1996 Ford Explorer VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

THE BRACKET HOLDING THE FOOT ACCELERATOR PEDAL ON MY 1996 FORD EXPLORER BROKE OFF WHILE DRIVING THE VEHILE. AS A RESULT OF THIS FAILURE I LOST COMPLETE CONTROL OF THE ABILITY TO ADD FUEL TO THE ENGINE AND ACCELERATE OR HOLD SPEED. THE BRACKET APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN WELDED TO THE FIREWALL AS PART OF THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS. ALL 3 WELDS BROKE. AT THE TIME I WAS NOT DOING ANYTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY AND HAD NOT PUT ANY ABNORMAL STRAIN OR PRESSURE ON THE FOOT FEED PEDAL OR THE BRACKET. THERE IS NO APPEARANCE OF CORROSION SO I SUSPECT THE WELDS FAILED FARILY RECENTLY. IF THIS FAILURE HAD OCCURED AS I WAS PULLING INTO OR ACCROSS TRAFFIC A SERIOUS ACCIDENT COULD HAVE RESULTED. *AK

CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT A CRUISE CONTROL. PROBLEM. AFTER CRUISE CONTROL WAS ACTIVATED VEHICLE KEPT ACCELERATING, AND VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP. DRIVER HAD TO PUT THE VEHICLE IN REVERSE TO GET THE VEHICLE TO STOP. CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP, WHERE THE MECHANIC DISENGAGED THE CRUISE CONTROL.*AK

I WAS DRIVING 75 ON I76 IN COLORADO. I HAD THE SPEED CONTROL SET TO 75 MPH. ALL OF A SUDDEN, I COULDN'T CANCEL SPEED CONTROL AND THE SPEED STARTED INCREASING. I TRIED EVERYTHING TO CANCEL IT - NO LUCK. I SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES AND BROUGHT THE CAR TO A SLOWER SPEED MOVING STRAIGHT BEFORE TURNING THE KEY AND ENGINE OFF - I KNEW THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD LOCK, THAT'S WHY I STRAIGHTENED THE CAR OUT ON THE SHOULDER BEFORE I TURNED IT OFF.*AK

THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING. *NM

RECALL 97V074000 CONCERNING THROTTLE BODY FAILURE. DURING THE WINTER MONTHS WHILE REVVING UP THE ENGINE IT WILL RACE VERY VIOLENTLY. ENGINE WOULD RACE TO THE POINT WHEN IT WOULD BE NECESSARY TO PRESS THE BRAKES REAL HARD TO KEEP THE VEHICLE FROM MOVING FORWARD. THIS HAPPENED TEN TIMES IN 2003 . THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. *AK

UPON ACCELERATING PAST A VEHICLE TO CHANGE LANES, ACCELERATOR PEDAL BECAME STUCK AGAINST FLOOR. BRAKES WERE ABLE TO SLOW VEHICLE DOWN BUT PROBLEM STILL EXISTED. ENGINE HAD TO BE SHUT OFF TO PREVENT FATAL DAMAGE DUE TO ENGINE OVER REVVING AFTER BEING PUT INTO NEUTRAL. NEW PROBLEM WAS POSED AS POWER BRAKES WERE NOT FUNCTIONAL ONCE ENGINE WAS OFF. ABLE TO FINALLY GET VEHICLE TO A SAFE STOP DUE TO LIGHT TRAFFIC. CONTACTED NEARBY DEALERSHIP AND THEY SUGGESTED HITTING THE PEDAL TO BREAK LOOSE. AFTER SEVERAL TRIES VEHICLE RETURNED TO NORMAL. DROVE VERY CAUTIOUSLY HOME. *JB

WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH THE GAS PEDAL FELL OFF. *NLM

WHILE DRIVING THROTTLE PEDAL WILL STICK AND VEHICLE WILL ACCELERATE. COULD HAVE CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. CAUSE UNKNOWN. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK

LAWYER PATRICIA KAUFMANN ON BEHALF OF CLIENT STATES, THE VEHICLE IN QUESTION ACCELERATED UNEXPECTEDLY AND FAILED TO BRAKE WHILE TRAVELING DOWN A STEEP GRADE. *JG (ATTORNEY ON BEHALF OF CLIENT)

CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING 65MPH ON HIGHWAY AND ACCELERATED INTO ANOTHER LANE. ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS STUCK ALL THE WAY TO THE BOTTOM OF FLOOR. THERE WAS A LOUD STREAKING NOISE, AND BOTH FEET WERE ON THE BRAKE. SHE WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER TO THE SHOULDERS, AND VEHICLE HAD TO BE TOWED.*AK

WHILE PARKING THE VEHICLE, IT SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AND CRASHED INTO A GUARDRAIL. UPON IMPACT, BOTH AIR BAGS DID DEPLOY. DEALER/MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED AT THIS TIME. *AK ONE PERSON WAS INJURED IN THE ACCIDENT. *SLC

THROTTLE INCREASES ON ITS OWN AT ANY GIVEN TIME. MOST RECENTLY AT A STOP IN TRAFFIC. MUST APPLY BRAKES HARD TO SOME WHAT CONTROL VEHICLE AND SHIFT TO NEUTRAL OR PARK. THEN RELEASE BRAKE FOR THROTTLE CONTROL TO RETURN TO IDLE.*AK

THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED SUDEEN ACCELERATION WHILE CONSUMER WAS BRAKING TO STOP AT A RED LIGHT, THIS CAUSED THE CONSUMER TO REAR END ANOTHER VEHICLE WHICH WAS STOPPED, CONSUMER FOUND RECALL 97V-074 WHICH SPEAKS OF THE SAME FAILURE BUT THE CONSUMER WAS DENIED RECALL DUE TO VIN. NLM

