1997 Ford Escort vehicle speed control problems

“DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING CAR, HAD A TIRE BLOW OUT, AND CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED OUT OF CONTROL. SHE TRIED SHIFTING GEARS, USING BRAKES, AND PULLING PARKING BRAKE TO NO AVAIL. SHE CRASHED INTO PARKED CARS AFTER TRAVELING ABOUT 200 YARDS UPHILL. WITNESSES SAY SHE WAS GOING ABOUT 30 TO 40 MPH. AFTER THE BLOWOUT, WHICH HAPPENED AS SHE WAS LEAVING A STOP. CAR WILL NOT BE REPAIRED, WILL BE JUNKED. IT IS TOO DANGEROUS FOR ANYONE TO DRIVE. *JB”

“UNINTENDED ACCELLERATION. WITHIN THE LAST 12 MONTHS, ON APPROXIMATELY 6 OCCASIONS, THE VEHICLE WOULD SUDDENLY ACCELERATE WHEN BRAKING TO A STOP. THE VEHICLE WOULD BE PLACED IMMEDIATELY INTO NEUTRAL AND THE IDLE SPEED WOULD RETURN TO NORMAL. THIS WAS NOT CAUSED BY FLOORMATS OR INADVERTANT PRESSING OF THE GAS PEDAL.*AK”

“THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED AND LURCHED FORWARD WHILE PULLING INTO A PARKING SPACE, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO HIT A BRICK WALL. UPON IMPACT, BOTH FRONTAL AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED MINOR INJURIES, AND WAS TRANSPORTED TO THE LOCAL HOSPITAL. THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED. *AK”

“CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT TRANSMISSION AXLE SLIPPAGE AND DEFECTIVE BRAKE PROBLEMS. VEHICLE VIBRATED WHEN ACCELERATING. CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE INSPECTED BY A PRIVATE MECHANIC. *AK”

“INTERMITTENTLY SUDDEN ACCELERATION OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING OR BRAKING. THIS RESULTED IN A REAR END COLLISION. ALSO, WHILE THE MECHANIC WAS TEST DRIVING THE VEHICLE, SUDDEN ACCELERATION OCCURRED, WHICH RESULTED IN FRONT BUMPER DAMAGE. MECHANIC REPLACED SEVERAL COMPONENTS, BUT THE PROBLEM STILL OCCURRED. DEALERSHIP WAS CONTACTED AND PERFORMED A EEC TEST, IN WHICH ,THE DTC CODE WAS PU1143, BAD PURGE FUEL. INTAKE AIR HOSE WAS LOOSE. DEALERSHIP TIGHTENED THE CLAMP, AND A SENSOR WAS REPLACED. SUDDEN ACCELERATION OCCURRED 3 TIMES AFTER THE DEALERSHIP SERVICED THE VEHICLE. *AK”

“THE CRUISE CONTROL STOPPED WORKING/WORKED 5 TIMES DURING THE WEEKEND OF NOV 11, 2002. THE FIRST TIME IT CAUSED THE SPEEDOMETER TO BE ERRATIC AND THEN IT STARTED WORKING. FROM THE SECOND TIME ON, IT CAUSED THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO COME ON AND STAY ON. THE SECOND TIME IT DIDN'T WORK BUT IT CAUSED THE SPEEDOMETER TO STICK ON 0 AND THE ODOMETER TO STOP WORKING. THE 3RD TIME IT ALSO DIDN'T WORK, BUT IT CAUSED THE SPEEDOMETER TO PEG OUT OVER 120 MPH AND THE ODOMETER STOPPED WORKING. I HAD DECIDED AT THAT POINT TO NOT TRY THE CRUISE CONTROL AGAIN. THE 4TH TIME THE CRUISE CONTROL SEEMED TO KICK IN BY ITSELF FOR A FEW SECONDS, IT CAUSED THE SPEEDOMETER TO BE ERRATIC, AND THEN THE CRUISE CONTROL STOPPED WORKING AGAIN. THE 5TH TIME WAS THE SCARRIEST. IT AGAIN TRY TO KICK IN BY ITSELF, AND THIS TIME IT DISABLED THE GAS PEDAL. DURING THIS ENTIRE TIME I WAS DRIVING THE POSTED SPEED LIMIT OF 65 MPH. I'VE STOPPED DRIVING THE CAR FOR RIGHT NOW. THE CRUISE CONTROL SEEMS TO BE TOO ERRATIC AND I DON'T WANT TO GET IN A ACCIDENT BECAUSE OF IT. DT”