Safety regulators at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) have opened a preliminary investigation into an estimated 360,000 Ford Taurus sedans from the 2005 and 2006 model years after receiving 14 complaints from owners alleging incidents of a stuck throttle resulting from cruise control cable detachment.
The agency said that the complaints claimed, “engine speeds as high as approximately 4,000rpm after shifting into Park or Neutral”, while some drivers noted that it was difficult to slow down the vehicle and that they had to shut-off the engine and/or shift into neutral in order to stop.
No accidents or injuries have been reported to date but the NHTSA said that in one incident, a Ford Taurus driver allegedly went through a red light and partially entered an intersection before he could stop the car.
“A Preliminary Evaluation has been opened to assess the scope, frequency, and safety-related consequences of the alleged defect,” the safety agency said on its website.
We’ll update the story as soon as NHTSA and/or Ford come out with more details.
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