NHTSA Complaint #11133476 — 2006 FORD MUSTANG GT

THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE BODY AND ELECTRONIC THROTTLE SENSOR WERE SENDING MY CAR INTO "LIMP MODE", AND VERY NEARLY CAUSED TWO ACCIDENTS BEFORE I COULD HAVE THE ISSUE DIAGNOSED AND REPAIRED. THE FIRST INSTANCE OF "LIMP MODE" CAME WHILE I WAS DRIVING HOME ON THE FREEWAY IN COMMUTE TRAFFIC. IT WAS WARM, TRAFFIC WAS ERRATIC STOP-AND-GO, AND I HAD THE AC ON. AFTER A PERIOD OF COASTING AT IDLE, TRAFFIC OPENED UP; BUT WHEN I TRIED TO ACCELERATE THE CAR STAGGERED AND NEARLY STALLED. I THOUGHT IT WAS DUE TO HEAT AND THE AC. THE CAR THEN JERKED FORWARD BEFORE RUNNING SMOOTHLY AGAIN. THE SECOND TIME, I WAS ON MY WAY TO WORK, AGAIN IN FREEWAY COMMUTE TRAFFIC. TRAFFIC WAS AT A STOP FOR SEVERAL MINUTES, AND THEN I HEARD A NEWS REPORT THAT THERE WERE ACCIDENTS AHEAD. I MOVED OVER TO THE 4TH LANE OF 5, IN PREPARATION FOR EXITING AT THE NEXT OFF RAMP. WHEN I TRIED TO PULL OUT AND SPEED UP INTO THAT LANE, THE CAR AGAIN STAGGERED AND THEN STALLED; I MANAGED TO RE-START IT AND GET MOVING AGAIN AS A TRUCK CAME RACING TOWARDS ME, WITH THE DRIVER HITTING HIS BRAKES AND HORN. I BARELY AVOIDED A CRASH.