2003 Ford Escape VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

I WAS DRIVING TO WORK ON A 4 LANE URBAN STREET (ON A RAINY DAY) AND APPROACHED AS "S" CURVE. I LIFTED MY FOOT FROM THE GAS PEDAL TO SLOW DOWN AND THE CAR JUST KEPT GOING FORWARD AND SLID INTO THE NEXT LANE TO THE LEFT. NOT REALIZING WHAT WAS GOING ON, I GENTLY APPLIED THE BRAKES AND THE CAR CONTINUED TO MOVE FORWARD AND SLID TWO LANES TO THE RIGHT. THE CAR WOULDN'T SLOW DOWN, MADE A 90 DEGREE TURN AND CROSSED ALL 4 LANES AND HIT A CONCRETE ABUTMENT, GOING UP THE ABUTMENT UNTIL I THOUGHT THE CAR WOULD GO OVER IT. THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED AND THEN THE CAR CAME DOWN FROM THE ABUTMENT, SLID BACKWARDS SO THE REAR END THEN HIT THE ABUTMENT AND THEN THE CAR FLEW ALL THE WAY ACROSS THE FOUR LANES WHERE IT STOPPED, FACING TRAFFIC. ONLY BECAUSE OF GOOD LUCK AND IT BEING EARLY IN THE MORNING DID THE CAR HIT NO OTHER VEHICLES. THE DAMAGE EXCEEDED TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS. JUST LAST WEEK I RECEIVED THE RECALL ABOUT THE ACCELERATOR CABLE. THE CAR IS STILL IN THE SHOP (OVER 7 WEEKS LATER) AND WILL THEN GO TO A DEALER TO HAVE THE CABLE REPLACED. HOWEVER, MY CAR'S VALUE HAS SIGNIFICANTLY PLUMMETED. I WILL PURSUE THIS WITH FORD.*AK

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE INADVERTENTLY ACCELERATED. THIS RESULTED IN A HEAD ON COLLISION WITH A TREE. THE CAUSE OF THIS IS UNDETERMINED. *NM

ACCELERATOR PEDAL STICKS, FROM A STOPPED POSITION. VERY HARD TO PUSH THEN THE TRUCK JERKS FORWARD. *JB

ACCELERATOR PEDAL STICKS. WHEN PLACING VEHICLE INTO GEAR CONSUMER MUST APPLY PRESSURE TO ACCELERATOR TO RELEASE IT. SUBSEQUENTLY, IT RELEASES SUDDENLY IN A WAY WHICH CAUSES SUDDEN ACCELERATION. WHEN CONDITIONS ARE ICY THIS COMMON PROBLEM WILL EVENTUALLY GET SOMEONE KILLED. *AK

ON 10/15/04 I HAD JUST ENTERED A 6 LANE INTERSTATE (HIGH SPEED URBAN TRAFFIC) AND HAD TO QUICKLY MOVE OVER 3 LANES AS THE RIGHT 2 LANES WERE EXIT ONLY ABOUT ONE HALF MILE FROM MY ENTRANCE POINT. AFTER ACCELERATING TO MERGE INTO A GAP TO THE LEFT I FOUND THAT THE CAR WAS CONTINUING TO ACCELERATE EVEN THOUGH I WAS NOT DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR, AND WAS ABOUT TO REAR END A FLATBED TRUCK. THE BRAKES HAD LITTLE EFFECT ON SLOWING THE CAR. AFTER SOME VIOLENT MANEUVERING AND SEVERAL NEAR COLLISIONS I WAS ABLE TO GET TO THE SHOULDER AND SWITCH THE IGNITION OFF. THE CAR WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP, WHERE THEY FOUND THE PROBLEM WAS A DEFECTIVE ACCELERATOR CABLE. THE PLASTIC COVERING HAD FRAYED/DISINTEGRATED, JAMMING THE CABLE SUCH THAT THE THROTTLE RETURN SPRING(S) WERE UNABLE TO CLOSE THE THROTTLE. THE SERVICE WRITER SAID HE HAD NOT SEEN THIS PROBLEM BEFORE. HOWEVER, I DID A CURSORY SEARCH ON THE NHTSA WEBSITE AND FOUND A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF SIMILAR AND IDENTICAL INCIDENTS (ONLY SEARCHED 2003 MODEL YEAR AND ONLY "VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL: ACCELERATOR PEDAL" COMPONENT). THERE WERE 8 INCIDENTS THAT WERE CLEARLY THE RESULT OF DEFECTIVE ACCELERATOR CABLES (10068000, 10015965, 10047388, 10023519, 10051175, 10024424, 10026817 AND 10082787) AND 6 THAT WERE PROBABLY/POSSIBLY THE RESULT OF DEFECTIVE ACCELERATOR CABLES (10018602, 10043060, 10062971, 10015506, 10092028 AND 10040552). THE SERIOUSNESS AND NUMBER OF INCIDENTS WOULD SEEM TO WARRANT INVESTIGATION/RECALL. I REQUESTED THE DEFECTIVE CABLE FROM THE SERVICE WRITER, BUT HE INDICATED THAT AS IT WAS A WARRANTY ITEM IT HAD TO BE RETURNED TO FORD. HOWEVER, I DID TAKE 2 PICTURES IF THEY WOULD BE OF ANY HELP.*AK

