2002 Ford Taurus Vehicle speed control Problems
- Complaints
- 76about this part
- Share
- 5%of 1,426 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 103,000miles
- Trend
- StableComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.
NHTSA recorded 76 complaints about the vehicle speed control of the 2002 Ford Taurus, 5% of the 1,426 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 103,000 miles. 16 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“Driving at a speed of about 25 MPH ,my car suddenly revved up and sped up without my pressing the gas. I nearly rear-ended a car in front of me. I pressed on my brake as hard as I could but it did not help much .I downshifted to 3rd gear but still not much help. Finally it returned to normal speed. I was too scared and did not see how high the rpms went.”
NHTSA complaint #11073352, filed 2018-02, 236,000 miles“Entering my neighborhood when gas pedal broke . Car accelerated to highest RPM and I had to counteract this by putting both feet on my brakes to keep my car from flying off and hitting something. Extremely scary. Car cannot be turned on without the engine revving to the highest possible speed. Had I been on the interstate I may be dead. Gas pedal is depressed all the way to floor. Have not yet had it inspected by a shop.”
NHTSA complaint #11005527, filed 2017-07, 120,000 miles“I had the experience described exactly in your current investigation pe 12-033. Throttle was stuck open which caused engine to remain between 3000-4000 rpms even while decelerating or stopped. Physical inspection revealed fractured speed control cable collar. I would like to know if Ford as agreed to recall vehicles or fix this problem.”
NHTSA complaint #10520964, filed 2013-06, 136,800 miles“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.”
NHTSA complaint #10458061, filed 2012-05, 170,000 miles“My son was driving my 2002 Ford Taurus on 4-15-2014 at approximately 12:00 a.m. He had the cruise control set to 35 MPH. While driving, the cruise control began to accelerate. He tried to disengage the cruise control by hitting the brake. The cruise control would not disengage and the car kept accelerating reaching the speed of about 70mph. As a turn approached he could no longer control the vehicle. He hit a curb and a stop sign before the car came to a stop on the roadway. …”
NHTSA complaint #10607475, filed 2014-07, 141,768 milesRelated service bulletins
- 10052600Jun 21, 2013Ford: see document search button for owner letter. Speed control cable is susceptible to damage and can disconnect during hood maintenance and also interfere with full throttle…
Vehicle speed control: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 1 | 2% |
| 2015 | 10 | 4% |
| 2014 | 8 | 3% |
| 2013 | 18 | 3% |
| 2012 | 4 | 5% |
| 2011 | 14 | 7% |
| 2010 | 24 | 12% |
| 2009 | 10 | 16% |
| 2008 | 32 | 18% |
| 2007 | 55 | 37% |
| 2006 | 176 | 55% |
| 2005 | 529 | 68% |
| 2004 | 164 | 44% |
| 2003 | 88 | 7% |
| 2002 | 76 | 5% |
| 2001 | 99 | 10% |
| 2000 | 87 | 7% |
| 1999 | 109 | 12% |
| 1998 | 111 | 20% |
| 1997 | 58 | 8% |
| 1996 | 42 | 5% |
| 1995 | 85 | 7% |
| 1994 | 61 | 7% |
| 1993 | 57 | 4% |
| 1992 | 49 | 7% |
| 1991 | 26 | 4% |
| 1990 | 30 | 8% |
| 1989 | 23 | 4% |
| 1988 | 16 | 5% |
| 1987 | 15 | 6% |
| 1986 | 5 | 5% |
Other parts of the 2002 Ford Taurus
962 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
100 complaintsBody and structure
54 complaintsEngine cooling
53 complaintsAir bags
47 complaintsBrakes
46 complaintsElectrical system
42 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
39 complaintsTires
38 complaintsFuel system
27 complaintsEquipment
26 complaintsExterior lighting
24 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2002 Ford Taurus
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology