• March 5 2006 : 1998 BMW 318: A motorist drove for 60 miles at speeds of 135mph after the accelerator on his BMW 318 car jammed and his brakes failed. BBC Five Live interview:: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/4796264.stm      March 11 2006 Yorkshire Post  - article by  Emma Dunlop  News.Telegraph - article by Nick Britten   
  
• BMW 1996 740 iL Alleged Sudden Acceleration Seminole County, Orlando Florida in August 2000 (State vs Mary Hill)
• November 30th 2004: Mary Hill will not get a new trial
  
• February 2004: Mary Hill found guilty of five counts in fatal accident
• April 28th 2004: Driven to Extremes CBS News 48 Hours  Parts 1 & 2
•  Part I  : http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/04/27/48hours/main614003.shtml 
• Part II : http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/04/27/48hours/main614004.shtml
• Correspondence after  programme includes other sudden alleged acceleration incidents: http://bbs.cbsnews.com/cgi-bin/cbsnews/ikonboard.cgi?s=408fe2ee083fffff&act=ST&f=7&t=6&st=

• 3 September 2003 Korean Court dismisses car safety cases On the heels of a series of court rulings in favor of local carmakers sued for liability in regard to cars over-accelerating prior to accidents, the Seoul District Court is following suit in cases involving foreign carmakers.  In all five cases against BMW, Volvo and importers of foreign cars, the district court yesterday dismissed the plaintiffs' claims as groundless, saying there is no convincing evidence to support any link between quick acceleration speeds and the ensuing accidents.[available by subscription]  http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/SITE/data/html_dir/2003/09/03/200309030073.asp

• 1998 Recall of 410,000 vehicles from build years 1994-1997   "The cruise control and throttle cables are attached to the same throttle valve actuating lever at the throttle housing. It is possible that the plastic bushing on either cable could break due to environmental influences coupled with vibration. If the bushing breaks, the outer cable housing can separate from the bushing. In this case, during application of the throttle pedal without cruise control being engaged, the outer tube could catch on the edge of the broken bushing. This could cause the throttle valve to remain partially open. It his were to occur, the car might not decelerate as expected  increasing the risk of a vehicle crash."

• Buick Regal
• Office of Defects Investigation Recall Database : Buick Regal recalls in '79, '84, '88 & '89 relating to cruise control problems

• November 13th 2007 Jeep takes off at Autobell carwash VIRGINIA BEACH, VA — A “runaway” Jeep busted out of an Autobell carwash and careened through several fast food parking lots before finally crashing into a brick wall at an auto part store yesterday, according to WAVY-TV. http://www.carwash.com/news.asp?N_ID=67699
• June 15th 2006 Another Car Wash, another Jeep sudden acceleration incident  West Chester OH. http://www.carwash.com/news.asp?mode=4&N_ID=62161
  
• June 14th 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee SUV crashes into building in Danbury CT after leaving car wash.  Two injured as Jeep hits wall.. Newstimeslive.com
• June 13th 2006 Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal calls upon NHTSA to investigate Jeep Cherokee sudden accelerations http://www.ct.gov/ag/cwp/view.asp?A=2426&Q=316538    Other articles: Consumeraffairs.com ;  Reuters ; WTNH (video).   W-CBS TV New York
  
• April 27th 2006 (WTNH, Apr. 27, 2006 11:00 PM)  Was a recent fatal accident at a local car wash caused by a well known suspected problem with one of the most popular SUVs on the market? A Team 8 Investigation has discovered the accident is strikingly similar to other accidents involve the Jeep Grand Cherokee.. http://www.wtnh.com/Global/story.asp?S=4830937&nav=3YeX    Video showing sudden acceleration on this site.
  
• March 1st 2006: Jeep Grand Cherokee ICA Announces Jeep Cherokee Sudden Acceleration Roundtable for Tuesday March 14th. http://www.moderncarcare.com/hotnews/63h1850445907.html
  
• August 7th 2004 :Chicago: Five Pedestrians struck by SUV The driver of an SUV lost control of the vehicle, striking five people, a tree and a suburban hotel. The man behind the wheel said the accelerator on his 1993 Jeep Cherokee malfunctioned. The injuries do not appear serious and no charges have been filed so far. 
  
• March 19 2004: Chrysler Grand Cherokee: Alleged sudden acceleration incident    Sandy, Utah
http://tv.ksl.com/index.php?nid=5&sid=82271


• Feb 24 2004: Chrysler Grand Cherokee: Alleged sudden acceleration incident  Salt Lake City Utah.
Feb 24 2004: Mechanical Failure May be Cause of Horrific Accident  [http://tv.ksl.com/index.php?nid=39&sid=77223]
Feb. 25, 2004 : Authorities Investigate Cause of Jeep's Sudden Acceleration. [http://tv.ksl.com/index.php?nid=5&sid=77409]
Feb. 25, 2004 : Family and Friends Rally Around Auto-Ped Victims. [http://tv.ksl.com/index.php?nid=5&sid=77471 ]
Family, Friends Rally Around Accident Victims Feb. 25, 2004 [ http://tv.ksl.com/index.php?nid=39&sid=77474]
Mar. 5, 2004 : Jeep Driver Tells His Side. [http://tv.ksl.com/index.php?nid=5&sid=79303]

• January 22 2003 : International Carwash Association Issues Jeep Cherokee Reminder : CHICAGO - Special Report – Over  the years, the International Carwash Association (ICA) has tracked and reported on many incidents of "sudden acceleration" by Jeep Cherokee models (Grand, Laredo and Sport) in professional carwashes. This problem has caused a considerable amount of damage to both our business and other vehicle's. In some cases the most unfortunate incidents involve our employees or innocent customers.
• Noteworthy Results Sudden Unintended Acceleration – The Cherokee Story. Various alleged cases of Jeep Cherokee sudden acceleration presented by the Law Firm Ricci-Leopold
  

• 09/09/2002 : Santosa v Chrysler : Court of Appeals Division 1 Washington :  Indrasanti Santosa was seriously injured when a Jeep Grand Cherokee driven by Ida Gerstel suddenly accelerated and struck her. Following a trial in which Chrysler and Gerstel were both defendants, the jury found that a defect in the Jeep was the sole cause of the accident, and excused Gerstel from liability.  Finding no error, the Appeal Court affirmed the judgment on the verdict.  [http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?court=wa&vol=2002_app/48823-6&invol=3]
• September 20 2002 : CHRYSLER JEEP AND JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE: NHTSA Denial of Motor Vehicle Defect Petition   59330A [Federal Register Vol. 67, 183 Friday, Sep 20, 2002] This notice sets forth the reasons for the denial of a petition submitted to NHTSA under 49 U.S.C. 30162 by Mr. William Sayler, requesting the Agency commence a proceeding to determine the existence of a defect related to motor vehicle safety in certain Jeep Cherokee and Grand Cherokee vehicles. After a review of the petition and other information, NHTSA has concluded that further investigation of the Agency’s investigative resources on the issues raised by the petition does not appear warranted. The agency accordingly has denied the petition. The petition is hereinafter identified as DP 02-0005 [Petition submitted April 11 2002] Document can be found in PDF downloadable form at: http://www.rdaweb.com/jeepsa/jeep.htm
• Motor Vehicle Petition DP 02-005  [Jeep Cherokee & Grand Cherokee]  An overview of Research and Findings in the Investigation of Sudden Acceleration Incidents involving Model Year 1991 through 1995 Jeep Cherokee and Grand Cherokees. March 27 2002. Formal Defect Petition to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Authors: Sayler, Walter D., Bizzak, David J., Nocivelli, Robert A. Document can be found in PDF downloadable form at: http://www.rdaweb.com/jeepsa/jeep.htm
  
• Previous requests for NHTSA investigations: 
• Centre for Auto Safety request to NHTSA 23/04/96 for higher level investigation
• Centre for Auto Safety request to NHTSA 13/07/90 for higher level investigation

• 30 April 1997: Chrysler to Retrofit Older Jeep Cherokee and Grand Cherokee Vehicles with'Brake-Park' Shift Interlock
  

• Sudden Unintended Acceleration : Jeep Cherokee: Two decades of denial   http://www.safetyforum.com/sua/

• DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION - NHTSA  DENIAL OF PETITIONS RE: CHRYSLER JEEP CHEROKEE & GRAND CHEROKEE
  

• Safety Research Report Index - Chrysler Jeep Sudden Acceleration [References up until 1993] Centre for Auto Safety http://www.autosafety.org/srr/SAXLR.pdf

• February 12 2003 : Chrysler Grand Cherokee: Alleged sudden acceleration incident Wednesday  Fort Worth Texas. Star Telegram On-Line Reporter Deanna Boyd <dboyd@star-telegram.com>. "A 37 year old car wash employee was critically injured when she was struck and dragged by an out-of-control Jeep Grand Cherokee driven by another employee. Witnesses say an employee was driving the Grand Cherokee out of the car wash bay when it suddenly accelerated striking the woman and three other employees before coming to a stop...The 18 year old driver said he wasn't able to stop the SUV until he threw the transmission into Park." Articles at: http://www.dfw.com/mld/startelegram/news/local/5167187.htm and http://www.dfw.com/mld/startelegram/news/local/5171764.htm [subscription only]
  

•   January 27  2003:  1991 Chrysler Grand Cherokee: An alleged sudden acceleration incident occurred on in Paris Texas. Report by Mary Madewell in Paris News on 11 February 2003:  "Pete Patterson hadn't heard of sudden unintended acceleration two weeks ago, but after experiencing it first hand the former state legislator wants Daimler Chrysler to make sure other Jeep Grand Cherokee owners know of the dangers it poses..."  [http://web.theparisnews.com/story.lasso?-datasource=paris&-table=paris&-keyfield=ID&-op=eq&ID=10833&-search ]

