NHTSA Complaint #11082595 — 2007 FORD TAURUS

(SENT TO FORD) THIS LETTER SERVES TO INFORM YOU OF A SERIOUS MECHANICAL DEFECT. I DRIVE A 2007 FORD TAURUS SEL [XXX] WITH APPROXIMATELY 162,500 MILES. THE CAR IS IN GOOD SHAPE AND HAS REGULAR MAINTENANCE. WE ALSO OWN A FORD MUSTANG, FORD FOCUS, AND FORD F-150. WE HAVE BEEN REGULAR FORD CUSTOMERS FOR YEARS. TODAY I DROVE MY CAR ON THE INTERSTATE FOR A FEW MINUTES BEFORE SOMETHING WAS APPARENTLY VERY WRONG. I SPED UP TO MERGE WITH TRAFFIC AND SUDDENLY THE CAR CONTINUED ACCELERATING, EVEN WITH MY FOOT OFF THE GAS. I USED THE BRAKE TO SLOW DOWN A BIT, BUT IT WOULD NOT SLOW DOWN ENOUGH. FROM THERE I BEGAN HAVING A PANIC ATTACK. I WASN'T SURE IF I COULD GET OUT OF TRAFFIC WITHOUT HITTING SOMEONE AND OFF THE EXIT RAMP. WITHOUT GOING INTO ALL THE DETAILS, I MANAGED TO USE THE EXIT LANE AND SOMEWHAT SAFELY STOP THE CAR AT AN ABANDONED GAS STATION. UPON TRYING TO BRING THE CAR TO A FULL STOP, I USED THE PARKING BRAKE AND PUT THE CAR IN PARK. THE ENGINE ROARED AND THE RPMS SKYROCKETED TO 4,000 BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO TURN THE CAR OFF. HAD THIS NOT BEEN A MONDAY EARLY AFTERNOON WITHOUT MUCH TRAFFIC ON A SUNNY DAY, I DON?T KNOW IF THIS STORY WOULD HAVE ENDED AS WELL. I TRULY FEARED FOR MY LIFE AND THOSE ON THE ROAD WITH ME. IT IS CLEAR AFTER THE FACT THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL LINKAGE CAME OFF. (I HAVE NEVER USED THE CRUISE CONTROL IN THIS CAR, INCLUDING TODAY.) LOOKING AT THIS I CANNOT IMAGINE HOW FORD COULD DESIGN SOMETHING SO CLEARLY DESIGNED TO FAIL. WHEN THE GAS IS PUSHED, POSSIBLY IN EXCESS TO ENTER A BUSY INTERSTATE, THE PLASTIC ASSEMBLY IS PUSHED TO THE POINT THAT IT WILL EVENTUALLY FAIL. I DEMAND A FULL INVESTIGATION OF THIS SO THAT NO ONE ELSE'S LIFE WILL BE ENDANGERED AS MINE WAS TODAY. I HAVE YET TO FULLY RECOVER THIS HIGHLY EMOTIONAL EVENT. I WOULD APPRECIATE A COPY OF YOUR INVESTIGATIVE FINDINGS. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR