NHTSA Complaint #11112107 — 2006 FORD TAURUS

I WAS DRIVING ON A 2-LANE HIGHWAY WITH A RELATIVELY STEEP DOWNHILL GRADE. I NOTICED THAT THE CAR WAS ACCELERATING EVEN THOUGH I WAS NOT PRESSING THE ACCELERATOR. I THOUGHT AT FIRST THAT IT WAS JUST ACCELERATION DUE TO GRAVITY, BUT I QUICKLY REALIZED THAT THE THROTTLE MUST BE OPEN SINCE I WAS QUICKLY ACCELERATING TO SPEEDS ABOVE 65MPH, AND THE BRAKES WERE NOT AS EFFECTIVE AS THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN IF THE ACCELERATION WERE DUE ONLY TO THE HILL. I SAW A PLACE UP AHEAD TO PULL OVER, BUT I HAD TO PRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL VERY HARD IN ORDER TO SLOW DOWN AND STOP. I PUT THE CAR IN PARK VERY QUICKLY AND TURNED IT OFF SINCE THE ENGINE WAS RACING. THERE WAS A GREAT DEAL OF SMOKE COMING FROM MY FRONT BRAKES, WHICH WAS VERY DISCONCERTING. I LOOKED UNDER THE HOOD AND FOUND THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL CABLE HAD COME UNFASTENED AND HAD CAUSED THE THROTTLE TO STICK OPEN. THIS SEEMS VERY DANGEROUS AND I FEEL FORTUNATE THAT THIS DID NOT CAUSE AN ACCIDENT.