• March 28, 2000: Driver's fault vs. auto's fault By Amy McLaughlin Chicago Daily Herald Staff  Writer  A car crashes through a building. Someone must be asleep at the wheel, right? Not necessarily, says a Des Plaines car wash manager  whose employee drove a 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee through a neighboring restaurant. Two people had minor injuries as a result of that crash Tuesday and police are classifying it as an accident. But John Imreibe, manager of Royal Touch Car Wash in Des Plaines, says there  is a lot more to the story. Imreibe said there are well-documented problems with the Jeep Grand Cherokee that date back for years.  http://www.dailyherald.com/cook/main_story.asp?intID=38074266 
  
• 1998: Strategic Safety. Special investigation Chrysler Cherokee . [http://www.strategicsafety.com/library/si002.htm ] Presents the facts from Strategic Safety's 1998 investigation including 5 incidents from Chrysler's own files and 4 other documented case histories. Two of the documented case histories relate to vehicles suddenly accelerating from a car wash facility.  
  
• Case History 1: Hoffman Car Wash. Albany, NY. 3/26/94. 1992 Jeep Cherokee Laredo. VIN 1J4FJ5880NL246884.
  
• Case History 3: Nashua, NH. 3/19/97. Reported by the Nashua Telegraph, 3/20/98. 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee.
  

• March 28 2004: Korea - The Supreme Court upheld a High Court ruling on Sunday against plaintiff Park, who sued Daewoo Motors for damages over an accident caused by the sudden acceleration of his vehicle. This case is expected to set influential precedents for similar cases.  http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200403/200403280016.html
  

TOP OF PAGE

• March 27th 2008 Staten Island jury holds Ford liable in fatal crash, awards $6.5M
  
  Staten Island jury today awarded $6.5 million to the widow and estate of a Boy Scout leader from Mariners Harbor who was killed eight years ago when his Ford Explorer went out of control and rolled over on an upstate highway. http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2008/03/staten_island_jury_holds_ford.html
  
  
  
• August 13th 2007 East Texas Woman Sues Ford Motor Company For Her Son's Death newly released recall from Ford Motor Company includes a car, an East Texas man was driving when he died.  The accident report from the Department of Public Safety says Payton Lewis, 22 somehow lost control of his car last December, hit a tree and the car then started on fire.  His girlfriend Samantha Ely, who was in the car also died.  Payton's mother believes it was a faulty speed control switch that caught fire, killing her son.  She is now suing Ford Motor Company hoping to keep her son's dream of helping others alive.  http://www.kltv.com/Global/story.asp?S=6926191&nav=1TjD
  


• May  6th 2008 Stuart Merry to receive new trial http://www.wickedlocal.com/beverly/news/x304957022/Merry-to-receive-new-trial

• April 7th 2008 Beverly, Mass. - Beverly Police officer Stuart Merry will lose his driver’s license for 15 years, be on probation for three years and perform 200 hours of community service — but will not have to spend a day in jail — as part of a sentence handed down on Monday.A jury found Merry, 41, guilty of motor vehicle homicide by negligent operation after a three-day trial in Peabody District Court last month. http://www.wickedlocal.com/beverly/archive/x639668455

• November 01, 2007 Merry pleads not guilty in fatal cruiser crash. By Julie Manganis , Staff writer Salem News. PEABODY - A Beverly patrolman pleaded not guilty at his arraignment yesterday on vehicular homicide charges, as his lawyer now appears to be backing away from claims that the crash was caused by a sudden acceleration of the police cruiser.http://www.salemnews.com/punews/local_story_305094043
  

• August 1st 2007  Beverly police officer faces charges after deadly crash.   BEVERLY, Mass. -- A Beverly police officer is facing charges of negligent vehicular homicide in connection with a crash that killed a woman. State police yesterday cited Patrolman Stuart Merry on the misdemeanor charge, as well as with speeding, failing to stay within marked lanes and driving without a license. The January 20th crash killed 61-year-old Bonney Burns, who was sitting in her parked car outside her apartment. Her car was in the path of Merry's out-of-control 2006 Ford Crown Victoria cruiser, which veered across the double-yellow line. The reasons for the crash remain unclear, but police have said in the past that they have experienced unexplained "sudden acceleration" in the cruiser. Merry has been on paid leave since the crash.  http://www3.whdh.com/news/articles/local/BO58885/
  
• January 23rd 2007 Safety concerns take cruiser off road by Paul Leighton Staff Writer Salem News. BEVERLY - Police Chief John Cassola said he has taken another police cruiser off the road "as a precautionary measure" in the wake of Saturday's fatal crash involving another cruiser. The safety of three Police Department cruisers has been called into question by the crash that killed 61-year-old Bonney Burns on Saturday morning on Cabot Street. Burns was sitting in her parked car outside her apartment building when a cruiser driven by Patrolman Stuart Merry crossed the center line and slammed into her Toyota Camry. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Police are not saying what caused Merry to veer across the road. But Cassola has said that Merry's cruiser, along with two other 2006 Ford Crown Victoria cruisers, has had a history of incidents with "random acceleration."
  


