NHTSA Complaint #737481 — 2001 FORD EXCURSION

FAILURE OF CRUISE CONTROL TO CANCEL FROM THE STEERING WHEEL OR FROM THE BRAKE. THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS ACTIVATED AT APPROXIMATELY 65-70 MPH. AFTER APPLYING THE FOOT BRAKE THE VEHICLE FAILED TO DISENGAGE THE CRUISE CONTROL. I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO REDUCE THE SPEED EVEN AS THE RPM CONTINUED TO STAY AT 2000RPM, ALTHOUGH IT TOOK A MUCH GREATER DISTANCE THAN NORMAL. I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO A STOP AND THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO REV AT 2000RPM. THE CANCEL BUTTON ON THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD NOT DISENGAGE THE ENGINE RPM AT 2000, AND NEITHER WOULD THE BRAKE PEDAL. I PULLED TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD AND AND PLACED THE TRANSMISSION IN PARK, AND THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO REV AT 2000RPM. I APPLIED MORE FUEL AND WAS ABLE TO REV THE ENGINE BETWEEN 2000 AND 3000RPM ONLY. THE CANCEL BUTTON ON THE STEERING WHEEL CONTINUED TO BE INOPERABLE. FINALLY, AT ONE POINT, I RELEASED MY FOOT FROM THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE RPM THEN DROPPED TO THE NORMAL IDLE RANGE. I THEN OPENED THE HOOD AND INSPECTED THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT BUT WAS UNABLE TO SEE ANYTHING SIGNIFICANT TO HAVE CAUSED THIS TO HAVE OCCURRED. I CONSIDER MYSELF QUITE LUCKY TO HAVE BEEN IN THE PARTICULAR DRIVING SITUATION WHERE I HAD AMPLE ROOM TO BRING THE VEHICLE TO A STOP WITHOUT HAVING BEEN INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT OR TO HAVE INVOLVED OTHERS IN AN ACCIDENT. MY SUSPICIONS ARE THAT THE CODE THAT MONITORS THE SWITCHES WAS SOMEHOW CONFUSED. I HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO COVERT FORD WHERE IT HAS BEEN SINCE 11/14/2000. YESTERDAY, I AM TOLD, A FMC TECHNICAL REP HAS LOOKED OVER THE VEHICLE. TO DATE NO ONE ELSE , I AM TOLD, HAS BEEN ABLE TO REPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME REPORTING THIS PROBLEM. THE INITIAL REPORT WAS IDENTIFIED BY NHTSA AS "ODI-735-005" BUT THE REPORT DOES NOT APPEAR ON YOUR DATABASES. *AK