WHEN STOPPING AT A STOP SIGN, THE VEHICLE RACED AND SURGED INTO THE INTERSECTION. DEALER STATED THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK *JB

WHILE DRIVING FROM I66 TO VA28 N AFTER REGAINING 60 MPH THE CAR KEPT SPEEDING UP, APPLIED BRAKES BUT BRAKES OVERHEATED AND CAR KEPT GAINING SPEED. THEN REALIZED GAS PEDAL WAS STUCK OPEN AND WOULD NOT RELEASE. SHUT ENGINE DOWN, RESTARTED AND QUICKLY MOVED TO RIGHT SIDE OF ROAD (HAD TO, CROSS 2 LANES OF TRAFFIC) RATHER DANGEROUS SITUATION. HAD CAR TOWED TO FORD DEALER WHO SAID THEY WOULD REPLACE THROTTLE CABLE. THEY SAID CABLE BECAME JAMMED. I CAN FIND NO RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM IN THE ONLINE DATABASE. I THINK THIS COULD BE A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION TO A LESS EXPERIENCED DRIVER AND PERHAPS NEED TO BE INVESTIGATED.*AK

THE ACCELARATOR CABLE ON MY 2003 FORD ESCAPE STUCK AT 65 MPH. THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO REV UNTIL I WAS ABLE TO STOP. I WAS ONLY ABLE TO STOP BY VERY HARD BRAKING AND THEN TURNED THE ENGINE OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO MIKE CASTRUCCI FORD IN MILFORD, OHIO. IT WAS LIKE TRYING TO BRAK WHILE I HAVE TO GAS FLOORED. VERY DANGEROUS.*AK

ON MY WAY TO WORK YESTERDAY, I WAS EXITING THE HIGHWAY ONTO AN OFF-RAMP. I DID NOT HAVE THE GAS PEDAL PRESSED, YET THE TRUCK WAS ACCELERATING TO SPEEDS OVER 70 MPH. I TRIED PRESSING ON THE BRAKES, BUT THAT DID NOT STOP THE TRUCK. I FINALLY PUT THE TRUCK IN NEUTRAL IN ORDER TO AVOID AN ACCIDENT. WHILE SITTING AT THE INTERSECTION WAITING FOR THE LIGHT TO CHANGE, STILL IN NEUTRAL, THE TRUCK'S ENGINE WAS REVVING HIGHER & HIGHER. THE TRUCK WAS LITERALLY ROCKING BACK & FORTH. WHEN THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN, I PUT THE TRUCK IN DRIVE & IT RACED ON. I WAS VERY CAREFUL TO ALLOW AMPLE SPACE IN-BETWEEN MY TRUCK & OTHER DRIVERS. I HAD 2 OTHER INTERSECTIONS TO GO THROUGH BEFORE ARRIVING AT MY WORK LOCATION. I WOULD CONTINUE TO PUT THE TRUCK IN NEUTRAL WHILE SITTING AT AN INTERSECTION. THIS WAS A VERY SCARY EXPERIENCE. IF I HADN'T OF REACTED SO QUICKLY, I WOULD HAVE CRASHED INTO OTHER VEHICLES AND WOULD HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. I WAS LUCKY THAT THIS DID NOT OCCUR WHILE I WAS IN THE STOP & GO TRAFFIC CLOSER TO MY HOME. THIS EXPERIENCE SHOOK ME UP FOR QUITE SOME TIME. I CONTACTED THE NEAREST FORD DEALER & WAS TOLD TO CONTACT FORD'S ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE TO HAVE THE TRUCK TOWED TO THE DEARLERSHIP. WITHIN MINUTES THE TOW TRUCK ARRIVED & TOOK MY TRUCK TO THE DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE THROTTLE CABLE UNDER WARRANTY & WITHIN A FEW HOURS, I WAS DRIVING MY TRUCK AGAIN. AFTER THE REPLACEMENT, THERE SEEMED TO BE NO RESISTANCE WHILE PUSHING THE GAS PEDAL. THEREFORE, I DID NOT NOTICE THIS PROBLEM THAT WAS ABOUT TO EXPLODE. AFTER MY EXPERIENCE, I NOW SEE THERE HAVE BEEN OTHER CASES SUCH AS MINE. I WAS LUCKY. HOW MANY OTHERS WON'T BE?