• September 2006 Knoster v. Ford 1993 Taurus. 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals orders new trial http://www.vlex.us/caselaw/U-S-Court-Of-Appeals-Third-Circuit/Estate-Knoster-v-Ford-Mtr-Co/2100-23305534,01.html
  
• August 7th 2006 Greenville, SC  Jury Awards Upstate Family $18M A Greenville County jury handed down an $18 million dollar verdict in a lawsuit against Ford Motor Company. (Sunday Aug 6th 2006). For full details of 3 week trial trial see http://www.courttvpro.com/trials/carter_v_ford.html   (By subscription)

• November 11th 2005 :SUV crashes into office; doctor hurt. Pediatrician, 53, pinned behind desk
  Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 11/1/05 BY A. SCOTT FERGUSON

• February 2004 MANIGAULT V. FORD (1987 Crown Victoria) Retrial and Settlement
• Feb. 27  2004(Bloomberg) -- Ford Motor Co., the world's second- largest automaker, settled a sudden-acceleration lawsuit today brought by a Cleveland minister who was left in a coma after his 1987 Crown Victoria crashed into a neighbor's house. http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000103&sid=aor7ME4mr5Dc&refer=news_index

• 3 December 2003 : Bloomberg News: Ford's Own Evidence Threatens Automaker in Acceleration Suits Virginia Manigault will never forget what happened when her husband, a Pentecostal Christian minister, put his Ford Crown Victoria into gear to go visit their daughter. The car bolted out of the driveway and shot across the street. [Extensive review article] http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=nifea&&sid=aLUf8fqc3VzQ

• Justice Paul E. Pfeifer's weekly column October 30, 2002 :"By a four-to-three margin, we held that a new trial is the appropriate remedy when an expert witness's testimony accompanying a videotape without audio is allegedly contradicted by a copy of the videotape with    audio - even when the videotape is not discovered until after the trial has been completed." http://www.sconet.state.oh.us/Justices/pfeifer/column/2002/jp103002.asp

• January 10th 2004 St Petersburg Times (Florida). In a sudden acceleration lawsuit, a 1991 Ford Aerostar  minivan's malfunctioning cruise control is blamed for a woman's paralysis.By BENITA D. NEWTON, Times Staff Writer  http://www.sptimes.com/2004/01/10/Business/Local_firm_is_latest_.shtml

• January 6th 2004 PENDLETON V. FORD & ANOTHER V. FORD:  Detroit Free Press : Ford Motor Co. settles two lawsuits at trial claiming that its vehicles had an electronic defect that led to sudden-acceleration accidents. [Pendleton v Ford in California , ANOTHER v. Ford in Philadelphia  ] http://www.freep.com/money/business/irep6_20040106.htm

• April 12th 2003 : Salem Oregon: Crash splits car, injures 3 (1996 Ford Taurus) 
• "A 26-year-old Salem man is in critical condition after the car he was driving Friday was split in half in a dramatic collision on Market Street NE. Ryan Miller’s blue Honda Accord was hauled away in pieces after being crushed by an eastbound white Ford Taurus <1996>  driven by an 83-year-old Salem woman. Marianne Fish appeared to have mistaken the gas pedal for the brake pedal, according to Salem Police. She had been swerving to avoid hitting cars when she struck the Honda in an oncoming lane of traffic, Sgt. Jeff Barnes said.." Accident occurred April 11 2003 12.15 p.m.   Dead link:   http://www.salemnaz.org/ryanm/Morrison.htm

•  March 2003 : WATTS V. FORD : Jury Finds for Ford in Sudden Acceleration Suit. (Ford Taurus) -
• On Friday, February 28, a Sacramento County jury returned a verdict in favor of Ford Motor Company, finding that a 1989 Ford Taurus had no defect in the design of its cruise control system, door latch and seat belt, as claimed by Carolyn Watts. The jury returned its verdict in less than two hours after an eight-week trial. http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2003/03/06/156610.html?NEWS

• 11 Feb 2003 : EMERT, LEE, HENRY, SAUCEMAN and WEAR  V. FORD  (Lincoln Town Car)
• The suit originated from the accident at Rockford Baptist Church on October 2nd 1994  when June Tipton's Lincoln Towncar sped across the church parking lot and struck another car. The Lincoln then went onto the porch, struck several members of the congregation and killed Ann Emert of Louisville. Trial Reports were printed in the Daily Times of Maryville between 28 January 2003 and 11 February. Report of 12 February 2003 reports settlement prior to going to jury.
  

