Traveling at 35mph and pressed on the brake and the car did not idle down and usual. Tapped the gas and no response. Slipped the car into neutral and the RPM's raced to 3 and 4000. Tapped the gas harder and the car idled down. Slipped the car into drive and continued on. This has happened three times now all at speeds between 35 and 40mph. Have contacted ford customer service got a case number and was told to get it fixed at a dealer and keep the receipt in case there is a recall. Not happy with that response. How long or what does it take to make this right? This seems to be more serious than how it is being handled. You don't know how serious unless you are on the receiving end of a car that doesn't what to stop.
2004 Ford Taurus acceleration complaints
Page 4 of 7: complaints 71 to 100 of 164, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford taurus. The contact stated while driving approximately 15 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed and became stuck with a rapid increase in the rpms. The vehicle was maneuvered to the side of the road where the engine was turned off. The contact stated the fractured support housing caused the throttle cable to become detached. The contact reconnected the cable in order to resume driving; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle failure had not been diagnosed nor was it repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 165,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford taurus. The contact stated that while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle suddenly accelerated. The check engine warning light illuminated after the failure. The contact drove the vehicle with the brake pedal engaged however, the vehicle was not taken to the dealer to have a diagnostic or repairs performed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure and current mileage was 209,013.
Went out one morning, cranked the car and the engine was racing and would not slow down. The engine sounds like it is going to blow up. It is revving up around 3000 RPM and will not slow down. I have to constantly use the brakes to keep the car from going too fast. I tried to tap the gas pedal but it does nothing except rev higher. Some kind of cable had fallen off and a friend of mine put it back on, but now I think it is off again. The car has made me feel very unsafe while driving it and I do not have the money to get another car.
While traveling on the highway, auto speed increased to 70 miles per hour with foot removed from the gas pedal. Application of brakes slowed the auto but the brakes were working against the engine. *tr auto returned to 70 miles per hour without applying gas, when the brakes were release. Pulled off the highway. Shifted into neutral and engine revved up to 4,000 RPM. Applied brakes to a stop. Turned off the auto. Checked that the floor mat was not restricting the gas pedal. Opened the auto hood operated throttle by hand and the throttle seemed to release. Continued to destination without problems. Checked throttle at destination and noted that the cruise control cable was disconnected.
I was making a pass on the highway one evening on my way home from work and starting out at 45mph I accelerated up to 55mph and completed the pass. The acceleration time as brief but when I took my foot off the pedal the engine kept accelerating and maintained a 2500 - 3500 RPM. Cruise control was not on! Being that I've had this happen before when I was in a major city I knew I had to pull over and restart the car, hit the gas pedal a few times and usually it goes away. This time I could not because I was doing 65mph now and quickly approaching +70mph. So I calmly put the breaks on ever so slightly to keep my speed in a reasonable range and started to mess with the cruise control, turning it on and off, coast and accelerate and turning it off again. None of this worked. It wouldn't even accelerate from the cruise controls! But finally buy some luck after I hit the off button on the cruise control in panic, the acceleration pedal popped back up onto my foot where I had it resting. Disaster averted! Come to find others who are driving the same vehicle (year and model) in my company experienced this identical issue. One incident actually left the vehicle totaled but thank god our associate was unharmed. I feel that this being a popular car people should be aware of this issue before lives are lost.
Two different times the throttle has gotten stuck. Both times almost causing my daughter to wreck. Purchased it used from a certified dealer just about two years ago.
I took the vehicle to southgate ford on march 15, 2013, to have them analyze the check engine light which came on during the week. I drive only a few miles per week but didn't want to take a chance with this warning. Southgate ford turned me away on friday afternoon to return on monday, march 18th stating: "they are too busy and the check engine light is of little concern and to return on monday". Within 2 miles of leaving the dealership heading north on fort street, I was unable to bring the 2004 ford taurus to a stop at a red light. The taurus engine raced and roared at over 4,000 rpms and reached speeds between 45 and 50 miles per hour. I tried to brake with one foot and then two feet. The brakes could not bring the taurus to a stop and it felt like the brakes were pushing back toward me. I swerved to the left to avoid hitting the car in front of me and crossed over the median to southbound fort street. I attempted to reach a parking lot to avoid oncoming traffic as the engine continued to race and roar. The brakes could not control the car. I missed the entrance of the parking lot by a few feet and hit the curb. The impact of hitting the curb threw my body toward the passenger side of the car. The car continued to lunge forward until it hit the brick building in the lot at approximately 47 miles per hour. The air bags never deployed in this head-on collision with a brick building. I have sustained bruising from my left ear down to my knees and mulitple fractures in my right wrist. Please do something to not let this happen to anyone else. How many people have to die to have recall notices issued?
The vehicle accelerated on its own. Depressing both the brake and the emergency brake did not stop the vehicle. Putting the car in neutral made the car start smoking excessively while still moving. After hitting one vehicle due to being unable to stop at a traffic light, I was only able to stop the car by running it head on into a concrete pylon. One of the most terrifying days of my life. Completely unexpected and I was so unprepared to handle these events. Thankful to god today there was no loss of life, only property. Absolutely terrifying.
Driving my vehicle up an incline near my home and at the top I let off the accelerator. Vehicle continued to accelerate. I pressed the off button on cruise control (in case it was on for some reason) and also pressed the brakes. The car slowed but as soon as I let off the break it sped up again. I was not far from home so I stayed on the break until the turn at my neighborhood. After I turned I had to wait for the gates to open so I let off the brakes a bit but the car would jump forward. I turned in as slowly as I could and before turning into my drive where my son and his friends were playing in the yard I stopped as much as I could and while I had my left foot on the break pulled on the accelerator with my right. There was a change in the engine sound and I slowly pulled into the driveway. This has never occurred before. We bought the car in 2008. Is there any sort of fix??
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford taurus. The contact stated that while driving 50 MPH, he attempted to decelerate but the vehicle erroneously accelerated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnosis and the contact was informed that the speed control cable had detached from the throttle body. The vehicle had not been repaired. The failure and current mileage was 29,953. Updated 06/18/13*lj the consumer stated the problem has since been resolved. Updated 06/19/13
While driving at 25 MPH I brake forcefully to avoid another car coming out of a strip mall at excessive speed. As I gradually released the brake the car began to accelerate without my having touched the gas pedal. I was able to turn with a great deal of trouble onto a side road where there was little traffic. The car continued to accelerate on its own up to about 40-50 MPH. The RPM's were up to 4000. I was pressing on the brake, car was bucking and not stopping. Eventually I was able to stop the car. Car had to be towed to my mechanic. I will not know until tomorrow what he plans on doing. However after some online research I plan on telling him to replace the cruise control cable and the pin. Ford should at least tell people how to fix the problem since it seems they are not taking responsibility and recalling these cars.
Random throttle sticking, cruise control stopped working.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford taurus. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle suddenly accelerated independently. The contact depressed the brakes but the brakes would not respond as the vehicle speed continued to increase. The contact kicked the accelerator pedal several times and noticed that the speed decreased. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 75,000.
I was driving and had turned into a store parking lot. I made a turn down a row to park and as I ran over a grate, going no more than 25 MPH, the car began to accelerate. The RPM's went up to about 40 MPH. I could feel it. My foot was not on the gas. My daughter and I were horrified. I pulled into a parking spot as far away from the other vehicles as possible. The car was roaring so hard. I called my mechanic because I had just had the vehicle inspected. The mechanic told me to quickly pat down on the gas (then release) while the car was safely in park. I did it and it and it stopped it. I could feel it immediately stop the acceleration.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford taurus. The contact stated that while traveling 50 MPH the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to merge to the side of the road. The engine was restarted and the vehicle resumed normal function. The vehicle was able to be driven to the contact's residence. The vehicle was not taken to a mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted about the issue. The failure and current mileage was 122,097.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford taurus. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 MPH the vehicle started to accelerate independently. The contact mentioned that the vehicle would shake violently and in order to maintain control of the vehicle, she had to drive with the brake pedal engaged. The failure recurred intermittently. The manufacturer was contacted and advised that the vehicle was not listed under a recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was unknown and the current mileage was 163,824.
Was exiting from an access controlled highway, and after braking to a safe speed on the off ramp, released the brake and the car sped back up. I had the speed control set to 55 MPH while on the highway. Found the speed control to still be engaged and was able to brake to a safe, off the road stop. Disconnected the speed control cable and was able to make it home. For further details, just search google for ford taurus speed control problems and you will find many with the same story.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford taurus. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH, the contact removed his foot from the accelerator pedal but the speed remained at 40 MPH. The contact had to depress the brake pedal several times in order to get the vehicle to stop. The vehicle was taken to a repair shop for inspection where they stated that there was an accelerator clip malfunction. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified and stated that there were no recalls for the vehicle. The failure mileage was 195,000. Updated 12/5/12 *cn updated 12/11/2012
I was going down the interstate at approx. 60 MPH. I let my foot off the gas pedal and it felt 'sticky'. I didn't think anything of it until it really got stuck. I was stuck going at 65 MPH. I have been able to unstick the pedal by either stopping and cutting the car off and pumping the gas or (if that's not possible) I just floor it. It seems sudden acceleration (initially) would unstick it. Now, more than a year later, all I can do is ride it out and hope it unsticks soon. This has become a weekly occurrence, it's not longer scary, but it is unsettling-and I know it can't be good for my car.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford taurus. The contact was driving approximately 35 MPH when the vehicle abnormally accelerated without warning. The contact was able to stop the vehicle by applying the brakes. The failure recurred intermittently. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for diagnosis. The technician detected that the end of the cruise control cable was flared and had contributed to the acceleration malfunction. The vehicle had not been repaired. There was currently an open investigation for model years 2005-2006 under the federal safety agency action number pe12005 (vehicle speed control). The manufacturer was not notified of the defect. The approximate failure mileage was 140,000.
The car just picked up speed and was difficult to slow down. I was able to maneuver the car off the expressway and turn the car off which allowed the car to slow down and stop. My brakes and tires were smoking (lucky no fire) but brand new brake pads gone. I discovered it was my cruise control cable ford denies any problem with the cable I will be replacing it and brakes this weekend.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford taurus. The contact stated that while driving at 40 MPH, the accelerator pedal became stuck while being depressed. The vehicle accelerated up to 50 MPH. The contact was able to return the accelerator pedal to the upright position, and gain control of vehicle. The failure recurred. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or repair shop for inspection or repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure and current mileage was 104,200.
While driving the accelerator was racing so high,I turn off the engine then I start the engine it still racing .when I put in reverse then drive it stops racing it really scares me.
The cars accelerating all by itself. Started a few days ago then stopped. Today it wouldn't stop. Even after car was off for 10 mins. When turned on the car was still accelerating.
I have a 2004 ford taurus with almost 70,000 miles on it, and now it has a stuck throttle. On 6/29/2012 I noticed that my cruise control was not working. I began driving the vehicle again on july 18 and starting on july 26 I noticed on the highway that it was accelerating itself without pressing down on the accelerator pedal. Upon turning the car on to drive home from work, the problem was instantly apparent again. The engine will rev itself up to 3000+RPM while in park, and I had to completely press down the brakes to get it to slow down at stop lights and then would put it in park (as a safety precaution). When the light would turn green shifting into drive would make the car jump instantly. Reading of the investigation of the ford 2005 taurus and the symptoms that other drivers have had, I am 100% convinced that I am experiencing the same issue. I plan on towing the car to a ford dealership soon for repair.
Vehicle did not slow down when foot removed from gas pedal. Engine ran at high rate of speed even with brake on. When vehicle was shifted to neutral, RPM gauge showed engine running at 3500 to 4000 RPM. Mechanic found cruise control cable had disconnected from throttle and prevented throttle from moving properly, causing it to be stuck open.
The car experienced sudden acceleration. Driving at ~40 MPH, I noticed when I stepped on the brake to turn the car did not slow down that much and the tachometer was over 2000 RPM. When I pulled over and put the car in park the tachometer went to over 4000 RPM. I shutoff the engine tapped the gas pedal and restarted the engine. Once again the tachometer was over 4000 RPM. I put the car in drive and the car took off. I rode the brakes the ~1000 ft to my home. I once again shutoff the and then restarted this time it was idling at ~800 RPM (normal). Since I rode the brakes to keep the car under some control, all four wheels were very very hot. I went on line and found others have this problem when the cruise control cable becomes detached from the throttle cam. I inspected the cruise control cable and found it was in fact detached. Needless to this sudden acceleration could have LED to a serious accident. At a minimum it did some wear to the braking system and possibly wheel bearing damage as a result of the excessive heat.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford taurus. While driving approximately 30 MPH, the contact removed his foot from the accelerator pedal and noticed that the vehicle erroneously accelerated. The failure recurred intermittently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostics where the technician advised that the cruise control cable would have to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 88,700. Updated 8/24/12 *cn updated 09/11/12.
The throttle sticks when slowing down to a stop. It suddenly revs up. Must stomp on the brakes and attempt to throw into neutral. Had been able to stop but 2 days ago rear ended a truck. Damage to my car.
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