| Subject: | Stuck throttle |
| Components covered: |
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| Investigations Summary: |
Note: this investigation has resulted in
a vehicle safety recall. NHTSA's office of defects investigation (odi) has been monitoring an issue involving the potential failure of the throttle to return to idle when the accelerator pedal has been released in certain Ford escape and Mazda tribute vehicles. Odi has identified 99 reports alleging incidents of throttles failing to return to idle when the accelerator pedal has been released ("stuck throttle") in model year (my) 2001 through 2004 Ford escape and Mazda tribute sport utility vehicles built with 3. 0l v6 engines. Of this total, sixty-eight reports are from owners of Ford escapes and thirty-one reports are from owners of my 2001 through 2004 Mazda tributes. Some of the complaints, including a fatal crash incident that occurred in January 2012, allege that the failure was caused by interference between the speed control cable and the appearance cover at the throttle body cam. Some of the complaints also allege that the failures may have been related to repairs performed as part of safety recalls initiated in 2004. In a December 6, 2004 letter, Ford motor company submitted a defect information report (dir) to NHTSA describing an accelerator cable assembly defect that could present a stuck throttle risk in approximately 470,245 my 2002 through 2004 Ford escape vehicles built with 3. 0l v6 engines from may 30, 2001 through January 23, 2004 (recall no. 04v-574). In a December 9, 2004 letter, Mazda north America operations submitted a dir to NHTSA concerning the same defect condition affecting approximately 121,000 my 2002 through 2004 Mazda tribute vehicles built with 3. 0l v6 engines from may 30, 2001 through December 19, 2003 (recall no. 04v-583). In December 2004, Ford sent letters to dealers with the repair instructions and service procedure for recall 04v-574. In October 2005 Ford sent dealers an updated repair procedure with updated illustrations and a warning to help prevent damage to the speed control cable while performing the accelerator cable replacement procedure. Mazda sent its dealer letters in January 2005 and did not send an update. A preliminary evaluation has been opened to assess the scope, frequency and safety-related consequences of the alleged defect. The odi reports cited in the failure report section of this resume can be reviewed at www-odi. NHTSA. Dot. Gov/complaints under the odi numbers on the attachment page of this resume. |
| Vehicles Affected by this investigation: |
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