NHTSA Complaint #10894117 — 2005 FORD TAURUS

THIS IS IN REFERENCE TO MY SON'S 2005 FORD TAURUS. THE VEHICLE ACCELERATES AND SPEEDS UP AUTOMATICALLY RESULTING IN GREAT DIFFICULTY CONTROLLING AND STOPPING THE VEHICLE. EVEN WHEN BREAKING FORCEFULLY, THE VEHICLE TRIES TO SPEED UP. EVEN IN PARK, THE ENGINE REVS UP TO HIGH RPM WITH FOOT OFF OF ACCELERATOR. THIS RESULTS IN A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM. THIS FIRST OCCURRED IN 2014 AND WE TOOK THE CAR TO A LOCAL FORD DEALER. THEY EVALUATED THE CAR AND WORKED ON THE ACTUATOR ASSEMBLY. I BELIEVE WE FILED A VEHICLE SAFETY COMPLAINT WITH NHTSA THEN. PROBLEM BEGAN HAPPENING AGAIN RECENTLY. MY SON WAS DRIVING HOME TO KENTUCKY FROM WISCONSIN AND IT BEGAN ACCELERATING AND SPEEDING UP. HE WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR STOPPED OFF OF THE ROAD. HE WAS TOWED BY AAA TO A SERVICE CENTER. THEY ADVISED THAT THERE WAS SOME RESIDUAL CLOGGING AND BUILD-UP THAT WAS CAUSING THE THROTTLE TO GET STUCK OPEN. THEY CLEANED OUT THE THROTTLE AND SENT HIM ON HIS WAY. A FEW HOURS LATER, IT STARTED TO HAPPEN AGAIN IN CONGESTED TRAFFIC ON I-65 IN INDIANA DRIVING AT 70 MHP. HE WAS IN A PANIC AS TRAFFIC WAS SLOWING AHEAD OF HIM AND HE WAS STRUGGLING TO GET CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE OR TO SLOW DOWN. ESSENTIALLY, HE WAS CHARGING AT SLOWED TRAFFIC. HE WAS ABLE TO MANEUVER DANGEROUSLY THROUGH THE SLOWED TRAFFIC UNTIL HE GOT TO AN EXIT RAMP. HE WAS ABLE TO BRING THE VEHICLE TO A STOP BY APPLYING THE BRAKE WITH BOTH FEET WITH FULL FORCE, APPLYING THE EMERGENCY BRAKE, THEN QUICKLY PUTTING THE ENGINE IN PARK. I DROVE UP TO INDIANA TO PICK HIM UP. WHEN I STARTED THE CAR, THE ENGINE IMMEDIATELY REVS UP WHILE IN PARK. WE HAD TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED BACK TO LOUISVILLE. WE ARE VERY LUCKY THAT THIS DID NOT RESULT IN A SERIOUS OF FATAL ACCIDENT. THE CAR IS CURRENTLY AT A LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP AND WE HAVE A CALL IN TO FORD CUSTOMER RELATIONS. PLEASE RE-OPEN AN INVESTIGATION INTO THIS ISSUE.