Owner-reported complaints naming the driver-assistance system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 1989 Ford Thunderbird submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 26 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 26, in the owner's own words
CAR ACCELERATED WHEN BRAKE PEDAL WAS FULLY DEPRESSED TO FLOOR...SMASHED INTO CORNER OF HOUSE, DAMAGING BRICKWORK AND FRONT, RIGHT CORNER OF THE CAR. VEHICLE IS INOPERABLE BUT NOT YET TOWED DUE TO FINANCIAL RESTRICTIONS (UNABLE TO ATTACH PHOTOS...PLEASE PROVIDE EMAIL ADDRESS WHERE I CAN SEND PHOTOS.)
CRUISE CONTROL WAS SET ON 65 MPH. WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED TO A SPEED OF ALMOST 85 MPH AND THE BRAKES WOULD NOT FUNCTION. THE DRIVER TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF, WHILE IN MOTION, AND PULLED OVER TO THE SHOULDER. THERE WERE NO INJURIES OR FATALITIES. THE CONSUMER HAD THE CRUISE CONTROL DISCONNECTED. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED. *AK *PH *NLM
WHILE BACKING OUT, VEHICLE ACCELERATED AND HIT A FENCE. CONSUMER NEVER APPLIED THE GAS PEDAL. BRAKES WOULD NOT STOP VEHICLE. *JG *AK
WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLIED, ENGINE ACCELERATED SUDDENLY. CONSUMER HAD TO STAND ON BRAKES AND SHIFT VEHICLE INTO PARK TO STOP. THIS HAS BEEN AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
CAR EXCELERATED TO VERY HIGH SPEED WHEN ANY EXCERATION WAS APPLIED, WOULD NOT DISENGAGE UNTIL I TURNED THE KEY OFF OR SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL
WHILE DRIVING ON INTERSTATE VEHICLE BEGAN TO ACCELERATE ON ITS OWN. VEHICLE ACCELERATED FROM 40 - 80 MPH IN ABOUT 2 SECONDS. APPLYING BRAKES SLOWED THE VEHICLE DOWN. AS SOON AS FOOT WAS TAKEN OFF THE BRAKE, VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. EVEN WHEN VEHICLE WAS IN PARK IT CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE. DRIVER SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES, THREW VEHICLE IN PARK, AND TURNED OFF IGNITION TO STOP. VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE NEAREST DEALERSHIP TWO MILES AWAY. VEHICLE WILL BE CHECKED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK
WHILE PUTTING CAR IN REVERSE, BACKING OUT OF DRIVING CAR ACCELERATED AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED, TRIED TO STOP VEHICLE AND TRIED TO PUT INTO PARK BUT THE CAR ACCELERATED FOWARD AT A VERY HIGH SPEED AND HIT THE CORNER OF THE RESIDENCE AND GARAGE DOOR, AND FINALLY CAME TO A STOP WITH VERY SEVERE DAMGES TO VEHICLE AND RESIDENCE. *AK
CONSUMER WAS BACKING OUT. LIGHTLY APPLIED GAS PEDAL, AND THE VEHICLE JUMPED OUT OF GEAR AND HIT A TREE. BACK WHEEL AND TIRES WERE DEMOLISHED. *AK
WHILE ACCELERATING TO GET ON THE FREEWAY TWICE IN JACKSONVILLE, FL, AND THE LAST TIME IN KINGSLAND, GA, THE FOOT PEDAL STUCK. IT DID NOT RELEASE ITSELF THE THIRD TIME. AT APPROXIMATELY 100 MILES PER HOUR I FINALLY PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL ONLYTO FIND OUT THAT MY BRAKES DIDN'T WORK. I HAVE THANKED GOD EVERY DAY SINCE. I WAS HEADED INTO ROAD CONSTRUCTION SITE AND THE STATE LINE BRIDGE. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A GREAT TRAGEDY TO ALOT OF PEOPLE AND THEIR FAMILIES, INCLUDING MY OWN. I JUST CAN'T IMAGINE WHY A RECALL HAS NOT BEEN PUT INFORCE FOR THE LINKAGES ON THE ACCELERATION CABLES TO WHICH THEY BREAK AND GET HUNG UP ON OTHER EQUIPMENT WHICH CAUSES THE ACCELERATION. DOES IT TAKE INNOCENT LIVES BEFORE SOMETHING IS DONE? IF THERE HASE BEEN A RECALL ON THE PART I THINK A LOT OF FOLKS WOULD SURE LIKE TO KNOW ABOUT IT. MAY CAR WAS MANUFACTURED IN MAY OF 1989. *AK