TO START, MY VEHICLE IS A 2003 FORD ESCAPE WITH 36,000 MILES. IT IS A COMPANY VEHICLE THAT I'M ABLE TO USE PROFESSIONALLY AND PERSONALLY. I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM A QUICK TRIP TO TOWN AND THE ACCELERATOR BEGAN TO HAVE A MIND OF ITS OWN. I WAS TRAVELING ON THE INTERSTATE AND THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE WITHOUT PUSHING ON THE GAS. LUCKILY I ACTED QUICKLY AND WAS ABLE TO PUT THE TRUCK IN NEUTRAL AND PULL OVER TO THE SIDE SAFELY. I TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF AND LOOKED TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANYTHING ON THE FLOORBOARD THAT WAS CAUSING CONSTANT ACCELERATION, THERE WASN'T. I TURNED THE VEHICLE BACK ON TO SEE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN AND THE RPM'S SORED TO 4 WITH BEING IN PARK. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THIS VEHICLE HAD PERFORMED IN THIS MANNER. I MUST SAY THAT THIS WAS VERY FRIGHTNING. I WASN'T SURE I WAS GOING TO BE ABLE TO STOP.*AK

WHEN DRIVING OUR 2003 FORD ESCAPE, THE CAR'S ENGINE SPEED WOULD SUDDENLY JUMP FROM 1,500 RPMS TO AS HIGH AS 4,000+ RPMS WHILE BRAKING. SAME DEAL WHILE TRYING TO COAST TO A STOP - THE PEDAL SEEMED TO BE STUCK IN POSITION AND ENGINE RPMS WOULD NOT DECREASE. THE CAR WAS NURSED TO THE CLOSEST TOWN AND TAKEN TO A FORD DEALERSHIP FIRST THING IN THE MORNING. THE SHOP FOREMAN DID AN ON-THE-SPOT DIAGNOSIS WITHOUT TAKING A REAL LOOK UNDER THE HOOD STATING THAT THE PROBLEM WAS MOST LIKELY DUE TO THE ACCELERATOR CABLE BINDING. THERE WAS ADDITIONAL DAMAGE TO THE CAR'S BRAKES. WE ASKED FOR AN APPRAISAL OF THE BRAKES, AND FOUR INDIVIDUAL FORD PERSONNEL (ONE SHOP FOREMAN, ONE DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT MANAGER, AND TWO SEPARATE FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE PERSONNEL) STATED THE DAMAGE SUSTAINED WAS UNNECESSARY WEAR DIRECTLY CAUSED BY A DEFECTIVE ACCELERATOR CABLE. HOWEVER, NONE OF THE PEOPLE ASSOCIATED WITH FORD WERE WILLING TO REPLACE THE DAMAGED BRAKES UNDER WARRANTY. THE FINAL PERSON WE SPOKE WITH WENT SO FAR AS TO PUT THE RESPONSIBILITY ON THE SHOULDERS OF THE DEALERSHIP THAT SOLD US THE CAR. THE ANALOGY GIVEN WAS THAT ALL FORD DEALERSHIPS ARE COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT, AND THAT ANY PROBLEMS WITH A FORD VEHICLE IS THE DIRECT RESPONSIBILITY OF THE SELLING DEALERSHIP. UNFORTUNATELY THIS INCIDENT HAPPENED WHEN WE WERE RELOCATING FROM THE EAST COAST TO ALASKA. IT HAS BEEN OUR EXPERIENCE THAT FORD CARES NOT AT ALL ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO SPEND TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS ON THEIR PRODUCTS - PEOPLE WHO RIGHTLY EXPECT A SAFE AND DEPENDABLE VEHICLE. FORD'S CHIEF CONCERN IS LINING THEIR POCKETS WITH MONEY, AND NOT WITH THE SAFETY OF THE CUSTOMER, THEIR FAMILY, AND THE OTHER PEOPLE ON THE ROAD. *LA