• December 3rd 2002 : Court Decision: HUBER V. FORD  ( 1998 Lincoln Town Car with  'Next Generation' Cruise Control)
• Verdict for a woman, who was injured, and on behalf of her minor daughter, who was killed, when the cruise control mechanism in their car failed to disengage when the woman applied the brakes to slow the car.  [Relates to an accident on August 17th 1999 when the plaintiff Joan Huber was driving a 1998 Lincoln Town Car travelling west on Interstate 68, approaching the West Pierpoint Exit in Monongalia County at a speed of approximately 70 mph. Driver was apparently unable to slow the vehicle on turning into exit ramp and a fatal accident resulted.]  http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3898/is_200306/ai_n9273056

• JONES V. FORD (Ford 1991 Lincoln Town Car)
• Nov 30th 2004: Ford not liable in crash A Virginia jury said Ford Motor Co. wasn't responsible for injuries suffered by a 74-year-old woman who claimed her Lincoln Town Car accelerated on its own and crashed into a light pole. [Dead Links Feb 7th 2007 :  http://www.freep.com/money/business/irep1e_20041201.htm   Also, on subscription: http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-rup1.8dec01,1,2600648.story?coll=la-headlines-business ]  
  

• March 2002: Virginia Supreme Court. Record No 010136 Margaret Jones v. FORD MOTOR COMPANY OPINION BY JUSTICE LEROY HASSELL SR. March 1, 2002 [Circuit court judgement was affirmed in part, reversed in part and the case was remanded for a new trial consistent with the views expressed in the Virginia Supreme Court judgement] Opinion cites depositions by 4 witnesses who had experienced sudden acceleration events: Ronald H. Campbell a Virginia State Trooper; and 3 secret service agents who had made depositions in the case Vicky Selman v. FORD Arkansas PB-C-94-474 [John W.Baker, Robert A. Diehl, Theodore M. Steiner].  For a discussion of  the exclusion of expert witness testimony in this case seeDAUBERT'S RATIONALE IN PRACTICE:  THE EXCLUSION OF EXPERT WITNESS TESTIMONY IN VIRGINIA STATE COURTS by  Joseph K. Reid III   and  Perry W. Miles http://www.mcguirewoods.com/news-resources/publications/products_liability/daubert.doc

• Feb 2002 : JARVIS V.FORD : Ford Aerostar
• Findlaw Judgment in case [Feb 2002]
• ABA Automotive Product Liability  National Institute : Recent Case Law Update
• Daubert on the Web: 15th May 2002: Second Circuit: Jarvis v. Ford
http://www.daubertontheweb.com/second_circuit.htm



• Safetyforum.com: Ford: Sudden unintended acceleration and stuck throttles  Reports a number of alleged sudden unintended acceleration incidents involving Ford vehicles and states that in recent litigation Ford have been required to "disclose documents that revealed the breadth of the problem, .... the company's prior  knowledge of the cruise control design defects and its efforts to keep them hidden."

   

  
  

• Safety Research Report Index - Ford Sudden Acceleration [References up until 1994] http://www.autosafety.org/srr/SAFORD.pdf
  

• August 12th 2007 Ford recall may be to blame for two fires  http://www.kfoxtv.com/news/13876103/detail.html
  
• Sept 7th 2005: Ford recall 3.8 million vehicles for replacement of Cruise Control Deactivation Switch suspected of causing fires
  
• June 17th 2005: Ford Cruise Control Deactivation Switch Recalls - Frequently Asked questions. http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/06/16/ford.vehicle.faq/
  

• March 23 2005  NEW YORK (CNN) - A federal investigation into cruise-control problems is underway in an estimated 3.7 million Ford F-150s, Ford Expeditions and Lincoln Navigators, auto safety regulators said Wednesday. http://money.cnn.com/2005/03/23/news/fortune500/ford/
• Feb 7th 2007: Ford Motor Co video statement on Cruise Control Deactivation Switches by Ray Nevi, Assistant Director in Ford's  Automotive Safety Office is no longer available.
  
• NEWS LINKS on F-150 fires   Google Ford Cruise Deactivation Switch
  

• January 27th 2005 Ford voluntarily recall 792,000 2000 model year trucks to have cruise brake pressure switch disengaged 
  • Ford is voluntarily issuing a safety recall to address under hood fires related to the speed control switch in four-to-five year old 2000 model year Ford F-150s, Ford Expeditions and Lincoln Navigators, as well as 2001 F-Series Supercrew trucks manufactured during the same time period as the other 2000 model year vehicles. Ford has been working closely with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to investigate this issue. http://media.ford.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=20106
  • Ford Expedition/Lincoln Navigator fires http://consumeraffairs.com/automotive/ford_expedition_fire.html
  • Flaming Fords
    
  • January 28 2005 WESH.COM reports from Orlando, Florida - including WESH NewsChannel2 Video reports: http://www.wesh.com/news/4140551/detail.html
    
  • January 31 2005 Houston Lawyers sue Ford over F150 fires http://consumeraffairs.com/news04/2005/flaming_fords_suit.htm
  • March 1 2005 WXYZ.com  Fords on Fire  and complete list of vehicles with suspected switch
  • Relevant Pressure Switch Patents:  4,469,923 Charboneau Sept 4, 1984;  5,932.857, Stander et al, Aug 3rd 1999  & Photographs

• August 8 2003 : Ford Explorer, Explorer Sport and Mercury Mountaineer (1999-2001) and  Explorer Sport Trac(2001) Recall : faulty cruise control cables[ 499,988  vehicles]  http://www.vehicle-injuries.com/2003-vehicle-safety-news.htm [NHTSA Recall No 03V280000]

