NHTSA Complaint #11162600 — 2005 FORD TAURUS

FIRST TIME (OCT 2018): WHILE DRIVING ON FREEWAY CAR KEPT ACCELERATING WITHOUT MY FOOT ON ACCELERATOR. I HAD TO BRAKE TO SLOW WITHIN ACCEPTABLE SPEED. WITHIN 10 MINUTES THE PROBLEM STOPPED OCCURRING. I TOOK IT TO MECHANIC & HE COULD NOT FIND ANY PROBLEM OR REPLICAT THE PROBLEM. 2ND TIME (OCT 12, 2018, 4 DAYS AFTER BEING ST MECHANIC) & 400 MILES AWAY FROM HOME-- I WAS DRIVING ON SURFACE STREET IN THE CITY, ACCELERATION HAPPENED AGAIN WITHOUT ANY USE OF ACCELERATOR. I HAD TO BRAKE & GET TO SIDE OF STREET, PUT IN PARK & TURN OFF ENGINE. WAITED 10 MINUTES & TRIED AGAIN. PROBLEM REMEDIED. WE LOOKED ON INTERNET & FOUND "UNINTENDED ACCELERATION" PROBLEM WITH SAME MAKE & YEAR DUE TO CRUISE CONTROL CABLE COMING OFF THE THROTTLE CONTROL & GETTING IN THE WAY OF THROTTLE TRYING TO CLOSE. TOOK IT TO MECHANIC, TOLD THEM TO LOOK FOR THIS PROBLEM WITH CRUISE & THROTTLE, & THEY SAID THEY WOULD CHECK. THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT REPLICATE THE UI BUT ASCRIBED IT TO SOMETHING ELSE & CHARGED ME OVER $400, SO I COULD DRIVE BACK 400 MILES TO HOME SAFELY. 3RD TIME- WITHIN 7 DAYS, SAME ACCELERATION HAPPENED AFTER JUST LEAVING HOME, DRIVING IN CITY. HAPPENED RIGHT WAY, THROTTLED REALLY HIGH RPM'S & SO I SHIFTED TO NEUTRAL TO STOP. TRIED IT AGAIN OVER NEXT 24 HOURS & PROBLEM CONTINUED. TRIED IT 2 DAYS LATER WHEN TAKING IT TO MECHANIC & IT HAD RESOLVED SO I COULD DRIVE IT THERE. TOLD FORD MECHANIC ABOUT THE INTERNET EXPLANATION. INDEED, THAT IS WHAT THEY FOUND: THE CRUISE CONTROL CABLE WAS OFF THE THROTTLE CONTROL. WAS PINCHING AGAINST THE THROTTLE, CAUSING IT TO STAY OPEN. THEY TRI ED TO GET THE PART, BUT WERE UNABLE. SO THEY USED A CABLE TIE TO SECURE IT IN PLACE. THAT HAS BEEN ALMOST A MONTH AGO, & I HAVE NOT HAD THE UNINTENDED ACCELERATION OCCUR SINCE.