2008 Ford Mustang Speed Control & Cruise Problems

The contact owns a 2008 Ford Mustang. The contact stated that while the son was driving approximately 40 MPH and pressing the brake pedal to reduce speed, the engine began to rev and the vehicle continued to accelerate. The driver observed that the accelerator pedal had remained pressed toward the floorboard and reached down to manually lift the pedal to reduce the vehicle's speed. The vehicle then drove into an intersection and crashed into a second vehicle. During the crash, no injuries were reported. A police report was taken at the scene, and the vehicle was towed away. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact indicated that the vehicle was previously repaired after the same failure had occurred. No further information was available. The failure mileage was 95,000.

MY DAUGHTER AND I WERE GETTING HOME FROM A SHORT TRIP. AS I WAS SLOWING DOWN AND TURNING INTO MY DRIVEWAY THE CAR ACCELERATED OUT OF CONTROL. I HAD TO TURN SHARPLY TO AVOID A PARKED CAR AND WAS HEADED STRAIGHT INTO OUR NEIGHBORS HOUSE. I STOMPED ON THE BRAKE, BUT IT JUST WENT TO THE FLOOR. I WAS ABOUT TO THROW THE CAR INTO PARK WHEN I REGAINED CONTROL. STOPPED THE CAR, PUT IT IN PARK AND TOLD MY TERRIFIED DAUGHTER TO GET OUT AND GO IN THE HOUSE. I BACKED UP, PULLED INTO MY DRIVEWAY AND PARKED IT. I'M SCARED TO DRIVE IT NOW.

I WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY WHEN THE GAS PEDAL STUCK AND THE CAR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. I TRIED TO STOMP ON THE BRAKE SEVERAL TIMES BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. TRIED TO TURN THE KEY, BUT COULDN'T GET IT TO TURN. FINALLY STOMPED REPEATEDLY ON THE GAS PEDAL UNTIL IT RELEASED AND STOPPED ACCELERATING. THERE WAS NOTHING UNDER THE PEDAL CAUSING IT TO HANG. THE FLOOR MAT WAS NOT IN THE WAY. I WAS IN HEAVY TRAFFIC AND ONLY BY THE GRACE OF GOD NARROWLY MISSED HAVING AN ACCIDENT. HAVE NOT DRIVEN THE CAR SINCE I GOT IT HOME.

WHEN DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY DURING AFTERNOON RUSH HOUR, MY CAR BEGAN TO ACCELERATE AT HIGH RATE (STUCK AT 4000-5000 RPM) CAUSING ME TO SPEED DOWN THE HIGHWAY WITH VERY LITTLE ABILITY TO STOP AS I HIT THE BRAKES BUT COULD NOT OVERCOME THE ACCELERATION. THINKING AS QUICKLY AS I COULD, I THREW IT INTO NEUTRAL TO BRING THE CAR TO A CRAWL AND SLOWLY ROLL TO THE NEXT EXIT AND THEN TO A STOP. I WAS LUCKY TO THINK SO QUICKLY BECAUSE OTHERWISE I COULD HAVE RUN INTO THE CARS IN FRONT OF ME AS THE CAR SPED DOWN THE HIGHWAY WITH NO ABILITY TO STOP. I FEAR FOR OTHERS THAT MAY HAVE THIS PROBLEM BECAUSE IF THERE WAS A STOP AHEAD, IT COULD EASILY END IN LOSS OF LIFE. ONCE SAFELY ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, I ATTEMPTED TO RESTART THE CAR, ONLY TO HAVE IT ROCCO TONGUE TO REV. AFTER TAKING IT TO A FORD DEALERSHIP, I WAS TOLD THAT MY THROTTLE ELECTRONICS HAD MALFUNCTIONED CAUSING THE THROTTLE TO GET STUCK OPEN. THIS IS AN EXTREMELY DANGEROUS PROBLEM. FORD'S HANDLING OF IT, WHICH WAS TO SAY THAT THEY COULDN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT IS UNACCEPTABLE.

I WAS GETTING ON TO THE HIGHWAY IN A MUSTANG I HAD LITERALLY JUST PURCHASED, I PUSHED THE PEDAL TO THE FLOOR AND IT GOT STUCK! TOOK NUMEROUS BRAKE AND GAS SHOVES TO FINALLY GET IT TO COME OUT, IF I HAD NOT BEEN ON THE HIGHWAY THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN AN ACCIDENT. *TR

AT HIGH AND LOW SPEEDS (DIFFERENT OCCASSIONS) THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WOULD GO ON AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NO LONGER RESPOND TO THE ACCELERATOR. IT WOULD GO INTO "LIMP MODE" AND ONLY PROCEED AT IDLE SPEEDS. HAPPENED SPORATICALLY AT SEVERAL TIMES INCLUDING DANGEROUSLY AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS.