• Oct 17 2000: FORD Focus Recall:  SafetyAlerts :  Dearborn, MI  - Ford Motor Company has announced three voluntary safety recalls affecting model year 2000 Ford Focus vehicles. .. including cruise control cables..http://consumeraffairs.com/recalls/focus.html

• Ford Focus recalls http://www.autosafety.org/article.php?scid=37&did=309

• Dec 13 2000: FORD Explorer and Mountaineer Recall :  Software fault forces Ford recall -  by Andrew Thomas : Car giant Ford has instigated a recall of 110,000 Explorer and Mountaineer sport utility vehicles because of a programming glitch in the car's cruise control equipment. Today, Mike Vaughn, a spokesman for Ford in Detroit, told The Register that the programming of a chip in the powertrain control module was suspect. "In this case, it is the way it was programmed, not the way it was designed or manufactured," he said. "The fix is simply to reflash or reprogram it at the dealer."http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/4/15445.html

• 5 April 5 1999: FORD Recall: Potentially defective cruise control cable : Ford is recalling 945,000 cars and trucks across North America to replace  potentially defective cruise-control cables that could cause the accelerator  to stick. About 36,000 are in Canada. 1998 and 1999 models : Ford Explorer, Ranger pick up, Mustang sport  coupe, and 1999 Super Duty F-series pickup and chassis-cab. http://www.ksl.com/dump/news/cc/recaldir.htm

• May 18 1999:FORD Recall: Cruise activation switch:   Ford Motor Co recalled roughly 279,000 1992 and 1993 model year Lincoln Town Cars, Mercury Grand Marquis and Crown Victoria vehicles with cruise-control deactivation switches that allegedly could cause a fire to break out. http://money.cnn.com/1999/05/18/home_auto/ford/
• September 28, 2001 Dallas Business News  print edition. Suits over bad vehicle switch name TI, Ford . Dallas' Texas Instruments pays out $2 million-plus so far. http://dallas.bizjournals.com/dallas/stories/2001/10/01/story2.html

• Peters v GM - Settled in late 2006. Background to case:
  

• September  20th 2006 : 1993 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme : Missouri Supreme Court  hears appeal in $80 million verdict against GM -  http://www.montereyherald.com/mld/montereyherald/business/15566007.htm

• January 2006 : Missouri appeals court overturns $80 million verdict against GM.A Missouri appeals court on Tuesday overturned an $80 million verdict against General Motors Corp. in connection with a September 2000 driveway accident that left the driver of an Oldsmobile in a vegetative state. The Missouri Court of Appeals for the Western District ordered a new trial, saying the circuit judge in the original case allowed improper evidence that prejudiced the jury. The appeals court also said the woman's husband didn't provide enough evidence to show he should receive punitive damages....... In its decision, the appeals court said Jackson County Circuit Judge Marco A. Roldan unfairly prejudiced the jury by allowing seven people to testify about their own accidents involving sudden acceleration in GM vehicles and by admitting into evidence 139 complaints of sudden acceleration against GM. The appeals court said Peters' attorneys didn't provide enough evidence that the incidents were similar to what happened in Constance Peters' accident....  http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4179/is_20060118/ai_n16041399
  

• 1991 Chevrolet Caprice  The Middle Tennessee Times 9th April 2002.  "Reports state that Mrs. Hendrixson backed from a parking space, then placed the car in drive and pushed the gas pedal when the throttle of the vehicle stuck. Authorities estimate that the vehicle was traveling between 60 and 70 miles per hour when the woman lost control of the vehicle and struck the corner of the DeKalb County Alternative School ...The Times has learned that the Chevy Caprice has had problems with their accelerators before. Information obtained from The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has shown that the 1991 Chevrolet Caprice has had numerous complaints regarding the throttle sticking, which has resulted in defect investigations of this make and model of vehicle. The NHTSA also states that 1994 -95 Chevrolet Caprice failed to conform to FMVSS No. 124, "Accelerator Control Systems." The warnings state that at low temperatures, excessive friction can occur in the accelerator pedal assembly. "If the throttle return spring fails and there is excessive friction in the pedal assembly, the engine speed may not return to idle. This increases the potential for a vehicle crash..."  Dead link Feb 7th 2007 : http://www.dixieweb.com/2002/040902.htm
• 
  

• NHTSA Safety Recalls :Sudden Acceleration: 10,000+ 1984-85 Riviera, Toronado - Nylon bushing in "Custom Cruise III" units causes stuck throttle (89V-102); 1,000+ 1990 Riviera, Toronado - Shift control cable disengages and causes unexpected movement (90V-164). http://www.autosafety.org/autodefects/GM-E-Car.htm
• Safety Research Report Index -GM Sudden Acceleration

