NHTSA Complaint #749927 — 2001 FORD FOCUS

I WAS TRAVELING NORTHBOUND ON GA HWY 400 AT 7:30 A.M. TRAFFIC WAS LIGHTER THAN NORMAL, SO I DECIDED TO USE MY CRUISE CONTROL. I SET THE CRUISE AT 70 MPH & DROVE IT FOR APPROX 5 MILES. WHEN I APPROACHED MY EXIT, I PRESSED ON THE BRAKE TO DISENGAGE THE CRUISE. THE CRUISE LIGHT WENT OFF, BUT THE CRUISE DID NOT DISENGAGE. I FOUGHT IT ALL THE WAY UP THE RAMP. I WAS VERY FORTUNATE THAT THE LIGHT WAS GREEN & THERE WERE NO CARS AHEAD OF ME (NORMALLY EXTREMELY BUSY INTERSECTION). I EXITED AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED AS I CONTINUED TO PUMP THE BRAKE. I GOT THE CAR OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, PUT IT IN NEUTRAL & ONCE IT WAS ALMOST STOPPED, PUT IT IN PARK & TURNED IT OFF. EVERY TIME I TURNED IT BACK ON, THE ENGINE REVVED BACK UP LIKE IT WAS TRYING TO REACH THE 70 MPH SPEED IN PARK. I HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALER, WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED AS A BAD SERVO. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN POTENTIALLY FATAL TO ME & OTHERS, HAD THE NORMAL TRAFFIC BACKUP BEEN AT THE OFF RAMP. I COULD HAVE SLAMMED INTO ONE OR MORE OTHER CARS TRYING TO GET MINE STOPPED. I UNDERSTAND THERE ARE RECALLS ON THE 2000 FOCUS CARS, DUE TO DEFECTIVE CRUISE CONTROLS, BUT HAVE SEEN NOTHING ON THE 2001 VEHICLES. NEEDLESS TO SAY, ALTHOUGH I PAID EXTRA FOR CRUISE CONTROL, I WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO TRUST IT ENOUGH TO USE IT AGAIN.*AK