED THE HOOD AND FOUND THE THROTTLE CABLE RETAINING HAD BROKEN, AND THE CABLE ASSEMBLY HAD BEEN PUSHED OUT OF ITS BRACKET BY THE CRUISE CONTROL SERVO'S FORCE. ONCE OUT OF ITS BRACKET AND PUSHED TO NEARLY FULL THROTTLE, THE THROTTLE RETURN SPRING HAD HOOKED ON THE BRACKET (SEE ATTACHED IMAGE), PREVENTING A RETURN TO IDLE FROM NEARLY FULL THROTTLE. THE PLASTIC RETAINING TABS ON THE THROTTLE CABLE HAD EVIDENTLY BEEN BROKEN BY THE LONG-TIME FORCE OF THE CRUISE CONTROL, POSSIBLY AGGRIVATED BY YEARS HEAT FROM THE ENGINE. THIS IS A DANGEROUS DESIGN, DEPENDING ON TINY PLASTIC TABS AS THE ONLY BLOCK TO SUCH SUDDEN, UNCOMMANDED VEHICLE ACCELERATION. THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS NOT DEFECTIVE, BUT HAD INSTIGATED THE CONDITION MY BREAKING THE THROTTLE CABLE RETAINING TABS OVER TIME. THE ATTACHED PHOTO SHOWS THE DISPLACED THROTTLE CABLE, WITH THE SPRING HOOKED ON THE BRACKET, HOLDING THE THROTTLE NEARLY FULL THROTTLE. THIS COULD EASILY HAVE RESULTED IN A HIGH SPEED CRASH. AS A RETIRED AIR FORCE FIGHTER PILOT AND AIRLINE CAPTAIN, I REMAINED CALM AND WORKED THE PROBLEM STEP BY STEP TO A SAFE CONCLUSION, BUT A LESS DISCIPLINED DRIVER IN DIFFERENT TRAFFIC COULD HAVE LED TO A DIFFERENT AND TRAGIC CONCLUSION. A SECOND PHOTO SHOWS THE CABLE END MISSING THE RETAINING TABS. A THIRD SHOWS THE TINY PLASTIC TABS ON A NEW CABLE.