• Sudden Acceleration Is Not A Myth: One Citizen’s Research on Sudden Acceleration Problem and Solution Nessim Watson recounts personal experiences with a 1995 Honda Accord EX with automatic transmission and a malfunctioning cruise control
  
http://home.comcast.net/~nessim1/SuddenAccelerationNotMyth.htm


• "How My Love Affair With My ACURA Legend Came To An Unhappy End" by Catherine Smith
Also lists 15 excerpts from the NHTSA Complaints database between 1989 and 1998 relating to sudden acceleration incidents.
 http://consumerhallofshame.homestead.com/

• December 3 2003 : 2004 Jaguar XJ Vanden Plas – Anonymous description by 'redrockbunny' of several alleged sudden acceleration events in same car
  Dead link Feb 7th 2007: http://www.womanmotorist.com/index.php/news/main/2011/event=view

• JAGUAR XJS Owner Notification Date: May 21, 1990  Number of Units Potentially Affected: 32,749
  
 Component Description: EQUIPMENT:SPEED CONTROL NHTSA Campaign Number: 90V035000.
 ELECTRONICALLY CONTROLLED VALVES IN THE CRUISE CONTROL   ACTUATOR MAY NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY DUE TO DIRT ENTERING  THE VALVES.  CRUISE CONTROL WOULD NOT DISENGAGE UNDER NORMAL  OPERATING CONDITIONS WHICH COULD RESULT IN LOSS OF CONTROL AND AN ACCIDENT.

• January 26th 2007 Driver Found Not Guilty in Sudden Acceleration-related incident  On November 22, 2005, Park was parking a Land Rover on the side of the road in Mapo, Seoul. However, the car suddenly jumped out onto the one-way road in the opposite direction and drove 160 meters in just a few seconds at a speed of more than 100 kilometer per hour, hitting three different cars. During the process, one female worker (67) at a restaurant, who was doing some chore near the road, died, and five other people including Jeong (30) were injured. Judge Song said, “CCTV cameras installed at the restaurants near the accident scene recorded that the brake light and a backup light of the car Park drove were lit,” which appear to acknowledge Park’s claim that he had the brake and rear-gear in use in order to stop the car. Song also took witnesses’ testimonies into consideration such as one that stated, “At that time, the car was making a roaring sound, and there were sparks coming from the bottom of the car.”
• 2002 Land Rover Discovery II cruise cable recall  Land Rover of North America has recently issued recall (No. D274) which affects 2002 Land Rover Discovery II models with Vehicle Speed Control (build dates April 2, 1998 – January 31, 2002). The problem is that on some 2002 Discovery II sport utility vehicles with speed control, the accelerator cable could have been kinked during vehicle assembly, resulting in chaffing of the cable. Continued chaffing can lead to breakage of the interior cable strands. Breakage of the cable strands can result in the throttle being stuck in the open position, increasing the risk of a crash.
  

• IT Week 24 Nov 2005: When integration falls to pieces : As Mercedes discovered, combining the work of various suppliers can give you a nasty shock  http://www.vnunet.com/itweek/comment/2146601/integration-falls-pieces

• LeBlogAuto :  le système anti-collision dont Mercedes se fait une fierté a quelques bugs.
  

• Video: Crash Test failure with the new Mercedes S-Class/ Crash-Test-Panne mit der neuen Mercedes S-Klasse :Here you will see the Stern-TV film about the Crash test failure at Mercedes Benz and the Studio Interview with a DaimlerChrysler Manager/Hier sehen Sie den stern TV-Film über die Crash-Test-Panne bei Mercedes-Benz und das Studio-Gespräch mit einem DaimlerChrysler-Manager. Dead link: http://www.stern.de/tv/sterntv/549835.html?nv=sb
  

• http://de.ask.com/web?q=Mercedes%20Crash-Test-Panne%20%20&l=dis&o=3011&qsrc=999&qenc=ISO-8859-1
  

• August 14 2008 A CAR veered across a dual carriageway in rush-hour traffic today, smashing through a fence before slamming into a packed McDonald's restaurant. Customers looked on in horror as the Mitsubishi Shogun demolished the wall of the fast food outlet, just a few feet from where they were sitting. Hartlepool Mail http://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/news/Drivethrough-horror.4390231.jp  See also http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/tees/7560811.stm
• Business Week online Oct 9 2000 Issue (International Edition) :A Cover-Up at Mitsubishi? As customer complaints rise, police probe the carmaker. You could call Motohiro Kaibara a Mitsubishi man. He works as a mechanic at his family's Mitsubishi Motors Corp. dealership in Kitakyushu, a city in southern Japan. And he will only drive a Mitsubishi. But Kaibara's faith began to unravel last year. That's when a customer nearly ran down his own grandchild while attempting to park a 1998 Mitsubishi Diamante. The driver had just put the car in reverse when it lurched backward, barely missing the child before crashing into a gate.  http://www.businessweek.com/2000/00_41/b3702244.htm

• ARMSTRONG V. NISSAN (Case  94-038828, District Court Harris County Texas) Nissan Mistakenly Reveals Documents that Unlock Sudden Acceleration Mystery
  
