Problems · by component
2001 Ford Taurus vehicle speed control problems
99 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2001 Ford Taurus cite vehicle speed control, 10% of all 1,036 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
99
10% of all complaints
Crashes
17
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
8
Reported by owners
What owners say about the vehicle speed control
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“THE CAR WILL SOMETIMES STAY AT HIGH RPMS EVEN WHEN PRESSURE IS RELEASED ON THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THIS HAPPENED TO ME IN 2018 WHEN I FIRST GOT THE CAR AND HAS HAPPENED RECENTLY IN DECEMBER 2020. IN THE FIRST EPISODE, I DEPRESSED THE BRAKE AND THE CAR DID NOT SLOW DOWN UNTIL I SHIFTED TO NEUTRAL. IN THE SECOND, MY WIFE HAD TO THROW IT INTO PARK. THE CAR WAS IN MOTION ON A CITY STREET IN BOTH INSTANCES GOING STRAIGHT”
“MY HIGH BEAM LIGHT INDICATOR IS ON BUT THE LOW BEAMS ARE ON. WHEN I PUSH THE SWITCH TO TURN MY HIGH BEAMS ON THEY TURN ON BUT THE LIGHT INDICATOR TURNS OFF AND WHEN SWITCH MY HIGH BEAMS ON MY SPEEDOMETER STARTS KINDA WORKING, OTHERWISE IT DOESN'T WORK AT ALL.”
“THE THROTTLE CABLE HOUSING DOES NOT STAY IN IT'S SEAT WHERE IT IS MOUNTED BY THE THROTTLE BODY CAUSING OVER ACCELERATION WHEN USING MODERATE ACCELERATION, VERY HARD BRAKING IS NECSESARY TO STOP AND PUTTING THE TRANSMISSION IN NEUTRAL CAUSES MAJOR OVER REVING OF THE ENGINE.”
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD TAURUS. WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED INDEPENDENTLY WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY. IN ADDITION, WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESPOND. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO AVOID A CRASH BY SHIFTING THE GEAR INTO NEUTRAL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATING AS DESIGNED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 132,000.”
“I WAS ENTERING ONTO THE FREEWAY, AND WHEN I ACCELERATED TO REACH 60MPH, THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE WITHOUT MY FOOT ON THE PEDAL, AND HAD TO USE MY BRAKES CONTINUOUSLY TO KEEP FROM CRASHING INTO OTHER CARS UNTIL I COULD GET IT SAFELY PULLED OVER TO THE EMERGENCY LANE, AND FORCING THE STOP WITH ALL I HAD. THE WHOLE CAR WAS SHAKING. QUITE SCARY. HAD IT TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND THE DIAGNOSIS WAS THAT THE CRUISE CABLE BROKE AND GOT CAUGHT ON THE ACCELERATOR CABLE WHICH CAUSED SUDDEN AND UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. WHILE RESEARCHING THIS ISSUE, FOUND OTHERS WHO EXPERIENCED THE SAME THING. WHY THERE ISN'T A RECALL ON THIS, I WILL NEVER KNOW. IF THERE ARE NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS OF MALFUNCTIONS RESULTING IN POSSIBLE CRASH, DON'T YOU THINK THE MANUFACTURER WOULD PUT THE CONSUMER FIRST, INVESTIGATE IT, AND MAKE IT RIGHT? I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER FORD.”
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD TAURUS. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT UNKNOWN SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING WHILE DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE FAILURE RECURRED TWICE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 226,000.”
Showing 6 of 99 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 8, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.