I WAS MERGING ONTO THE I-5 FREEWAY NEAR A BIG MALL WITH FAIRLY HEAVY TRAFFIC AND I "FLOORED" IT, OR CLOSE TO FLOORING IT, TO GET UP TO SPEED TO MERGE. I GOT ONTO I-5 AND LET UP ON THE GAS AT ABOUT 60 MPH TO GO WITH THE FLOW, BUT I COULD HEAR THE ENGINE GROWLING AND THE CAR JUST KEPT GOING FASTER. THE ACCELERATOR WAS STUCK! I STEPPED HARD ON THE BRAKE BUT IT BARELY SLOWED THE CAR. I THEN TRIED TAPPING THE ACCELERATOR BUT THE LITTLE MOVEMENT JUST MADE THE CAR GO FASTER AND DID NOT UNSTICK THE ACCELERATOR. I WAS REALLY CLOSE TO A MAJOR COLLISION, I COULD NOT GO INTO ANY OTHER LANE AND I WAS VERY QUICKLY APPROACHING THE VEHICLE IN FRONT OF ME. I WAS JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IF I SHOULD PULL THE HAND BREAK OR TURN THE CAR OFF WHEN I THOUGHT TO USE MY LEFT FOOT TO PULL BACK ON THE AFTERMARKET FLOOR MAT. I DID THIS WITH MY FOOT STILL ON THE BRAKE AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER THE ISSUE RESOLVED JUST BEFORE HITTING ANYONE. I WAS 85% SURE IT WAS THE FLOOR MAT, BUT THEN WHEN I GOOGLED THE ISSUE, I SEE PRETTY MUCH THE EXACT SAME STORY AND IN THOSE INCIDENTS IT WAS NOT THE FLOOR MAT. I TOOK THE MAT OUT AT AS SOON AS I COULD. WHEN I GOT HOME I TRIED TO SEE IF I ACTUALLY COULD MOVE THE AFTERMARKET RUBBER MAT AND IT DID NOT REALLY MOVE. SO NOW I AM 85% SURE IT WAS THE CAR AND NOT THE MAT. NOT BEING 100% SURE OF WHAT CAUSED THE PROBLEM HAS ME VERY NERVOUS. *TR

DRIVING MY 2008 FORD MUSTANG GT HOME FROM WORK WHEN THE THROTTLE GOT STUCK WIDE OPEN I PLACED ON MY WEIGHT ON THE BRAKE AND IT DID NOTHING I THEN THREW IT INTO PARK AND THE CAR RED LINED AT 8000+ RPMS I HIT THE PERSON IN FRONT OF ME AND A PARKED CAR ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD I TURNED OFF THE CAR AND RESTARTED IT CAR REVVED OUT AGAIN DID IT AGAIN EVERYTHING WENT BACK TO NORMAL. *TR

THE GAS PEDAL WILL BE STUCK ACCELERATING, AND WILL NOT STOP. THE MAT WAS NOT EVEN ON THE FLOOR WHEN THE INCIDENTS OCCURRED. DRIVING DOWN INTERSTATE AND ALSO A BACK ROAD, HIT THE BREAK DOES NOT STOP OR DISENGAGE THE VEHICLE; TAP PEDAL DOES NOT DISENGAGE SPEEDS UP MORE AND REMAINS STUCK. THIS IS THE 3RD TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED, AND LUCK IS THE ONLY REASON AN INJURY HAS NOT OCCURRED. *TR

SEPT 14 2013. 1400 ON US 59S I WAS DRIVING IN THE FAR RIGHT LANE, AND A FUNERAL PRECESSION WAS EXITING RIGHT SO WE SLIGHTLY DECELERATED AND SWITCHED TO THE MIDDLE LANE. AS I ACCELERATED TO ACQUIRE THE HIGHWAY SPEED LIMIT THE GAS PEDAL GOT STUCK; IMMEDIATELY I KNEW THERE WAS A PROBLEM AND TOLD FIANCE TO CALL 911. I BEGAN TO CONTINUOUSLY PRESS ON THE BRAKE PEDAL WITH MY ENTIRE BODY WEIGHT. IT SLOWED THE CAR TO APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH AND IF I TRIED TO LIFT MY FOOT FROM THE BRAKE PEDAL THE CAR WOULD ACCELERATE EVEN MORE. ON THE PHONE WITH 911 --207PM-- WE WERE TRYING TO STOP THE VEHICLE. I MOVED MY CAR TO THE LEFT LANE AND THEN TO THE LEFT SHOULDER LANE. (DURING THIS TIME I WAS CONTINUOUSLY TRYING TO BRAKE AND SHIFT MY CAR TO NEUTRAL BUT IT WOULDN'T BUDGE; STILL BRAKING WITH THE BRAKE PEDAL, I TRIED TO APPLY THE EMERGENCY BRAKE) FIANCE QUICKLY RE-DIALED 911 TO GIVE OUR LOCATION AND LET THEM KNOW THAT THE CAR WAS COMPLETELY OUT OF OUR CONTROL AND THAT THIS WAS AN IMMEDIATE EMERGENCY. THE 911 OPERATOR TOLD MY FIANCE THAT A POLICE DISPATCHER WOULD BE CALLING HER BACK, TO WHICH SHE REPLIED WE NEEDED HELP IMMEDIATELY BECAUSE WE WERE APPROACHING ON SLOWER TRAFFIC. VERY QUICKLY AFTER, THE LEFT SHOULDER LANE ENDED SO I WAS FORCED TO MOVE THE CAR INTO THE FARTHEST LEFT LANE. IT SOON BECAME APPARENT THAT WE WOULD NOT AVOID A COLLISION, AND MY CAR HIT THE BACK OF A YELLOW SCION TC GOING APPROXIMATELY 100MPH. THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED RIGHT AWAY, MAKING IT UNCLEAR IF WE HIT ANY OTHER CARS. THE FINAL IMPACT THAT STOPPED OUR CAR WAS A CONCRETE BARRIER ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY. MY FIANCE AND I IMMEDIATELY EXITED THE CAR AND STEPPED AWAY WHILE WE SIGNALED FOR HELP. WITHOUT A DOUBT OUR LIVES COULD HAVE BEEN TAKEN AWAY FROM US DUE TO THIS EVENT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD MUSTANG. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER INSTALLING AFTERMARKET FLOOR MATS, THE FLOOR MAT BECAME LODGED BETWEEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND THE FLOORBOARD, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO ERRONEOUSLY ACCELERATE. THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE AS A RESULT. THE FLOOR MATS WERE REMOVED TO PREVENT ANY ADDITIONAL INCIDENTS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 70,000. ..UPADATED 01/30/13 *BF UPDATED 1/1/2013 UPDATED 1/1/2013 *JS

