2004 FORD TAURUS Complaints

I AM FILING DUAL COMPLAINTS PERTAINING TO THIS ISSUE, FIRST WITH THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRANSPORTATION SAFETY AUTHORITY AND A SECOND CONSUMER COMPLAINT WITH MR. PATRICK MORRISEY, ATTORNEY GENERAL WEST VIRGINIA. THE ATTORNEY GENERAL HAS A CONSUMER PROTECTION DIVISION TO HELP RESIDENTS IN THE EVENT OF A SAFETY CONCERN AND A CONSUMER COMPLAINT THAT BRINGS A CONCERN TO THE SAFETY OF OTHERS, AS WELL AS THE SAFETY OF THE PUBLIC AND THE CONSUMER. UNDER "SPEED CONTROL" AS CHECKED OFF, THIS INCLUDES SYSTEMS AND DEVICES INTENDED TO CONTROL (ACCELERATE) THE SPEED OF THE VEHICLE TO THE DRIVER'S INTENT SUCH AS THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, THROTTLE CONTROL CABLES, LINKAGES, ACTUATORS, ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNITS AND SOFTWARE, CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM ACTUATORS AND DEACTIVATING SYSTEMS, AND OTHER COMPONENTS AND SYSTEMS THAT MAY INTERFERE WITH THE SPEED CONTROL SYSTEM (E.G., FLOOR MATS). MY 2004 TAURUS HAS NEARLY 90,000 MILES. IT HAS BEEN RUNNING WELL. ON MULTIPLE INCIDENTS IN 2017 MY TAURUS WOULD WITHOUT ANY WARNING OR INDICATIONS SUDDENLY BEGIN TO ACCELERATE ON ITS OWN. I DESCRIBE IT TO OTHERS AS HAVING TO THROTTLE STICK. I WAS FREAKING OUT, BECAUSE CARS BEHIND ME DID NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT WAS HAPPENING AND I WAS AFRAID THEY WOULD EASILY BECOME COLLATERAL DAMAGE. I PUT THE CAR INTO NUETRAL AND THE ENGINE ON ITS OWN VOLITION REVVED UP TO OVER 4000 RPM. A PERSON ON THE SIDE WALK THOUGHT I WAS ABOUT TO STRIKE THEM AS THEY JUMP OUT OF THE WAY. I LEARNED 150 FAULTY SPEED CONTROL PROBLEM COMPLAINTS, 6 INJURIES, AND 1 DEATH. THIS PROBLEM IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM THE NHTSA HAS KNOWN SINCE 2004, PEOPLE HAVE BEEN INJURED AS A RESULT AND EVEN DEATH REPORTED BUT STRANGELY NO SAFETY RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED ABOUT THIS TERRIBLE AND TRAGIC PROBLEM, WHICH IS ANOTHER REASON I AM FILING THE DUAL COMPLAINT IN THE HOPES THAT ATTORNEY GENERAL MORRISEY. HE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR PUBLIC SAFETY FROM SUCH ISSUE.

I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY DOING AROUND 70 AND, ALL OF A SUDDEN, THE RPM'S REVVED UP REALLY HIGH (INTO THE 7000'S) AND THE CAR INDICATOR SAID CHECK TRANSMISSION. I QUICKLY CHANGED LANES AND GOT ONTO THE SHOULDER AND SHUT OFF MY CAR. I LET IT SIT FOR TEN MINUTES WHILE I CHECKED FOR VISIBLE PROBLEMS. FINDING NONE, I THEN TURNED THE CAR BACK ON AND PUT IT IN GEAR AND IT WOULD NOT MOVE. I TRIED IT IN EVERY GEAR BUT THE CAR STILL REFUSED TO MOVE. I THEN HAD IT TOWED TO A MECHANIC THAT SAID THAT MY TRANSMISSION WAS BAD. MY REGULAR MECHANIC AND I HAD DONE SOME RESEARCH OVER THE PHONE WHILE WE WERE WAITING TO HEAR BACK FROM THE MECHANIC AND FOUND THAT OTHER PEOPLE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. THEY SAID THAT IT WAS THE FAULT OF A BAD TORQUE CONVERTER. FORD ACTUALLY HAS A LOT OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT BAD TORQUE CONVERTERS AND DID A RECALL FOR THEIR 2004 FREESTAR WHICH I HAD HEARD USES THE SAME TORQUE CONVERTER AS THE TAURUS. AFTER RESEARCHING, I DECIDED TO TAKE MY CAR TO A TRANSMISSION SHOP INSTEAD AND THEY CONFIRMED THAT THE TORQUE CONVERTER WAS INDEED BAD. THE SPLINES HAD STRIPPED OUT AND/OR BROKE. IT COST $1400.00 TO REPLACE IT FOR A CAR THAT HAD A LITTLE OVER 57000 MILES. DURING MY RESEARCH I CAME ACROSS OTHERS WHO HAD EVEN LESS MILEAGE ON THEIR TAURUS'S WHEN THEIR TORQUE CONVERTERS DIED.

