This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
On occasions when pressing brake petal, the engine will speed up wide open causing the back wheel to actually to spin the back tires while holding the break petal down hard! very dangerous!! first time this happen the truck was only a couple months old. I took the truck back to dealer, and they reprogrammed the computer. I have had several occasion of it happening again but not as serious until only recently! last time I took the truck back to the dealer, May 14, 2007, I left it with them for a week. I went back and picked up the truck, and the dealer said they could not find any the wrong. I took the truck and in one and one half week later the fast acceleration happen again!!! see also ODI 10205846.
- the contact stated that while backing out of the driveway the 2003 Ford F150 with 15000 failure mileage with his foot on the brake he put the vehicle into drive and it accelerated to 35 mph and struck a tree. The driver then shut the vehicle off and put it into park. The vehicle was towed to a body shop with extensive damage. The cause of the acceleration has not been determined. Updated 03/30/07.
On 11-21-06, one of our employees, was accelerating onto the freeway and realized that the throttle linkage on his 2003 Ford F150 was stuck. He had to put the F150 in neutral and pull over to safely stop (the engine was racing until he turned it off). He found that there is a plastic, two-piece cover around the throttle linkage that had come unsnapped on its underside and had apparently caused the problem. He replaced the cover. This problem has the potential to be a severe, perhaps fatal, defect.
10/10/06 7:20 pm I was sitting at a red light with my daughter in my Ford F150 2003 truck, when it began sudden acceleration. I placed both feet on the brake, and pushed the brake down as far as it would go to try and hold the truck in place. I could feel the brake pedal jumping under my feet as the truck was trying to move forward. I didn't think the brakes were going to hold the truck in place. I could hear the trucks motor racing louder and louder from inside the cab with all the windows up. The trucks RPM registered a 5. keeping both feet on the brake I put the truck in park and turned the engine off. I feel very lucky no one was injured. I called the Ford house in the nearest town and reported the incident to see if they could fix the problem. They advised me they have never had a report of this nature regarding Ford vehicles. I have since done research regarding this matter and their vehicles appear to be in litigation in which Ford has been required to disclose documents that reveal the breadth of the problem. (defects in the design of the electronic speed control ("cruise control"). "the report I read states almost no Ford vehicle is exempt!" in addition there are prior consumer complaints with the 2003 Ford F150 in regards to the same experience that I had. I do not know if this is the problem with my truck, but the experiences appear to be the same. I plan to follow up by taking my truck to the Ford house I called with my complaint along with copies of the report I found, "Ford: Sudden unintended acceleration & stuck throttles, and recent filed consumer complaints. Hopeful someone will listen.
While driving F-150 4X4, accelerator/throttle stuck and caused me to crash into an embankment and even after crash, was still stuck and kept trying to go wide open.
- Glen Jean, WV, USA
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In light of the recall of the 2000 model of the Ford F-150 pickups for engine fires associated with the cruise control switch, I would like to ask that NHTSA and Ford to look at a possible simular problem with the 2003 model of F-150's. a few months ago I had my cruise control on and after about 15 min the brake light illuminated in the dash cluster. When I disengaged the cruise control with the off button the light went out. I had the Ford dealership in conroe check it out and they could not duplicate it or find a problem. Now I am very concern that my F-150 may also catch on fire like the 2000 yr models.
Recently, consume bought 2003, harley davidson, F150 in may of 2003. It idled roughly on occasion at which time it fluctuated. It idled at 800 rpms, then dipped down to 400 rpms. Felt like it was about to die, then surged back up to 900 rpms, and so forth. At times while driving it hesitated at constant speed.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Thomaston, GA, USA