2004 Ford Taurus Fuel system Problems

THE PROBLEM IS THE CRUISE CONTROL CABLE CAN COME A LOOSE FROM THE THROTTLE BODY WHEN THE ACCELERATOR IS PRESSED. WHEN THE DRIVER RELEASES THE ACCELERATOR, IF THE CRUISE CONTROL CABLE HAS COME LOOSE, THE FITTING AT THE END OF IT CAN GET JAMMED IN THE CAM THAT ROTATES THE THROTTLE PLATE, AND IT WON ALLOW THE THROTTLE TO CLOSE, CAUSING THE ENGINE RPM TO STAY HIGH. THIS CAN HAPPEN RANDOMLY. IT MAY HAPPEN WHILE DRIVING, AND IT CAN BE DUPLICATED WHEN THE CAR IS IN PARK. SEVERAL OTHER PEOPLE HAVE HAD THIS CONCERN. I "GOOGLED" THROTTLE STICKING ON 04 TAURUS, AND CAME BACK WITH SEVERAL HITS, INCLUDING SOME SHADETREE FIXES. I FEEL THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL AS IT CAN LEAD TO A CRASH IF THE BRAKES ARENT POWERFUL ENOUGH TO OVERCOME THE ENGINE'S POWER OUTPUT OR THE DRIVER DOESNT THINK TO TURN THE IGNITION OFF (OR THEY TURN THE KEY TOO FAR AND LOCK THE STEERING TOO) AND/OR ENGINE/TRANSMISSION DAMAGE.

NHTSA ID

11081519

Incident

Mar 25, 2018

Mileage

100,000 mi

VEHICLE THROTTLE GOT STUCK, DAUGHTER WAS DRIVE HAD TO PUT CAR IN NEUTRAL TO KICK THROTTLE DOWN, FOUND OUT THAT CRUISE CONTROL CABLE IS COMING OFF THROTTLE BODY AND JAMMING, BEEN HAPPENING MULTIPLE TIMES FOR LAST YEAR

NHTSA ID

10897156

Incident

Jan 1, 2016

Mileage

80,000 mi

TOOK CAR TO BROOKER FORD DEALERSHIP ON 7/15/14 COMPLAINING ABOUT GAS PEDAL STICKING, MOTOR RACING TO OVER 6000 RPMS. HAD COME CLOSE TO HITTING CARS IN FRONT OF ME SEVERAL TIMES WHILE PUSHING BRAKE PEDAL DOWN HARD. THEY CHECKED CAR AND REPLACED AIR CONTROL VALVE. TOTAL COST TO ME WAS $352.77. A BIG CHUNK OUT OF MY S.S. NOW THE SAME PROBLEM HAS RETURNED, BUT IS MUCH WORSE THIS TIME AND IS MUCH HARDER TO TAP PEDAL HARD TO TRY AND GET IT TO SLOW DOWN. WILL BE GOING BACK TO DEALERSHIP. *TR

NHTSA ID

10630486

Incident

Sep 2, 2014

Mileage

151,000 mi

ON JUNE 4, 2014 WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED THE ENGINE AND ALL POWER DIED ON MY 2004 FORD TAURUS LX. ALL OPERATION AND GAUGES OF THE VEHICLE WERE OPERATING AS DESIGNED BEFORE THE INCIDENT AND THERE WAS NO INDICATION THAT A FAILURE WAS IMMINENT. AFTER THE ENGINE DIED ALL STEERING AND BREAKING BECAME UNRESPONSIVE ALMOST TO THE POINT OF BEING INOPERABLE. THE CAR WAS MANEUVERED TO THE SHOULDER WITHOUT INCIDENT AND TOWED TO AN AUTO-REPAIR SHOP. THE REPAIR SHOP SAID THE CODES ON THE CAR INDICATED THAT THE PATS (PASSIVE ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM) SHUT DOWN THE CAR AS IT THOUGHT IT WAS BEING STOLEN. SPEAKING WITH FORD DEALERSHIPS THIS IS APPARENTLY A KNOWN ISSUE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10596531