CONSUMER EXPERIENCED SUDDEN ACCELERATION WHILE DRIVING, TRANSMISSION WAS PLACED IN REVERSE AND VEHICLE JUST ACCELERATED, RESULTING IN LOSS OF CONTROL/CRASH. *AK
THE CAR HAS SERIOUS PROBLEMS WITH THE THROTTLE, WHEN THE AIR CONDITIONER HAS USED THROTTLE WILL STICK AND THE CAR WILL GO RACING DOWN THE ROAD. THE BRAKE HAS TO BE APPLIED FREQUENTLY TO STAY WITHIN THE SPPED LIMIT. *ET
WHEN HITTING THE BRAKES CRUISE CONTROL WOULD NOT DISENGAGE. DRIVER TURNED OFF THE IGNITION TO STOP VEHICLE. DRIVER WAS ABLE TO AVOID A CRASH. FORD IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THE DEALER WAS NOT ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK
WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, PUT CRUISE CONTROL ON 70 MPH, AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED UPTO 80 MPH. VEHICLE WAS UNCONTROLLABLE. DEALER CONTACTED AND PROBLEM CANNOT BE REMEDIED. PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
WHILE DRIVING AT 60 MPH THE WITH CRUISE CONTROL ON, WENT TO CUT THE CRUISE CONTROL OFF AND THE THROTTLE GOT STUCK ,CAUSING VEHICLE TO TRAVEL VERY FAST. THE CONSUMER RAN OFF THE ROAD AND HAD TO CUT THE VEHICLE OFF. THE ENGINE WAS RACING VERY LOUD AND WHEN TRYING TO START AGAIN THE NOISE GOT REAL LOUD, CAUSING THE CONSUMER TO GO UNDER THE HOOD AND DISCONNECT THE CABLE THAT CONTROLS THE CRUISE CONTROL. *AK
AT CROSSWALK WHEN ENGINE STARTED TO REV UP & THEN SUDDENLY TOOK OFF. HAD TO APPLY BRAKES TO STOP. CRUISE CONTROL NOT ON AT TIME. TOOK TO DEALER & WAS INFORMED WAS DEFECTIVE IAC MOTOR. THIS CAUSED THE MOTOR TO REV UP. *AK
RAPID AND SUDDEN ACCELERATION; VEHICLE SURGED WHEN SHIFTED FROM PARK TO DRIVE, BRAKES HAD NO EFFECT. VEHICLE LOST CONTROL, RESULTING IN AN INJURY.
SUDDEN ACCELERATION, CAUSING ACCIDENT.
GOT INTO CAR PUT IN GEAR DID NOT HAVE FOOT ON PEDAL AND THE CAR ACCELERATED ON IT'S OWN AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. TRIED TO CONTROLA AND COULDN'T THE CAR RAN INTO THE HOUSE.
THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED SUDDENLY ALMOST TO 100MPH. THE BRAKES WERE RUINED TRYING TO STOP THE CAR, HAD TO BE TURNED OFF AND DOWN SHIFTED IN ORDER TO STOP. *AK
OWNER STATES WHILE STARTING VEHICLE APPLIED THE BRAKES AND SHIFTED FROM PARK, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY TOOK OFF AT A HIGH RATE OFF SPEED. OWNER FURTHERS NOTES THAT THE IGNITION HAD TO BE TURNED OFF TO STOP ENGINE. *AK
AFTER STARTING VEHICLE WITH FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL, PUT INTO REVERSE, THROTTLE WENT INTO OPEN POSITION, IMPACT 6:00 POSITION , RPMS UNKNOW, BRAKES COULD STOP VEHICLE. *AK
SUDDEN ACCELERATION RESULTING IN COLLISION.
CONSUMER STATES THAT WHEN SHE WENT TO PASS ANOTHER CAR ON HIGHWAY THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL GOT STUCK AND CAR ACCELERATED TO (70) MPH. HAD TO HIT PEDAL (4) TIMES BEFORE IT WOULD DISENGAGE.*AK
DURING VEHICLE OPERATION. CONSUMER SHIFTED FROM PARK TO DRIVE POSITION, AND EXPERIENCED A SUDDEN ACCELERATION.*AK CONSUMER WAS INJURED IN ACCIDENT. *SLC
THROTTLE STICKING; THE CONSUMER PUT THE VEHICLE IN REVERSE AND THE VEHICLE SUDDLY ACCELELERATED, CAUSING THE CONSUMER TO HAVE AN ACCIDENT. *AK
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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