2003 Ford Taurus: sudden unintended acceleration

Filed Feb 7, 2020 · Transmission · 175,000 miles · CA

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. The contact stated that while slowing down would not accelerate when pressing the accelerator pedal and while switching gears the vehicle would lunge forward. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer and the local dealer forsom lake ford(12755 folsom blvd, forsom lake ca.) was notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 175,000.

Filed Mar 31, 2014 · Acceleration · 137,018 miles · CA · crash

I was pulling into a gas station, going to a gas pump, when all of a sudden the rpms revved up and the car accelerated on its own. I was able to avoid the gas pump and instead went over a ramp which caused the car to go airborne. I went through a fence and hit a pole. The impact caused enough damage on the car for the car to come to an abrupt and complete stop. The car has been totaled. I have seen other reports on 2003 ford taurus regarding acceleration problems/issues. I would like for my incident to be part of the investigation.

Filed Mar 22, 2013 · Acceleration · NJ · crash

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. The contact was driving into a parking space when the vehicle suddenly accelerated. The vehicle accelerated, crashed into the curb and stopped on the grassy area while the rpms continued to increase. The vehicle sustained damage to the front bumper, right passenger headlight and the right tire was flat. The tie rod was also broken due to the failure. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who repaired the damage. There were no injuries. The police and the dealer were not notified of the failure. The manufacturer also was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

Filed Nov 29, 2012 · Acceleration · 134,500 miles · CA

I bought the 2003 ford taurus used at the end of 2008. I did not start to experience the sudden acceleration problem until 2011. Luckily, I'm a well-trained driver from the days of high school drivers ed. Classes and my dad teaching me everything from driving in different weather conditions to what to do if your brakes fail, etc. The occurrences have gotten more frequent; I called in a complaint months ago to ford but the lady I spoke with acted like she didn't believe me. She stated that my car was an older model and that they were looking into things about a newer model, she also said if I were to fix it just keep the receipt. So in other words come up with the money yourself or have an accident. The cars RPM needle starts to rise and it's about 5500 to 6000 before I can get it to engage. I ride the brakes until I get to a red-light and then put it in park and rev the engine to get it back down to normal. Other times I've had to pop it in neutral, push the accelerator until it starts to come down then back to drive. This is unnerving, especially when I have kids in the car, in heavy traffic or near a school at 3:00. Ford needs to acknowledge this problem before someone gets hurt, if they haven't already.

Filed Jul 24, 2012 · Acceleration · 84,000 miles · KY

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. The contact stated that while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle suddenly accelerated up to 70 MPH. The contact mentioned that after he was able to stop the vehicle, he realized that the cruise control cable became detached. He was able to correct that problem with electrical tape. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and did not offer any assistance. The manufacturer referred the contact to the federal safety agency. The vehicle was repaired. The failure and current mileages were 84,000. Updated 08/28/12

Filed Mar 19, 2012 · Transmission · 75,000 miles · IN

Cruise control was set at 70 when the car all-of-the-sudden accelerated out of my control to the highest possible RPM and then snapped at about 90, rendering my car completely useless. I found myself coasting w/ very little control, out in the middle of nowhere, 5 miles from the nearest exit. Cost over $2000 out-of-pocket to completely replace 200 transmission-related parts.

Filed Mar 14, 2012 · Acceleration · 140,000 miles · TN

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. The contact stated that when starting the vehicle, the rpms would fluctuate rapidly. The vehicle had not accelerated but the contact stated that when the failure occurred, it seemed as if the vehicle was attempting to surge forward. The contact would then firmly apply the brakes as a precaution. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic who stated that the failure was most likely caused by a cruise control cable failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 140,000 and the current mileage was 150,000.

Filed Mar 14, 2012 · Acceleration · 98,062 miles · MA

While driving my daughter experienced a sudden acceleration and braking did not stop the engine from accelerating. She placed the vehicle in neutral and while still having difficulty braking was able to stop the vehicle and turn off the engine. Car was towed to service location and cruise control was disabled to remedy the issue. Fortunately no damage or injuries resulted.

Filed Mar 13, 2012 · Acceleration · 185,000 miles · PA

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. The contact was driving 40 MPH when the vehicle suddenly accelerated. The contact depressed the brake and was able to decrease speed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 185,000 and the current mileage was 202,000.

Filed Feb 20, 2012 · Acceleration · 96,786 miles · MN

Sudden unintended acceleration occurred while driving at 50 MPH. After applying brakes, I shifted into neutral, stopped the car and shut off the engine. The car was towed to a ford dealer for service. The dealer found that the cruise control cable had broken and caused the throttle to stay fully open.

Filed Oct 19, 2011 · Transmission · 64,000 miles · NC

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. The contact stated that when shifting into drive and depressing the accelerator, the vehicle would lunge forward violently. He vehicle was taken to a local mechanic who repaired the failure, but the defect recurred. The manufacturer was not contacted. The vehicle was not further repaired. The failure mileage was 64,000 and the current mileage was 76,000. The VIN was unavailable.

Filed Apr 28, 2011 · Acceleration · NY · crash · 3 injuries

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford taurus. The contact was driving approximately 20 MPH, attempting to park the vehicle when the brake pedal was engaged; yet, there was an unintended acceleration. The vehicle failed to stop and crashed into four unoccupied vehicles and small trees. The contact sustained no personal injuries; however, there were three bystanders that sustained minor injuries. A police report was filed. The front end of the vehicle was severely damaged. The vehicle was towed to a collision center. The failure mileage was unknown. The VIN was unavailable.