2002 Ford Focus vehicle speed control problems

“I AM WRITING THIS FOR TWO INCIDENTS HAPPENED WITHIN A TWO WEEK TIME FRAME. 1. THE ENGINE HAD TO BE REPLACED SINCE ONE PISTON PIN HAD BROKEN DUE TO WHICH THE WHOLE PISTON HAD BROKEN INSIDE THE ENGINE. THE WHOLE ENGINE HAD TO BE REPLACED AS PER MECHANICS SUGGESTION. I HAVE THE INVOICE FROM THE MECHANIC SHOP AND THE MECHANIC WOULD GLADLY PROVIDE MORE DETAILS IF NEEDED. 2. THIS WAS SCARY ! WHILE DRIVING AT 70 MILES AN HOUR ON CRUISE,THE CAR WOULD NOT COME OUT OF CRUISE CONTROL AND CONSTANTLY ACCELERATED EVEN AFTER TRYING TO USE BRAKES. (IDEALLY WHEN YOU FIRST TOUCH THE BRAKES, THE CAR SHOULD COME OUT OF CRUISE) ONCE THE CAR REACHED AT A SPEED OF 80 MILES AND I COULD NOT DO ANYTHING. WHEN THE CAR WAS SHUT DOWN ABNORMALLY, AND RESTARTED THE ISSUE CONTINUED AND EVEN WHEN IT WAS IN NEUTRAL, IT CONSTANTLY RAVED UP. I SEE OTHER PEOPLE HAVE RECENTLY FILED COMPLAINS FOR THIS AND EXPECT THE NHTSA TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT URGENTLY AS IN MY OPINION IT IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE. THE MECHANIC MENTIONED THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL CABLE WAS STUCK IN THE HOUSING. CURRENTLY THE CRUISE CONTROL HAS BEEN DISCONNECTED BY MY MECHANIC AND I HAVE BOUGHT A NEW CRUISE CONTROL CABLE FROM THE…”

“WHILE DRIVING MY 2002 FORD FOCUS ABOUT 45 MPH VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED UP TO 85 MPH. I TRIED TO REDUCE SPEED BY STEPPING ON THE BRAKES STILL WOULD NOT COME TO A COMPLETE STOP I HAD TO PULL THE EMERGENCE BRAKE , STEAM WAS COMING OUT OF VEHICLE AND TURN THE ENGINE OFF BUT WHEN I STARTED IT BACK UP THE ENGINE IS STILL REVVING UP. *TR”

“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD FOCUS SVT. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND BECAME STUCK IN THE OPEN THROTTLE POSITION. THE SPEED INCREASED TO 90 MPH. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO MANUALLY RELEASE THE PEDAL; HOWEVER, THE PEDAL WOULD NOT MOVE UNTIL HE USED EXCESSIVE FORCE. THE VEHICLE DID NOT STOP UNTIL THE BRAKES WERE ENGAGED AND THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL GEAR. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE ONTO THE EMERGENCY LANE SO THAT IT COULD BE TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE FAILURE WAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE THROTTLE CABLE. THERE WAS A RECALL UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 02V117000 (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL: CRUISE CONTROL); HOWEVER, THE VIN WAS EXCLUDED FROM THE RECALL. THE CONTACT EXPERIENCED SIMILAR FAILURES AS MENTIONED IN THE RECALL. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 75,000.”

“1) I NOTICED THAT MY RPMS WERE NOT RETURNING TO NORMAL AND MY VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO STOP COMPLETELY. 2) I OWN A 2002 FORD EXPLORER XLS 4X4 WITH THE SOHC 4.0 LITER ENGINE. THE THROTTLE CABLE STUCK IN THE OPEN POSITION CAUSING THE ENGINE TO SURGE UNCONTROLLABLY AT APPROXIMATELY 5000 RPMS. I HAD TO TURN OFF MY IGNITION TO AVOID CRASHING THE VEHICLE INTO NEARBY TRAFFIC. OTA HAS RECEIVED REPORTS OF THIS PROBLEM, NHTSA ACTION NUMBER: PE05037, BUT CLOSED THE CASE ON NOVEMBER 2, 2005. THIS IS A SERIOUS DEFECT THAT COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A SERIOUS CRASH. I BELIEVE THAT OTA SHOULD ISSUE A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM AS IT DID FOR CAMPAIGN #03V280000. 3) I WILL BE CONTACTING FORD TOMORROW TO RESOLVE THIS PROBLEM. MY VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY NOT SAFE TO DRIVE. *TR”

“VEHICLE PARKED IN PARKING LOT AT 9:30P.M. SHERIFF WOKE US UP 2:00 A.M. BANGING ON WINDOWS STATING SUV WAS ON FIRE. 3 OTHER VEHICLES WERE DAMAGED BECAUSE OF FIRE. I AM BLESSED MYSELF AND MY CHILDREN WERE NOT IN SUV AT THAT TIME. ALSO DAMAGED PARKING AREA. *TR”

“THE SPEEDOMETER ON MY 2002 FORD FOCUS SUDDENLY DROPS TO ZERO. IT OFTEN TAKES SEVERAL MINUTES TO RESET AND OFTEN DOES THIS REPEATEDLY. IT HAS BEEN HAPPENING WITH INCREASING FREQUENCY THIS STARTED AFTER THE WARRANTY EXPIRED BUT IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT FORD KNOWS ABOUT AND WILL NOT CORRECT. THEY CLAIM THAT I MUST REPLACE THE ENTIRE EXPENSIVE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. *JB”