Four problems related to cruise control have been reported for the 2002 Ford Taurus. The most recently reported issues are listed below. Please also check out the statistics and reliability analysis of the 2002 Ford Taurus based on all problems reported for the 2002 Taurus.
Coming off an on ramp onto the interstate, the car continued to accelerate and the brake would not disengage the cruise control. It reached 85 mph before I shifted into neutral, coasted to the shoulder, and shut off the ignition. I started the car and the engine revved up again, so I shut it off and called for assistance.
Similar to the recent Ford escape recall, the cruise control malfunctioned at highway speeds resulting in the vehicle being stuck in full throttle. The only effective way to safely slow the vehicle was to combine the standard brakes, emergency brake, and switching off the ignition.
The speed control deactivation switch on the steering wheel will not turn off the cruise control. Tapping the brake pedal does turn it off. When leaving the freeway and driving on surface streets, the cruise control reactivates if the resume button is brushed. My local Ford agency explained that it's caused by a defective switch on the master cylinder. That's the same problem that lead to earlier recalls by Ford.
: the contact stated the vehicle suddenly accelerated. The first incident occurred while traveling at 35 mph and the vehicle accelerated to 65 mph. Depressing the brakes would not stop the vehicle. Therefore , the vehicle was placed in neutral and it still did not stop. The vehicle was turned off and then placed into the park position which resulted in the vehicle sputtered to a stop. An independent repair shop inspected the vehicle, but could not diagnose a problem. The second incident occurred at a stop light. The vehicle accelerated while the contact's foot lifted off the brake pedal. Again, the vehicle was taken to the repair shop, and the iac valve and spark plug wires were replaced. The third incident occurred while driving 55 mph. The vehicle accelerated from 55 mph to 95 mph. It was placed in neutral and moved to the shoulder of the road. While on the shoulder the vehicle was turned off and placed into the park position. After the vehicle sputtered to a stop the insurance agency was contacted. It was towed to the dealership and test driven, however the problem could not be duplicated. The contact stated the cruise control has never been used.