- FIRST INCIDENT - SEPTEMBER 2011 - WHILE TRAVELING 55MPH ON THE HIGHWAY, THE CAR STOPPED RESPONDING TO ME PUSHING DOWN THE GAS PEDAL. IT WAS STILL IDLING, BUT NO LONGER ACCELERATING. THE WRENCH LIGHT CAME ON. I PULLED OFF TO THE SIDE IN NEUTRAL AND RESTARTED THE CAR. THE PROBLEM HAS NOT REPEATED ITSELF YET. - SECOND INCIDENT - LATE SEPTEMBER 2011 - CAR KEEPS DROPPING BELOW 500RPMS WHILE SITTING IN TRAFFIC IN NEUTRAL. CAR FINALLY DIES COMPLETELY. IS ABLE TO RESTART, BUT REPEATS THIS BEHAVIOR SPORADICALLY - THIRD INCIDENT - WHILE GOING 25MPH IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA, CAR STARTS TO ACCELERATE ON ITS OWN. I PUSH IN THE CLUTCH, CHECKED THE MAT (TO MAKE SURE IT WASN'T STUCK ON THE PEDAL), BUT THE CAR CONTINUES TO ACCELERATE. AROUND 3500RPMS, I TURN THE CAR OFF. IT RESTARTS WITHOUT A GLITCH. - 11/8/2011- TOOK THE CAR TO FORD. THEY SAID NOTHING LIKE THIS HAD EVER HAPPENED BEFORE, AND BLAMED THE ACCELERATION ON THE MAT, EVEN THOUGH I CHECKED IT. THEY HAVE NO EXPLANATION FOR THE DECELERATION, AND SAY THERE IS NO WRENCH LIGHT IN THE CAR'S HISTORY. *TR

GAS PEDAL STUCK HAD TO SLAM BRAKES IT GOT UNSTUCK LUCKILY. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD MUSTANG. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH THE VEHICLE SURGED FORWARD RESULTING IN A CRASH. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND WITHIN A FEW DAYS THE DRIVER WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL FOR INJURIES THAT WERE SUSTAINED DURING THE CRASH. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHERE IT WAS NOT EXAMINED TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 50,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD MUSTANG. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE AT RELATIVELY LOW, UNKNOWN SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE ABNORMALLY ACCELERATED. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE AS IT PROCEEDED TO JUMP A CONCRETE CURB AND CRASHED THROUGH A ROW OF BUSHES. THE PASSENGER REACHED OVER AND SHIFTED THE VEHICLE INTO PARK. THE UNINTENDED ACCELERATION ENDED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO REVERSE THE VEHICLE AND PARK WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. ON A SEPARATE OCCASION, WHILE DRIVING AT UNKNOWN SPEEDS AND ATTEMPTING TO BRAKE, THE VEHICLE ABNORMALLY ACCELERATED A SECOND TIME. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO BRAKE BUT TO NO AVAIL. THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE SIDE OF A BUILDING. THE FRONT AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE CONTACT SUFFERED MINOR UNKNOWN INJURIES AND THE POLICE WERE CALLED TO THE SCENE. A POLICE REPORT WAS AVAILABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED BY HER INSURANCE COMPANY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE VIA EMAIL. SHE HAD NOT YET RECEIVED A RESPONSE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 19,700.

GAS PEDAL WAS STUCK ON HIGHWAY AND IT TOOK A COUPLE MILES TO STOP. HAD CAR TOWED BACK TO DEALERSHIP. *TR

I RENTED A 2008 FORD MUSTANG FROM HERTZ. WHILE TURNING A CORNER, THE CAR ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN, AND I HAD TO BRAKE HARD TO STOP IT. THIS ONLY OCCURRED ONCE DURING THE SEVERAL DAYS IN WHICH I DROVE THE CAR. I HAVE REPORTED THIS TO HERTZ. *TR