NHTSA Complaint #763172 — 2001 FORD TAURUS

ENGINE RACES TO 3500-4500 RPM WITH FOOT OFF OF ACCELERATOR AND USUALLY WHILE ON BRAKE, HOT OR COLD, IN OR OUT OF GEAR, WHILE DRIVING, STOPPED, OR PARKED. HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH PEDAL SPACING, HAS OCCURRED OFTEN ENOUGH TO VERIFY THAT FOOT WAS EITHER COMPLETELY OFF ACCELERATOR OR COMPLETELY ON BRAKES. OCCURS RANDOMLY AND WITHOUT WARNING, USUALLY AROUND 40 MPH IN CITY STYLE DRIVING. HAS BEEN SERVICED THREE (3) TIMES, HAS NOT BEEN DUPLICATED BY FORD SERVICE TECHS, NOR HAS THE PROBLEM BEEN RESOLVED. HAPPENS BOTH WITH THE SPEED CONTROL CABLE ATTACHED OR DETACHED FROM THE THROTTLE BODY. PEDAL IS NOT JAMMING ON FLOOR MAT OR ANY OTHER FOOTWELL OBSTRUCTIONS. HAS OCCURRED WHILE STOPPED AT A STOPLIGHT, REQUIRED EXTREME BRAKING EFFORT TO KEEP VEHICLE STATIONARY, RESOLVED WHEN ACCELERATOR DEPRESSED ON GREEN LIGHT. HAS ALSO OCCURRED DRIVING INTO NEIGHBORHOOD, RODE BRAKES UNTIL I GOT TO MY DRIVEWAY WHERE HEAVY BRAKING WAS APPLIED AND CAR PUT IN PARK AND IGNITION QUICKLY TURNED OFF. DURING DRIVE THRU NEIGHBORHOOD WHILE ENGINE RACING WAS OCCURING, NUMEROUS ATTEMPTS WERE MADE TO RESOLVE PROBLEM BY PUTTING VEHICLE IN NUETRAL, BUT HAD NO EFFECT. VEHICLE WAS REENTERED AFTER SITTING IN DRIVEWAY FOR APPROX 30-60 MINUTES. BRAKE PEDAL DEPRESSED, IGNITION TURNED ON, FOOT REMAINED ON BRAKE TO PUT VEHICLE IN REVERSE, IMMEDIATLEY UPON PUTTING VEHICLE IN REVERSE THROTTLE RACED AND THREW VEHICLE 1.5-2 CAR LENGTHS BACKWARDS BEFORE CONTORL WAS RESUMED BY FIRMLY APPLYING BRAKES. DURING THIS INCIDENT, FOOT WAS NEVER REMOVED FROM BRAKE PEDAL. CAR QUICKLY SHUT OFF, AND SCENARIO WAS REPEATED BY FATHER, CAR BROUGHT UNDER CONTROL AGIAN, AND PROBLEM RESOLVED BY APPLYING ACCELARATOR WHILE IN NEUTRAL. OTHER INCIDENTS HAVE OCCURED WHILE REMOVING FOOT FROM ACCELARATOR AND COASTING. OBVIOUSLY IT IS NOT ALWAYS SAFE TO RESOLVE PROBLEM BY ACCELERATING, AND IS AN INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS PROBLEM.