2001 FORD TAURUS Complaints

I HAVE READ THE NEWS THIS WEEK ABOUT THE PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION INTO 2005-06 TAURUS SPEED CONTROL PROBLEMS AND IT IS EXACTLY THE SAME AS A VERY SCARY PROBLEM I EXPERIENCED LAST YEAR WITH MY 2001 TAURUS. A FORD DEALER REPLACED A CABLE FOR THE SPEED CONTROL ON THE CAR'S CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM. I STILL HAVE A COPY OF MY FORD INVOICE AND I KEPT THE BROKEN CABLE THAT WAS REPLACED ON MY CAR. I WAS DRIVING MY CAR DOWN A BOULEVARD WHEN THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RACE EVEN THOUGH I WAS NOT ACCELERATING. I HAD TO PRESS HARD ON MY BRAKES TO STOP FOR A RED LIGHT, AND PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL, BUT THE ENGINE CONTINUE TO RACE AT ABOUT 4,000 RPMS. I TURNED THE ENGINE OFF, THEN TURNED IT ON AGAIN, HOPING I COULD MOVE OUT OF THE LANES OF TRAFFIC. HOWEVER, THE ENGINE CONTINUE TO SPEED SO I TURNED THE ENGINE OFF AGAIN AND SAT IN MY CAR UNTIL A GOOD SAMARITAN PUSHED ME OUT OF TRAFFIC. AAA TOWED THE CAR TO WORTHINGTON FORD IN LONG BEACH, CA. BOTH THE GOOD SAMARITAN AND THE AAA TOW TRUCK DRIVER TURNED THE ENGINE ON WITH THE HOOD OPEN AND SAID THE THROTTLE WAS STUCK. THE AAA DRIVER SHOWED ME A CABLE WITH A FITTING THAT WAS LOOSE, AND WHEN HE PUSHED THE FITTING IN, THE ENGINE SLOWED DOWN. THE FORD DEALER SAID THE PROBLEM WAS NOT THE THROTTLE BUT THE CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM. THEY OFFERED TO DISABLE THE CRUISE CONTROL, BUT I HAD THEM FIX IT. THE FORD INVOICE STATES: "CUSTOMER STATES VEHICLE HAS A STICKING THROTTLE/CABLE. SOMETHING BROKEN CAUSING RPMS TO GO OVER 4K AND ADV. REMOVED CYLINDER AND ADDED NEW SPEED CONTROL CABLE." THE NEW PART IS LISTED AS YF1Z-0A825-CA, WITH DESCRIPTION "ACTUATO 540397." THE COST WAS $307.82. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD TAURUS. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THE VEHICLE ABNORMALLY ACCELERATED UP TO 50 MPH. THE CONTACT APPLIED THE BRAKES AND THE VEHICLE CAME TO A STOP. THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF AND THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS DISCONNECTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO RECOMMENDED THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL REMAIN DISCONNECTED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 200,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD TAURUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PARK, THE VEHICLE LUNGED FORWARD AND CRASHED INTO A COFFEE SHOP. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE, BUT WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 62,476. ..UPDATED 04/16/12 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED ON DECEMBER 24, 2011, WHILE DRIVING 35-40 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO ACCELERATE ON ITS OWN AND THE ENGINE BEGAN RACING. WHEN THE CONSUMER ARRIVED TO HIS DESTINATION, THE ENGINE WAS STILL REVVING LOUDLY. THE CONSUMER PLACED THE VEHICLE IN PARK. HOWEVER, THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO REV. HE PRESSED HARD ON THE ACCELERATOR AND THE ENGINE STOPPED REVVING. UPDATED 05/30/12

I HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING THE EFFECTS DESCRIBED IN RECENT NEW ARTICLE (LINK BELOW) OF A STICKY THROTTLE AND UNEXPECTED ACCELERATION WHILE AT A STOP. ALSO THE CRUISE CONTROL DOESN'T ALWAYS RELEASE. PLEASE ADVISE HOW AN INDIVIDUAL CONSUMER CAN HAVE THESE SERIOUS ISSUES REPAIRED AT FORD'S EXPENSE NOW TO PREVENT AN ACCIDENT OR WORSE! WHEN WILL YOUR AGENCY ANNOUNCE A FORMAL RECALL OF THESE ISSUES. HERE'S THE LINK I SAW FROM A LOCAL SEATTLE, WA NEWS RELEASE: HTTP://WWW.KOMONEWS.COM/NEWS/CONSUMER/FEDS-PROBE-STICKY-THROTTLES-IN-19M-FORD-SEDANS-142392835.HTML. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD TAURUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED. THE CONTACT THEN APPLIED THE BRAKES WITH EXTREME PRESSURE, BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT DECELERATE. THE CONTACT SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF AND COASTED TO A STOP ON THE SHOULDER. THE VEHICLE COULD NOT BE RESTARTED DUE TO THE HIGH RPMS. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP, WHERE THEY DIAGNOSED THE FAILURE AND STATED THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL CABLE WAS FRAYED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 95,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 105,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. ..UPDATED 04/26/12 *BF UPDATED 04/30/12

THE GAS PEDDLE ON MY 2001 TAURUS HAS BEEN STICKING FOR ABOUT THE PAST THREE YEARS. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO AUTO REPAIR SHOPS AND ALWAYS ASK FOR IT TO BE LOOKED AT WHEN OTHER REPAIRS ARE NEEDED. HOWEVER, NO ONE SEEMS TO KNOW WHAT TO DO ABOUT THE STICKING. I AM AFRAID THAT IT WILL STAY IN A STUCK POSITION WHILE DRIVING SO I AM EXTREMELY CAUTIOUS. LATELY IT SEEMS TO HAVE GOTTEN WORSE ESPECIALLY IN THE COLDER WEATHER. I REALIZE THE CAR IS OVER 10 YEARS OLD, BUT THIS IS A REAL HAZARD. *TR

CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED WITHOUT TOUCHING THE GAS PEDAL. THE ENGINE REVVED UP VERY HIGH AND IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO STOP. CAR WAS SHAKING VIOLENTLY AND HAD TO SHIFT TO NEUTRAL AND USE EMERGENCY BRKAE. DETERMINED CRUISE CONTROL CABLE HAD POPPED OUT. HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES UNTIL WE CUT THE CABLE. EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. *TR

MY PARENTS WERE GETTING OFF OF THE HIGHWAY AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP. MY DAD WAS STANDING ON THE BRAKE PEDAL WITH ALL OF HIS STRENGTH BUT THE CAR KEPT MOVING THROUGH A RED LIGHT AND INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC WHERE THEY WERE HIT BY SEVERAL VEHICLES. MY FATHER HAD MULTIPLE SERIOUS INJURIES AND DIED ON AUGUST 10TH OF 2007 AS A RESULT OF THOSE INJURIES. *TR

I READ AN ARTICLE TODAY CONCERNING THE US IS INVESTIGATING FORD TAURUSES FOR STUCK THROTTLES, MODEL YEARS 2005-2006. PLEASE CONSIDER EXPANDING THE INVESTIGATION TO INCLUDE THE 2001 MODEL YEAR. I PURCHASED THE CAR USED FROM A FORD DEALER IN 2004 (APPROX) AND HAVE BEEN HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM OF THE CAR ENGINE SPEEDING-UP WHEN COMING TO A STOP. THE ARTICLE IS LOCATED AT: HTTP://MONEY.CNN.COM/2012/03/12/AUTOS/FORD_TAURUS_INVESTIGATION/INDEX.HTM?SOURCE=CNN_BIN AFTER MANY ATTEMPTS, THE FORD DEALER COULD NOT FIND THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM AND THE CAR IS STILL DOING IT TODAY. THE WARRANTY COMPANY, BACK IN 2004/2005, SAID THEY WERE GOING TO REPORT THIS PROBLEM TO THE NHTSA, BUT I AM NOT SURE IF THEY EVER DID. THANK-YOU. *TR

HEARD CLUNK FROM REAR OF VEHICLE ENTERING A PARKING LOT. INSPECTION LATER THAT EVENING REVEALED REAR SPRING BREAK. *TR