THE VEHICLE CONTINUES TO GAIN SPEED WITHOUT THE FOOT ON THE ACCELERATOR, REGARDLESS IF WE ARE ON FLAT GROUND OR MOVING UP A SMALL HILL. IF I TAKE MY FOOT OFF OF THE BRAKE THE CAR GAINS SPEED IMMEDIATELY AND HAS ALMOST CAUSED ME TO CRASH MY CAR. THE ONLY WAY IT DOES NOT CONTINUE TO GAIN SPEED IS BY PUTTING THE CAR INTO NUETRAL, BRAKING AND TURNING IT OFF. I KNOW THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH OTHER FORD TAURUS'S CLOSE IN THE SAME YEARS PROXIMITY. THIS IS CLEARLY A SAFETY HAZARD. THIS HAS HAPPENED MANY TIMES AND I NOW HAVE MY VEHICLE PARKED FOR SAFETY REASONS.

2004 FORD TAURUS ACCELERATING BY ITSELF TO 4000 RPM...THROTTLE IS STICKING...LOOKING UNDER HOOD... THROTTLE APPEARS TO BE GETTING STUCK ON CRUISE CONTROL CABLE END THAT KEEPS FALLING OFF OF THROTTLE ARM.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD TAURUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE'S BRAKE LIGHTS REMAINED ILLUMINATED WITHOUT THE BRAKE PEDAL BEING DEPRESSED CAUSING THE BATTERY TO FAIL AT TIMES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO SHIFT FROM PARK TO DRIVE WHEN DEPRESSING THE VEHICLE'S BRAKE PEDAL PROPERLY. THE BRAKE LIGHTS WERE NO LONGER OPERABLE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16E026000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 130,000.

BRAKE SWITCH, NO RECALL FOR 2004 MODEL, BUT RECALL FOR 2001. MY 2004 TAURUS IS DOING THE EXACT SAME THING AS THE 2001 BRAKE SWITCH, WHICH CAUSES THE INABILITY TO MOVE YOUR CAR OUT OF PARK AND YOUR BRAKE LIGHTS DO NOT WORK.

WHILE ATTEMPTING TO STOP, CAR CONTINUED TO ACT AS IF THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS PRESSED, MAINTAINING ABOUT 3000 RPM. WAS ABLE TO STOP USING BRAKES, BUT WOULD NOT GO TO IDLE. TAPPING THE ACCELERATOR RESOLVED THE ISSUE. HAPPENED AGAIN A FEW MINUTES LATER. LOOKS LIKE PLASTIC CLIP THAT ATTACHES THE SPEED CONTROL CABLE SHEATH TO THE THROTTLE BODY BRACKET HAS BROKEN, AND THE SHEATH CATCHES ON THE BRACKET HOLDING THE THROTTLE OPEN.

MY CAR HAS THE SAME PROBLEM AS NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER 04V106000 (FORD RECALL NUMBER 04S12-MANUFACTURER'S REPORT DATE APRIL 5, 2004). YET, IT'S NOT FLAGGING MY VIN AS PART OF THE RECALL. THE BADGE ON THE DRIVER'S DOOR SHOWS THE CAR WAS BUILT 02/2004. IT'S BEEN DOING IT A LONG TIME OFF AND ON, I THOUGHT IT WAS THE TILT STEERING WHEEL. THE GEARSHIFT WILL NOT COME OUT OF PARK WITH YOUR FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL. I UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S A FAULTY BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH. MY CAR SHOULD BE COVERED BY THIS RECALL. THANK YOU FOR ANY HELP WITH THIS MATTER! *TR

THIS IS CRAP, THE SAME CABLE IS USED ON THE 2000-2003 TAURUS AS MY 2004 HAS, NUMEROUS PEOPLE HAVE NEARLY WRECKED, INCLUDING MYSELF BECAUSE THE THROTTLE STICKS OPEN PROPELLING YOU AT EXCESSIVE SPEEDS. I WAS SMART ENOUGH TO SHUT THE KEY OFF TO KEEP FROM REAR ENDING SOMEONE, NUMEROUS TIMES BEFORE I FOUND THE ISSUE. THE CRUISE CONTROL CABLE IS THE SAME JUNK DESIGN ON PREVIOUS MODELS, AND THE INTERNET IS FILLED WITH THOUSANDS OF TAURUS OWNERS LIKE ME IN THE 2004 AND UP MODEL YEARS NEARLY CRASHING, YET FORD HAS DONE NOTHING. SOMEONE NEED TO GET KILLED BEFORE YOU ALL MAKE THEM DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS HUNG THROTTLE ISSUE???

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD TAURUS. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED WITHOUT THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BEING DEPRESSED. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THE THROTTLE ASSEMBLY WAS FAULTY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 126,000.