2000 MERCURY SABLE Vehicle Speed Controlaccelerator Pedal Problems

WHILE STOPPING AT A STOP SIGN VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED. CONSUMER FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE PEDAL WHEN THE ACCELERATION OCCURRED. CONSUMER IMMEDIATELY PUT THE VEHICLE INTO NEUTRAL. THIS STOPPED THE ACCELERATION. THEN, CONSUMER REVERSED THE VEHICLE SLIGHTLY AND TILTED THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE RIGHT BEFORE PUTTING THE VEHICLE BACK INTO DRIVE AND ACCELERATING.*AK

WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP, VEHICLE JERKED/SURGED INTO A GEAR AND SUDDENLY ACCELERATED. PH ABS POSSILBY CAUSED BRAKES TO PULSATE WHEN COMING TO A STOP. *TT

BRAKE PEDAL AND GAS PEDAL ARE TOO CLOSE TOGETHER. WHEN VEHICLE IS IN REVERSE AND THEY PUT FOOT ON THE BRAKES THEY HIT GAS PEDAL, AND VEHICLE LAUNCHES BACK. ALSO, WHEN DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY.*AK

CONSUMER PRESSES GAS/BRAKE PEDAL AT THE SAME TIME BECAUSE THEY ARE TO CLOSE. *AK *MJ

THE LOCATION OF THE BRAKE AND ACCELERATOR ARE TOO CLOSE AND ARE AT THE SAME HEIGHT. ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS WHILE STOPPING THE FOOT STAYS ON PART OF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND ACTUALLY INCREASES THE ENGINE SPEED WHILE TRYING TO BRING THE VEHICLE TO A COMPLETE STOP. WHEN LOOKING AT THE LOCATION OF THE TWO PEDALS IT LOOKS LIKE A DESIGN ISSUE. THIS VEHICLE IS DRIVEN BY THREE PERSONS AND ALL HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. DISCUSSED THIS WITH THE DEALER REPRESENTATIVE AND HE INDICATED NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE (BREAKING SYSTEM) AND IT WAS SOMETHING THE DRIVERS WOULD HAVE TO BE AWARE OF WHEN STOPPING THIS VEHICLE.*AK

SEVERAL TIMES I'VE APPLIED THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE CAR CONTINUED TO MOVE FORWARD, IT IS MY BELIEF THAT THE BRAKE AND ACCELERATOR PEDALS MAY BE TOO CLOSE.*AK

AFTER READING A RECENT NEWS ARTICLE ABOUT THIS SAFETY CONCERN I WANTED TO REPORT MY EXPERIENCE WITH MY 2000 MERCURY SABLE IN INTEREST IN HAVING THE DESIGN FLAW FIXED. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO STOP AT AN INTERSECTION BY STEPPING ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE GAS PEDAL ALSO BECAME PRESSED CAUSING THE CAR TO ACCELERATE AND LUNGE FORWARD AS THE BRAKING ACTION AND ACCELERATION ACTION OPPOSED EACH OTHER. I'M CONCERNED THAT INHERENT IN THE CARS' DESIGN THE PEDALS ARE LOCATED TOO CLOSE TOGETHER, CREATING A SAFETY CONCERN. I WAS ABLE TO REACT QUICKLY ENOUGH TO PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND STOP THE CAR BEFORE HITTING THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. . ONLY TO REALIZE AFTER THE FACT THAT WHAT HAD HAPPENED IS THAT MY FOOT WAS PRESSING BOTH PEDALS WHILE ATTEMPTING TO STOP. CAR HAS ADJUSTABLE PEDALS.*AK

PE 02 035: BRAKE/ACCELERATOR PEDAL SEPARATION: "ADJUSTABLE PEDAL;" WHILE APPLYING BRAKE PEDAL, FOOT SIMULTANEOUSLY APPLIED TO THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND FORCED VEHICLE INTO A REAR END COLLISION. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED AT THIS TIME. *AK *YD

