1998 Ford Ranger VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

THE CONSUMER HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH ACCELERATOR. ACCELERATOR STUCK 11 TIMES. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK *SB

WHILE PULLING INTO DRIVEWAY THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. (ATTORNEY FOR CONSUMER).

FIRST, NO ACCIDENT HAS HAPPENED YET. IT IS AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. I HAVE A 1998 FORD RANGER WITH THE 3.0 ENGINE AND 5 SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION. THE PROBLEM, TAKING MY FOOT OFF THE GAS HAS NO EFFECT ON VEHICLE SPEED. IF TRAFFIC IS SLOWING IN FRONT OF ME, TAKING MY FOOT OFF THE GAS IS THE NORMAL THING TO DO IN ORDER TO START SLOWING DOWN AND NOT HITTING TRAFFIC IN FRONT OF ME. THIS VEHICLE WILL KEEP ON GOING AND BRAKE APPLICATION IS REQUIRED. AS A FURTHER EXAMPLE. COMING TO A RED LIGHT OR STOP SIGN, THE ENGINE WILL WANT TO RACE ABOVE 2000 UNTIL THE VEHICLE COMES TO A COMPLETE STOP. IT TAKES ABOUT 4 SECONDS AFTER THE STOP BEFORE THE COMPUTER WILL SLOW THE ENGINE. I HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER TWICE. BOTH TIMES, THEY HAVE INDICATED THAT A PROBLEM EXISTS WITH THIS ENGINE/TRANSMISSION COMBINATION. HOWEVER, THEIR TESTING EQUIPMENT SHOWS NO PROBLEMS. THEY HAVE REPORTED IT TO FORD BUT CAN DO NOTHING UNTIL FORD ISSUES A PROGRAMMING CHANGE FOR THE COMPUTER. ONE TIME LAST SUMMER, AT A STOP SIGN, THE ENGINE DECIDED TO GO FROM 2000 TO 3600 RPM AND THE ONLY WAY TO STOP IT WAS TO KILL THE ENGINE. FORD SEEMS UNWILLING TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM WHICH MUST BE CONSIDERED A SAFETY CONCERN. AS AN ADDITIONAL TEST, I GOT ON THE INTERSTATE, GOT UP TO SPEED, PUT THE TRANSMISSION IN NEUTRAL, AND TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE GAS. THE ENGINE SPEED REMAINED CONSTANT AT 2800. EVEN TOUCHING THE BRAKE AND SLOWING THE VEHICLE DOWN A SMALL AMOUNT, HAD NO EFFECT ON ENGINE SPEED DURING THIS TEST. THE PROBLEM SEEMS TO NOT BE PRESENT WHEN THE ENGINE IS COLD. ONCE WARM HOWEVER, AT LEAST 50% OF THE TIME, THE ABOVE CONDITIONS EXIST.

WHILE PULLING INTO GARAGE THE VEHICLE STARTED TO ACCELERATE AT HIGH SPEED, RESULTING IN A COLLISION. CAUSED EXTENSIVE DAMAGES TO GARAGE AND VEHICLE. ALSO, CONSUMER SUSTAINED MAJOR INJURIES. *AK

WHEN TAKING FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, THE TRUCK DOES NOT DECELERATE. THE DEALER IS NOT ABLE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *AK

WHEN CONSUMER WAS AT TRAFFIC LIGHT, THE ENGINE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED WHILE STEPPING ON THE BRAKE PEDAL AND REACHING TO 1000 RPM; CONSUMER STATED THAT VEHICLE USED TO PULL TO THE SIDE, AND TIRES WERE ROTATED BEFORE. *AK

WHILE DRIVING THE TRUCK 35 MPH, THE ENGINE REVVED HIGH, JUMPED GEARS AND THE TRUCK ACCELERATED TO A VERY HIGH SPEED. AT THAT POINT THE BACK END OF THE TRUCK SHIFTED TO THE RIGHT. WHEN DRIVER TRIED TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL, THE STEERING WHEEL WOULD NOT MOVE, CAUSING DRIVER TO HIT A PARKED VEHICLE. THE ENTIRE FRONT END OF THE TRUCK WAS PUSHED IN. THE TRUCK HAS BEEN TOWED TO AN AUTO BODY SHOP. *AK

VEHICLE WILL NOT DECELERATE AFTER DRIVING ON FREEWAY FOR 40+ MINUTES, NO PROBLEM CAN BE FOUND TO CAUSE CONDITION.

INTERMITTENTLY WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES THE VEHICLE SURGES FORWARD UNEXPECTEDLY. VEHICLE HAS ACCELERATED SUDDENLY THREE TIMES PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT. THE DEALER HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK