Ford Taurus, Mercury Sable Investigated for Uncontrolled Acceleration

Federal highway safety officials are investigating some Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable vehicles to determine if they may have a problem with sudden unintended acceleration, which could cause an automobile accident. 

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) informed Ford Motor Co. on March 11 that it has opened an investigation into model year 2005 and 2006 Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable sedans.

The investigation comes after the agency received at least 30 complaints from drivers who say their vehicles accelerated out of control. While none of the incidents resulted in a serious accident, drivers reported harrowing experiences as their cars zoomed through lights into intersections, and stood on the brakes as their vehicles accelerated out of control.

The NHTSA estimates that it has received about one complaint per month since November 2009. The reports are strikingly similar to some of the complaints and incidents that led to several massive Toyota recalls in recent years.

Sudden acceleration problems with Toyota vehicles led to the recall of millions of Toyota and Lexus vehicles in 2009 and early 2010. Those recalls were issued in waves, starting with 3.8 million vehicles recalled for floor mat problems in September 2009, followed by other recalls that eventually affected a total of more than 13 million Toyota and Lexus vehicles.

Ultimately, Toyota was fined $32.4 million following two federal investigations into how it handled unintended acceleration recalls and steering rod defects. Government investigators say the company stalled on the recalls and failed to notify federal safety officials about the problems in a timely manner.

Drivers of Taurus and Sable vehicles who reported problems indicate that they were not caused by floor mats, which is what Toyota claimed caused most of its problems. The NHTSA says that the problem may be the result of a loose cruise control cable that can get wrapped around the gas pedal cables. This can force the accelerator to stay open even if the driver tries to apply the brakes or takes a foot off the gas.

The investigation is still underway and there has been no decision made as to whether there will be a Ford Taurus or Mercury Sable recall.

Photo Courtesy of noelweathers via Flickr CC by 2.0