WHILE PULLING OUT OF A GAS STATION CONSUMER TRIED TO STEP ON THE BRAKE, BUT INSTEAD HIT BOTH, GAS PEDAL AND THE BRAKE PEDAL, AND RAN INTO A TELEPHONE POST.*AK

BRAKE AND GAS PEDALS ARE DESIGNED TOO CLOSELY TOGETHER. DRIVER CAN APPLY BOTH AT SAME TIME OR GAS PEDAL WHEN INTENDING TO APPLY BRAKES. *AK

CONSUMER STATES POWER ADJUSTABLE PEDALS ON HIS VEHICLE, WHICH HE BELIEVE WERE DESIGNED TO CLOSE TOGETHER, CONSUMERS FOOT ENGAGED BOTH PEDALS RESULTING IN ACCELERATION AND ACCIDENT ON TWO OCCASSIONS. *JB

GAS AND BRAKE PEDALS ARE TOO CLOSE TOGETHER WHEN EITHER ACCELERATING OR BRAKING. THIS CAUSES A PROBLEM WITH BRAKING OR ACCELERATION. FOOT CAN ENGAGE BOTH PEDALS AT ONCE. CAN OR WILL CAUSE AN ACCIDENT. DEALERSHIP AND MANUFACTURER INDICATED NOTHING COULD BE DONE.*AK

ADJUSTABLE GAS AND BRAKE PEDALS TOO CLOSE-TURNING INTO SPACE OR PULLING INTO GARAGE-IF NOT TO LEFT SIDE OF BRAKE PEDAL-TENDENCY TO ALSO APPLY GAS SAME TIME AS BRAKE-CAR LUNGES FORWARD/CAN CAUSE AN ACCIDENT IF DO NOT REACT QUICKLY. NEED TO CHANGE SHAFT ON BRAKE PEDAL TO BEND IT FURHER TO LEFT TO PROVIDE MORE SPACE FROM THE GAS PEDAL. *AK

GAS PEDAL KEEPS STICKING, CAUSING VEHICLE TO IDLES HIGH . CURRENTLY AT DEALER. *AK

BRAKE PEDAL AND ACCELERATOR PEDAL ARE SIDE BY SIDE DUE TO A NEW DESIGN FEATURE THAT LOWERS OR RAISES BRAKE PEDAL AND ACCELERATOR PEDAL, CAUSING PEDAL MISAPPLICATION.*AK *SLC

BRAKE AND ACCELERATOR PEDALS ARE MADE TOO CLOSE TOGETHER, CAUSING PEDAL MISAPPLICATION. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK

GAS AND BRAKE PEDALS ARE TOO CLOSE TOGETHER TO DESTINGUISH WHICH IS WHICH BECAUSE IF CONSUMER WOULD PUT FOOT DOWN ON THE PEDAL THERE WOULD BE A PROBLEM. *AK

REPORTING DESIGN FLAW WITH ACCELERATOR AND BRAKE PEDALS. CONSUMER BELIEVED THAT THE TWO PEDALS ARE TOO CLOSE AND THE BRAKE PEDAL DOES NOT SIT HIGH ENOUGH, THIS CONDITION CAUSES A PROBLEM WHEN APPLYING THE THE BRAKE--ALSO APPLIED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AT SAME TIME. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THE WAY THE VEHICLE WAS MADE, AND NOTHING ELSE COULD BE DONE AT THIS TIME. *AK *ML

WHILE DRIVING ON CITY STREET TRAVELING 20MPH, WENT TO ADJUST THE POWER ADJUSTABLE PEDAL WHICH IS LOCATED ON THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT. INSTEAD, HIT THE BUTTON AND CAUSED VEHICLE TO ACCELERATE UNEXPECTEDLY. THERE WAS NO SAFETY LOCK FEATURE. THERE IS A POTENTIAL RISK INVOLVED. CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER AND CONSUMER UNION. IN THE OWNERS MANUAL THERE IS A SMALL MENTION OF NOT USING THE ADJUSTABLE PEDAL FEATURE WHILE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION. *AK