NHTSA Complaint #10860087 — 2002 MERCURY SABLE

WHILE TRAVELING DOWN THE HIGHWAY, THE CAR ACCELERATED WITHOUT EXPLANATION OR WARNING. BRAKES WERE NOT ABLE TO SLOW THE VEHICLE TO A CONTROLLABLE LEVEL. BRAKES OVERHEATED FROM CONSTANT APPLICATION. THE CAR PLOWED OVER A PARKING BARRIER AND THROUGH THE GRASS BEFORE RUNNING A STOP SIGN AND STOP LIGHT. ONLY WAY TO STOP THE CAR WAS TO THROW IT INTO PARK WHICH CAUSED THE ENGINE TO REV AND SMOKE. GIVEN THE LEVEL OF TRAFFIC AND TIME OF DAY, THE PROBABILITY OF AN ACCIDENT (POSSIBLY FATAL) WAS EXTREMELY HIGH. CAR HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE REPAIR GARAGE BUT WE DO NOT HAVE THE DOCUMENTATION ON CAUSE OF PROBLEM YET. CONTACTED MANUFACTURER REGARDING COVERING COST OF REPAIR AND THEY REFUSED INDICATING THIS SPECIFIC CAR IS NOT ON RECALL LIST, ALTHOUGH THERE ARE SEVERAL DOCUMENTED CASES OF THIS EXACT PROBLEM ON THE SAME MAKE, MODEL & YEAR.