ABOUT 70% OF THE TIME, WHEN I TRY TO START UP FROM A STOP THE ACCELERATOR WILL NOT GO DOWN UNDER GRADUAL PRESSURE. I HAVE TO PUSH HARDER AND HARDER UNTIL THE ACCELERATOR SUDDENLY JERKS DOWN AND THE CAR SURGES AHEAD AT A FAST SPEED. SOMETIMES WHEN THE CAR IS MOVING AND I TRY TO SPEED UP, THE SAME THING HAPPENS. THIS IS VERY ANNOYING ON GOOD ROADS, DIFFICULT TO CONTROL IN STOP AND GO TRAFFIC AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS ON SLIPPERY OR SNOW COVERED ROADS. I TOOK THE CAR IN TO THE DEALERSHIP (GERMAIN FORD OF COLUMBUS) AND THE SERVICE MANAGER SAID THAT THEY HAD RECEIVED MANY COMPLAINTS BUT HAD NO IDEA OF WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. I HAVE JUST PUT A RANDOM DATE DOWN BECAUSE IT HAPPENS EVERY DAY THAT I DRIVE THE CAR. *LA

WHILE AT A STOP WITH FOOT ON BRAKE VEHICLE BEGAN TO ACCELERATE ON ITS OWN. CONSUMER LOST CONTROL AND HIT A BUILDING. *AK

IN MARCH 2003 VEHICLE BEGAN TO HESITATE AND ACCELERATE, MAINTAIN SPEEDS WHILE FOOT OFF THE GAS (ONCE AT 65 MPH), & SHAKE LIKE IT WANTED TO STALL. A COUPLE TIMES IT EVEN SPED UP WHILE I WAS BRAKING AT RED LIGHTS. ON 4-10-03 SERVICE DEPARTMENT COULD NOT DUPLICATE SYMPTOMS SINCE THEY ARE PARTICULARLY EXAGGERATED AFTER PARKED FOR AN HOUR OR SO. STATED THAT I COULD LEAVE IT OVERNIGHT (NO ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION OFFERED) OR WAIT UNTIL ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. SINCE THE CAR DID NOT FEEL SAFE, I BROUGHT IT TO ANOTHER DEALERSHIP WHICH OFFERED ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION. THE PROBLEMS SEEMED TO IMPROVE FOR A WEEK OR 2 BEFORE RETURNING, FOLLOWING EACH OF THE FOLLOWING REPAIRS: 5/16/03 REPLACED THROTTLE BODY/IDLE AIR CONTROL/PCM REPROGRAMING; 6/6/03 REPAIR VACUUM TUBE/HOSE; 6/25/03 REPLACE PCM WITH NEW UPDATED PCM. TWO WEEKS LATER 7/12/03 OPERATION OF POWER LOCKS/WINDOWS, AND REAR WIPERS/DEFROST WERE GOING IN AND OUT WITH DASH ABS, BRAKE, AND BATTERY LIGHTS COMING ON CONCURRENTLY. SERVICE DEPARTMENT COULD NOT DUPLICATE CONCERN UNTIL 9 DAYS LATER WHEN THEY ASKED ME TO COME GET THE VEHICLE. THE SYMPTOMS RETURNED IMMEDIATELY AFTER I STARTED THE CAR UP TO LEAVE. 7/21/03 ALTERNATOR WAS REPLACED. HESITATION, ACCELERATION, SHAKING, AND MAINTAINING SPEEDS, ALTHOUGH NOT AS FREQUENT, CONTINUE AND COULD NOT BE REPRODUCED BY FORD REPRESENTATIVE ON 8/4/03. I AM NOW CONTINUING TO PURSUE LEMON LAW PROCEDURES. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH, VEHICLE ACCELERATED TO 70 MPH AND THE THROTTLE STUCK. DRIVER HAD TO COAST TO A COMPLETE STOP BECAUSE DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL WASN'T SLOWING THE VEHICLE DOWN.*AK

WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS PRESSED SLIGHTLY THE VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD FROM 0-10 MPH. *NLM

BINDING OF ACCELERATOR PEDAL FROM IDLE; PEDAL DIFFICULT AT TIMES [INTERMITTENT PROBLEM] TO PUSH SMOOTHLY, CAUSING UNEVEN AND SUDDEN ACCELERATION. *NLM

GAS PEDAL STUCK AND THERE WA SSUDDEN ACCELERATION. THIS PROBLEM SIMILAR TO ODI 10018602, BUT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED. *AK

GAS PEDAL STICKS AT IDLE WHEN IN GEAR. MUST PRESS WITH INCREASED PRESSURE THEN SUDDENLY RELEASES, LUNGING FORWARD. THIS IS A COMPANY VEHICLE AND EVERYONE ELSE IN THIS COMPANY HAS THE SAME COMPLAINT WITH THIS VEHICLE. *JB

WHEN THE CONSUMER APPLIED THE BRAKES, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR THIS PROBLEM IN MARCH 2003. THE THROTTLE SENSOR WAS REPLACED. *JB