WHILE DRIVING UNDER NORMAL OPERATING CONDITIONS ENGINE SURGED AND WOULD NOT DECELERATE. CONSUMER PUT VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL, AND WAS ABLE TO STOP VEHICLE. DEALERSHIP HAS EXAMINED VEHICLE, AND HAS INFORMED CONSUMER THAT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL 97V074000 DUE TO VIN. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ATTACHMENTS.*AK

STICKING THROTTLE BODY, CAUSES GAS PEDAL TO STICK AFTER PARK. IDENTICAL TO FORD RECALL OF SOHC ENGINE, HOWEVER FORD RECALL DOES NOT COVER THIS ENGINE (4.0L PUSH ROD V6). STICKING PEDAL CURED BY REPLACING DEFECTIVE THROTTLE BODY. FORD WILL NOT RECALL THROTTLE BODY FOR THIS ENGINE. STICKING PEDAL CAUSED "SUDDEN ACCELERATION" FROM STOP, RESULTING IN CLOSE CALL BACKING INTO SHOPPING CENTER STORE FRONT. FORD SHOULD RECALL THIS DEFECTIVE THROTTLE BODY, ALL SERVICES HAVE BEEN PERFORMED SINCE NEW AT FORD DEALER. THROTTLE BODY WAS CLEANED BY DEALER IN DECEMBER 2000.*AK

THE ACCELERATOR STUCK ,CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO ACCELERATE UNCONTROLLABLY. *AK

VEHICLE WAS SHOWING SAME PROBLEMS AS STATED IN RECALL 97V074000 CONCERNING THROTTLE BODY STICKING. CONSUMER INFORMED THAT VEHICLE WAS NOT A PART OF RECALL DUE TO VIN. *AK

WHILE ACCELERATING ON INTERSTATE 17 TO PASS A TRUCK, THE ENTIRE GAS PEDAL ASSEMBLY SEPARATED FROM THE FIREWALL OF VEHICLE, CAUSING A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER AND A NEAR-COLLISION.*AK

VEHICLE WILL ACCELERATE ON ITS OWN, ACCELERATOR STICKS, PLEASE ADD ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *AK

ACCELERATOR STICKS WHILE DRIVING REQUIRES PLACING VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL AND PULLING ACCELERATOR PEDAL TO CORRECT - CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS IN TRAFFIC WITH INEXPERIENCED DRIVER.*AK

THIS IS THE SECOND TIME SUBJECT VEHICLE HAS SUDDENLY ACCELERATED TO FULL THROTTLE AFTER AN INITIAL START FROM BEING STOPPED, I.E., AT A STOP LIGHT. FORD CLAIM FLOOR MAT INTERFERENCE. AFTER SOME INVESTIGATING I HAVE DISCOVERED ONE COMMON DENOMINATOR BETWEEN THIS INCIDENT AND THE 60+ SIMILAR COMPLIANTS ON THE NHTSA WEB SITE. THIS IS A LIFE THREATENING SITUATION. *AK

VEHICLE EXPERIENCING PROBLEM WITH SUDDEN ACCELERATION. ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS VEHICLE EXPERENCED A SUDDEN ACCELERATION WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH. WAS ABLE TO GAIN CONTROL BY SHIFTING OUT OF GEAR. NOTIFIED DEALER AND MANUFACTURER, AND BOTH REPLIED THAT VEHICLE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER A RECALL. *AK

WHILE TRYING TO PASS OTHER VEHICLES CONSUMER'S VEHICLE STARTED ACCELLERATING. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INOFRMATION.*AK

THE THROTTLE BODY FAILED (REPORTEDLY) CAUSING THE CAR TO UNEXPECTEDLY AND UNCONTROLLABLY ACCELERATE - REFUSING TO DECELERATE. THIS "AGGRESSIVE" FAILURE SCARED THE HELL OUT OF ME. I HAD TO REACT AND TAKE THE CARE OUT OF GEAR - SINCE IT CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE AT A SPEED OF 47-55 MPH AS I TRIED TO BRAKE. FORTUNATELY I HAD THE PRESENCE OF MIND TO REACT QUICKLY - ALTHOUGH I JUST MISSED TAIL-ENDING CARS ON TWO OCCASIONS WHEN THIS OCCURED AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. THE COST OF REPAIRS WAS ABOUT $480. FORD MOTOR CLAIMS THEY HAVE NO SIMILAR COMPLAINTS AND NO RECALL ON FAILED THROTTLE BODIES ON EXPLORERS. SIMILAR CLAIMS WERE MADE ABOUT FIRESTONE TIRES ON EXPLORERS AND 133 PEOPLE HAVE DIED BEFORE THERE WAS A RECALL. MY STAFF MAINTAINS A LARGE MUNICIPAL FLEET AND HAVE NEVER ENCOUNTERED SUCH A DANGEROUS/AGGRESSIVE FAILURE THAT CAUSE AN AUTOMOBILE TO FAIL OR PERFORM JUST THE OPPOSITE OF HOW ITS SUPPOSE TO. THIS FAILURE, WHICH OCCURED ON TWO OCCASIONS WITHIN 3 WEEKS COULD HAVE RESULTED IN FATALITIES. I'M NOT HAPPY - AND NOT EVEN SURE THAT THE PART REPLACED IS THE SOLE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM.*AK

WHILE GOING UP A HILL GAS PEDAL DROPPED TO FLOOR, CONSUMER TRIED TO GET PEDAL UP, IT WAS LIKE GAS PEDAL WAS STUCK TO THE FLOOR, THE ONLY WAY CONSUMER COULD STOP WAS TO TURN OFF VEHICLE. CONSUMER FELT AS IF SHE WAS GOING DOWN A HILL THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN AN ACCIDENT.*AK