Incident

Jun 5, 2014

Mileage

165,000 mi

WHEN ACCELERATING AT ABOUT 40 MPH THE CRUISE CONTROL WOULD NOT WORK WHEN I TRIED TO ENGAGE IT, HOWEVER THE CAR BEGAN SPEEDING UP QUICKLY WHILE MY FOOT WAS OFF THE GAS PEDDLE. I TRIED TO ENGAGE/DISENGAGE THE CRUISE CONTROL BUT GOT NO RESPONSE, EXCEPT THE ENGINE RPM AND CAR WAS STILL SPEEDING UP, THE CAR WAS GETTING CLOSE TO 60MPH AND I BEGAN PUTTING ON THE BRAKES THE CAR WAS STILL TRYING TO ACCELERATE AND RPM STILL GOING UP AS I WAS STOPPING THE CAR. THIS CAR CONTINUES TO ACCELERATE FASTER ON IT'S OWN WHEN DRIVEN AND TODAY 5/19/14 AGAIN FROM ABOUT 35 TO 50 IN ABOUT A MILE, THIS WAS NOT AS SEVERE AS THE FIRST TIME BUT IS TROUBLING AND A WASTE OF MY GAS AND BRAKES. THIS IS A TAURUS SEL WITH AUTOMATIC TRANS. AND A 3.9L V6 ENGINE. I FOUND THE CRUISE CONTROL CABLE OFF OF THE LEVER IT CONNECTS TO NEAR THE INTAKE MANIFOLD( AFTER READING ABOUT OTHER TAURUS MODELS/YEARS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM). I WILL BE CONTACTING A FORD DEALER TO SEE IF THEY HAVE A FIX AS CABLE IS STILL VERY LOOSE AFTER I TRIED TO RECONNECT IT. *TR

NHTSA ID

10592621

Incident

Oct 11, 2013

Mileage

111,550 mi

WHILE DRIVING AND APPROACHING AN INTERSECTION I BEGAN TO APPLY BRAKE FOR RED LIGHT, THE RPMS SPIKED TO 4000. THE CAR CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE ON IT'S OWN.TRIED TO TAP BRAKE AGAIN..NO CHANGE. PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND TAPPED GAS TO FINALLY GET THE RPMS TO LOWER TO AT LEAST 2000 LEVEL. THIS HAS HAPPENED AT LEAST 4 OTHER TIMES. *TR

NHTSA ID

10543456

Incident

Jul 3, 2013

Mileage

116,442 mi

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. *TR

NHTSA ID

10514360

Incident

May 1, 2013

Mileage

104,000 mi

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 *JS

NHTSA ID

10481398

Incident

Oct 21, 2012

Mileage

195,000 mi

WE WERE DRIVING INTO AURORA, IL ON HWY 88. SUDDENLY, THE ENGINE BEGAN SPEEDING AND WE HAD TO APPLY THE BRAKES AND RIDE THE BRAKES TO KEEP THE SPEED AT 45. WE WERE IN A WORK ZONE, THERE WAS A LOT OF TRAFFIC, AND THE CAR WAS HARD TO CONTROL. WE PULLED INTO AN OASIS/REST AREA WHERE WE TURNED OFF THE CAR AND RESTARTED IT. WE WOULD PUSH DOWN THE ACCELERATOR AND THE REVVING WOULD DROP OFF SOME, BUT IT CONTINUED TO BE A PROBLEM. WHEN WE RETURNED HOME, WE TOOK THE CAR TO OUR MECHANIC, WHO DID FUEL INJECTOR CLEANING AND FLUSHED THE TRANSMISSION; HE ALSO FOUND THAT THE ACCELERATOR LINE HAD DISCONNECTED THE CRUISE CONTROL. WE THOUGHT THE PROBLEM WAS FIXED. TODAY, IT HAPPENED AGAIN. WE GOOGLED IT AND DISCOVERED THE NHTSA'S INVESTIGATION OF SUDDEN, UNEXPLAINED ACCELERATION IN THE FORD TAURUS MODEL. MY WIFE IS NOW AFRAID TO DRIVE THIS CARE OR HAVE ME DRIVE IT. PLEASE ADVISE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10478562

Incident

Aug 24, 2012

Mileage

56,000 mi

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. *TR

NHTSA ID

10468083

Incident

Jul 25, 2012

Mileage

200,500 mi

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE TO WORK, NOTICED THAT CRUISE CONTROL WOULD NOT ENGAGE AS NORMAL. AS I BEGAN TO DECEL ONTO THE OFF-RAMP, THE ENGINE RPM STAY AT APPROX 2800 RPM AND WOULD NOT GO ANY LOWER. FOUND THAT BLACK CRUISE CONTROL TAB ON THROTTLE BODY HAD ALLOWED THROTTLE CABLE TO SLIP OUT PARTIALLY, CAUSING THE THROTTLE BODY TO STAY PARTIALLY OPEN. HAD TO WIRE-TYE THE END OF THROTTLE BODY FOR CABLE TO REMAIN ENGAGED TO OPERATE VEHICLE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10451635

Incident

Feb 8, 2012

Mileage

113,234 mi

MY 2004 FORD TAURUS ACCELERATED ON IT'S OWN ON 3 SEPARATE OCCASIONS. WITHOUT MY FOOT ON ANY PEDAL, MY CAR KEPT GOING FASTER & FASTER. IT WOULD NOT STOP BY PRESSING THE BRAKES. CAR HAD TO BE PUT IN NEUTRAL & THEN TURNED OFF. IT HAPPENED WHEN MECHANIC DROVE MY CAR, ALSO. NO CAR IN FRONT OF ME, SO NO ACCIDENT. I PAID TWICE TO HAVE MY CAR FIXED, SINCE PROBLEM WAS DIFFICULT TO DIAGNOSE. SOUNDS LIKE SAME THROTTLE PROBLEM THAT IS HAPPENING TO OTHER TAURUSES NOW. I HAVE COPIES OF MY CAR REPAIR RECEIPTS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10451356

Incident

Apr 11, 2011

Mileage

64,453 mi

STARTING APPROXIMATELY A MONTH AGO MY THROTTLE STARTED GETTING STUCK ON MY CAR. I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AND WHEN I TOOK MY FOOT OFF OF THE GAS PEDDLE, THE SPEED SLOWED DOWN SOME, BUT THEN IT ACTED AS THOUGH THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS ON AND THE THROTTLE WAS STUCK. I WAS PRESSING THE BRAKE BUT THE THROTTLE WAS STILL ENGAGED. EVEN WHEN I WAS AT A COMPLETE STOP, THE THROTTLE WAS STILL ENGAGED AND THE ENGINE RACING. SEVERAL TIMES I HAD TO PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND/OR STOMP ON THE GAS PEDAL SEVERAL TIMES TO GET THE THROTTLE TO RELEASE. THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN ALL THE TIME BUT IS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. *TR

NHTSA ID

10451248

Incident

Feb 18, 2012

MY SON AND WIFE WERE IN THE VEHICLE WHEN IT ACCELERATED OUT OF CONTROL. MY SON HIT THE BRAKES HARD AND FOUND IT DIFFICULT TO KEEP THE CAR BELOW 30 MPH. HE NOTICED THE TACHOMETER WAS RACING 3,000 RPM EVEN THOUGH HE WAS APPLYING THE BRAKE HARD. HE WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER INTO A CONVENIENCE STORE AND SHUT OFF THE ENGINE. THIS WAS THE ONLY TIME THIS HAPPENED ALTHOUGH I OFTEN FELT THE CAR WAS GOING TOO FAST (@ 20MPH) WHEN STARTING UP WITH NO FOOT PRESSURE ON ACCELERATOR. CAR WAS TOWED TO DEALER AND REPAIRED 2 DAYS LATER. MECHANIC SAID THE 'AIR INTAKE VALVE' WAS DIRTY (CARBON DEPOSITS) AND REPLACED. HE ALSO NOTED CAR WAS REPROGRAMMED BY THE COMPUTER. CAR PERFORMANCE I BELIEVE, WAS DUE TO MALFUNCTION OF COMPUTER OR MICROPROCESSORS WHICH CAUSED TOO MUCH FUEL TO BE INJECTED INTO THE ENGINE. *TR

NHTSA ID

10355097

Incident

Sep 5, 2010

Mileage

82,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD TAURUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING, SHE TURNED ON THE CRUISE CONTROL AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN SLIPPING OUT OF GEAR. WHEN SHE PULLED OVER, THE VEHICLE BEGAN SPUTTERING. SHE TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF AND RESTARTED AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. SHE TURNED IT OFF AND ON AGAIN BUT IT STALLED AGAIN. THE CONTACT OPENED THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE AND FLAMES BEGAN "SHOOTING OUT". THE VEHICLE COMPLETELY BURNED. THERE WAS A FIRE REPORT FILED WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT; A FIREFIGHTER STATED THAT A FUEL LEAK COULD HAVE CAUSED THE FAILURE BUT WAS UNSURE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT SPOKEN WITH THE MANUFACTURER AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 130,000-

NHTSA ID

10352231

Incident

Aug 20, 2010

Mileage

130,000 mi

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD TAURUS. HE STATED THAT THE FUEL FILLER PIPE WAS PINCHED AND HE WAS UNABLE TO PUT GASOLINE IN THE VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO VISIBLE SIGNS OF A FOREIGN OBJECT CAUSING THE BLOCKAGE. THE CONTACT HAD THE VEHICLE REPAIRED AND NOTIFIED THE MANUFACTURER. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 48,109.

NHTSA ID

10190756

Incident

May 13, 2007

Mileage

48,109 mi