NHTSA Complaint #11081287 — 2012 FORD FUSION

THE THROTTLE STUCK (2ND TIME, BOTH TIMES SIMILAR) RECENT EXPERIENCE:03/20/2018: LOCATION: ENTRANCE RAMP PA TURNPIKE AT SOMERSET EXIT. THE TURNPIKE TRAFFIC WAS MOVING EXTREMELY SLOWLY DUE TO WEATHER\ACCIDENT (ESTIMATE 15 25 MPH). I HAD PURPOSELY HUNG WAY BACK (100 - 150 FT) OF CAR AHEAD OF ME AS DRIVER DID NOT SEEM EXPERIENCED OR CONFIDENT. AFTER THINKING THAT THE VEHICLE IN FRONT WAS GOING TO MAKE ITS MERGE, I STARTED ACCELERATING UP TO THE THEN TURNPIKE TRAFFIC SPEED. THE CAR IN FRONT THOUGH DID NOT MERGE BUT STOPPED INSTEAD. I THEN NEEDED TO SLOW DOWN OR STOP. WHEN ATTEMPTING TO SLOW DOWN, MY CAR DID NOT WANT TO SLOW DOWN, THROTTLE SEEMED STUCK. I THEN STARTED PRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL WITH BOTH FEET AS HARD AS I COULD. THOUGH MY CAR DID STOP BEFORE HITTING THE VEHICLE IN FRONT, IT WAS AN EXTREMELY TENSE EXPERIENCE. PREVIOUSLY, A COUPLE YEARS AGO, I HAD A SIMILAR EXPERIENCE. I DID NOT REPORT AT THAT TIME. IN THAT EXPERIENCE, I WAS APPROACHING AN INTERSECTION IN THE CITY OF ERIE. MY APPROACH WAS ON A SLIGHT UPHILL. THE LIGHT CHANGED FROM GREEN TO RED AND I WENT TO STOP. AGAIN, IT SEEMED AS THOUGH THE THROTTLE STUCK. AS IT WAS ON AN UPHILL I WAS EXPECTING TO USE LITTLE OR NO BRAKE. MY CAR THOUGH KEPT AT SPEED. AGAIN, I JUMPED ON THE BRAKE PEDAL WITH BOTH FEET AS HARD AS I COULD. IN THIS CASE, I DID LIGHTLY STRIKE THE BACK OF A VEHICLE THAT STOPPED AHEAD OF ME AT THE TRAFFIC SIGNAL. THE CAR I HIT DID NOT RECEIVE ANY DAMAGE. MY CAR THOUGH HAD A GRILL PIECE PUNCTURE THE AIR CONDITIONER ITEM THAT HOLDS ITS LIQUID.