What the hell guys, can we just build a car that doesn’t have a sadistic pedal?
Ford is recalling just about half a million Escapes due to a problem involving sticking accelerator pedals.
The recall affects the 2001 to 2004 models that have a 3-liter V6 engine with cruise control. Safety inspectors discovered that the accelerator’s speed control cables could become stuck on an engine cover when the pedal is fully depressed.
The investigation comes after a 17-year-old crashed her Ford Escape. The teen was being followed by her mother who called 911 saying, ”She cannot stop. We’re coming to a red light and I don’t know what to do for her.” Entering the intersection, the teen slammed into another car, causing her Escape to roll three times. Her life was later taken due to her severe injuries.
An inspector hired by the teen’s family discovered the vehicle’s speed control cable had been broken and was stuck under the engine cover.
Not only is this a terrible misstep by Ford, it is an unbelievable tragedy for the family. I cannot even imagine the fear that was going through the teen when she could not slow down, but even more tragic is how the mother was driving behind the teen and watched as her daughter crashed. There was nothing neither the teen or mother could do, and this hopelessness is what gets me.
Ford says they have a fix for the problem but many dealerships will not have the parts for the fix right away. Those dealerships do have an interim repair that will disable the speed control system on the vehicle, but will still allow the vehicle to be used.
Vehicle recalls like this one will continue to happen because there are so many damn parts in a car. With all of these parts, it must be nearly impossible to find every possible fault that could happen. However, you would think the throttle system would be one area where they would make sure there would be no faults…
