According to the NHTSA, 14 people have complained about the problem, athough there have been no crashes or injuries reported. Drivers have reported that it was hard to stop the car with brakes and several of them noted they had to shut off the engine or put the car in neutral in order to stop. One driver reported having to run a red light and entered an intersection before the car could be stopped.

The agency reports that the cruise control cable may become detached and hold the throttle open. According to Ford spokesman Daniel Pierce, Ford is cooperating in the probe. He said the company was just notified of the investigation.

One driver reported in a complaint to NHTSA on Aug. 27, 2010 that his 2006 Taurus began to accelerate without any pressure on the gas pedal. He stated he pushed the brakes to the maximum, but the car ran a red light, stopping halfway in the intersection. The engine revved until the car was shut off, but it revved again when it was restarted.