NHTSA Complaint #11171235 — 2013 FORD TAURUS

OUR 2013, 6 CYL FORD TAURUS LIMITED AWD HAS BEEN DRIVEN 67,004 FAIRLY TROUBLE-FREE MILES NEEDING ONLY ORDINARY MAINTENANCE. THE ONLY NOTABLE REPAIR WAS THE REPLACEMENT OF A FAILED FUEL PUMP CONTROL MODULE ABOUT SEVEN MONTHS AGO. ON THE EVENING OF JANUARY 20TH, 2019, MY WIFE AND I WERE RETURNING HOME AFTER COMPLETING A 40-MINUTE DRIVE. WE BRIEFLY STOPPED, WAITING FOR OUR GARAGE DOOR TO OPEN COMPLETELY AND PROCEEDED NORMALLY UP OUR DRIVEWAY, WHICH IS ON ABOUT A 10-DEGREE INCLINE. AS WE APPROACHED THE LEVEL FLOOR OF OUR GARAGE, THE MOTOR RAPIDLY REVVED UP, LUNGING THE VEHICLE FORWARD. LUCKILY, THE BRAKES HELD THE CAR BACK, WHILE THE ENGINE RACED LOUDLY AND VERY FAST. THE PROCESS OF THIS SUDDEN AND BRIEFLY CONTINUOUS ACCELERATION HAPPENED WITHOUT ANY PRESSURE ON, OR OBSTRUCTION OF THE GAS PEDAL. THE ENGINE BRIEFLY WENT INTO EVEN A HIGHER AND LOUDER RPM STATE AFTER I QUICKLY SHIFTED THE TRANSMISSION INTO NEUTRAL, WHILE APPLYING STRONG PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL. LUCKILY THE CAR WAS STOPPED SAFELY, BUT IT LEFT MY WIFE AND ME QUITE DISTRESSED AND CONCERNED. WE MADE AN APPOINTMENT FOR OUR MECHANIC TO INVESTIGATE THIS MYSTERIOUS ISSUE. IF I WERE TO SPECULATE ON THE CAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM BASED ON MY EXPERIENCE, I WOULD VENTURE A GUESS THAT PERHAPS SOMETHING MAY NOT BE RIGHT WITH THE PROCESS THAT IS DESIGNED TO DETECT AND PREVENT ENGINE STALLING. IT SEEMS TO ME, THAT WHEN OUR CAR COASTED UP TO THE GARAGE AT THE END OF OUR DRIVEWAY, THE ENGINE SLOWED DOWN TO A NEAR STALL AND THEN REVVED UP INTENSELY ON ITS OWN, GIVING ME AND MY WIFE QUITE A SCARE.