NHTSA Complaint #11415317 — 2015 FORD FIESTA

ON APRIL 11, 2021, THE 2015 FORD FIESTA I WAS DRIVING UNINTENTIONALLY ACCELERATED INTO A COMMERCIAL BUILDING AT A SHOPPING MALL. THE CAR HAD TWO INCIDENTS OF ACCELERATING WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKE PRIOR TO THE FINAL INCIDENT WHERE THE CAR RAN INTO A WALL AND WAS TOTALED. THE CAR HAD NEVER EXHIBITED ANY BRAKING OR ACCELERATION ISSUES BEFORE THIS DAY. THE FIRST INCIDENT, I WAS SLOWING DOWN TO GO OVER A SPEED BUMP. AS I WAS APPLYING THE BRAKE, THE CAR JERKED FORWARD THEN STOPPED. IT DROVE AS NORMAL THROUGH TRAFFIC FOR THE NEXT 8 MILES. I WAS CLOSE TO MY DESTINATION, AS I WAS APPLYING THE BRAKE AT A STOP LIGHT, THE CAR SPED UP AND STOPPED WHEN I PULLED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE. AGAIN, THE CAR DROVE FINE FOR THE NEXT MILE. I WAS VERY AWARE WHILE I WAS PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE. NEITHER THE BRAKE OR ACCELERATOR WAS APPLIED AS I WAS COASTING INTO A SPACE. AS I APPLIED THE BRAKE, THE CAR SPED UP, JUMPED THE CURB AND ACCELERATED INTO THE SIDE OF A BUILDING. ACCORDING TO A WITNESS AND SUPPORTED BY PATTERN OF SKID MARKS, AT ONE POINT THE CAR WAS AIRBORNE. WITH THE DISTANCE OF ABOUT 15 FEET BETWEEN THE CURB AND WALL, THERE WAS LITTLE TIME TO REACT. IN MY ATTEMPT TO PULL THE EMERGENCY BRAKE, I INJURED MY THUMB. MY PASSENGER SUSTAINED VARIOUS BRUISES FROM THE SEAT BELT AND THE FRONT DASHBOARD. NEITHER THE DRIVER NOR PASSENGER AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. ACCORDING TO THE BLACK BOX REPORT, THE CAR ACCELERATED FROM 0-100% IN THE FINAL 5 SECONDS AND THE BRAKE WAS APPLIED AT 10%-55%, YET THE CAR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. I DID NOT REMOVE MY FOOT FROM THE BRAKE UNTIL AFTER THE CAR IMPACT, WHICH IS SUPPORTED BY SKID MARKS SHOWN IN PHOTOS. IN AUGUST 2019, FORD MOTOR WAS AWARE OF A TRANSMISSION CLUTCH SHUTTER ISSUE, BUT STILL PROCEEDED WITH SELLING THE CAR TO AN AUCTION. ONE MONTH LATER, I PURCHASED FROM A DEALERSHIP.