Strategic Safety News, Vol. 1, Issue 3, Sept./Oct. 1998.[Aug 2005: Link to http://www.strategicsafety.com/library/n010309.htm no longer available]
See also: http://www.click2houston.com/automotive/3268351/detail.html

• Latest French press:   Google Search on "Renault Regulateurs de vitesse"     See also:  Le Blog Auto - Renault (scroll down page) 
  
• April  19 2005 Speed Regulators: Renault explains... TF1.fr conducts lengthy interview with  Yann Vincent, Quality Director of Renault - for him the sole explanation for sudden acceleration events results from a confusion of the pedals.  French      [To roughly translate, Type URL into Google]
  
• March 22 2005: Speed Regulators : A motorist takes out proceedings against Renault after an accident. BORDEAUX ( AP) - A Bordeaux motorist has  filed emergency proceedings against the Renault Company in the County Court of Bordeaux (Gironde) after an accident which she considers due to a failure of the speed regulator of her Renault Clio or to the failure of the braking system, it was  learnt on Tuesday from her lawyer, Me. Scarlett Berrebi. The accident occurred on March 12th on the highway A63 to Cestas, to the South of Bordeaux. Christine Mourtier had set the speed regulator to 110 kph  when traffic slowed down in front of her. She asserts that she was not able to free the regulator, in spite of using the brake. She  collided with the vehicle ahead. In the accident, she was hurt  in the neck. She will be off work and have to wear a neck brace for 13 days. Her son and the driver of the car with which she collided were slightly hurt. Christine Mourtier asks for a technical examination of the Renault Clio which she was driving and the provision of a replacement car for work. On Monday, CEO of Renault Louis Schweitzer indicated that there are around thirty cases in France where the function of the speed regulator has been called into question. He dismisses the hypothesis of a failure in the electronic system, which he attributes to incorrect use by the drivers, to whom Renault offers free sessions where they can learn how to master this device. AP REF: Régulateurs de vitesse: une automobiliste se retourne contre Renault après un accident http://permanent.nouvelobs.com/societe/20050322.FAP2635.html?1003
  

• October 3rd 2004 Renault Vel Satis - Alleged sudden acceleration incident on A71 between Bourges and Clermont Ferrand, France on Sunday 3rd October 2004

• April 7, 2008 Toyota Tacoma : Toyota pickup probe pushed :Sudden acceleration claims hard to pin down
  BY JUSTIN HYDE • DETROIT FREE PRESS WASHINGTON STAFF • It's a wonder Frank Visconi walked away from the crash that turned his new Toyota Tacoma pickup into an unrecognizable mush of metal, plastic and dirt. But Visconi has a different wonder -- why Toyota doesn't believe his complaints of sudden acceleration. http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080407/BUSINESS01/804070374
• February 20th 2006 1997 Toyota Lexus : HAMDEN, Conn. -- A 52-year-old man died Sunday when he was struck by a sport utility vehicle as it was coming out of a carwash building, WTNH-TV reported. http://www.moderncarcare.com/hotnews/62h207455663352.html
• January 9 2006 ConsumerAffairs.com: A wild ride in a Prius: A 2005 Toyota Prius driven by Herbert of Battle Creek rampaged out of control on a Michigan highway in October 2005, endangering the driver as well as those nearby. It's the second known incident of sudden, uncontrolled acceleration in the computer-controlled hybrids.  The incident occurred with cruise control engaged at 55 mph when  driver accelerated to overtake a slower vehicle The driver let off the accelerator and pressed the brakes several times, but the vehicle continued to accelerate under full power. The driver unsuccessfully tried to slow the vehicle by pushing the power button, manipulating the cruise control lever, and putting the vehicle in neutral. By applying full braking power the driver was eventually able to bring the vehicle to a halt. On pushing the power button the vehicle then shut down. The dealer was able to reproduce the fault but could not identify the cause.  http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2006/01/prius_rampage.html
• January 9 2006  Automotive News: Toyota wins at NHTSA ...but loses a customer On July 5, Jordan Ziprin's 2002 Toyota Camry shot backward out of a driveway and crashed. Since then, the 74-year-old Phoenix lawyer has insisted that the electronic throttles of some 2002-05 Toyota and Lexus vehicles are defective. Ziprin inundated the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration with documents that he says prove his point. But last week, NHTSA - which has a long history of ruling against claims of unintended vehicle acceleration - rejected Ziprin's petition. Agency officials, who say driver error causes most sudden-acceleration incidents, found no evidence of a defect.  In 2004 NHTSA reached the same conclusion after it investigated similar complaints about 2002-03 Toyota and Lexus vehicles. But Ziprin told Automotive News last week: "I'm not going to let this go. I would be more than happy to cross-examine" NHTSA's experts. 
  
• November 15 2005 ConsumerAffairs.com: Prius Runs Amok After Stalling, Hits Tow Truck: A Toyota Prius suddenly stalled, then unaccountably took off and smashed into the tow truck that had come to remove it. Toyota has warned Prius owners of a software glitch that can cause the hybrid cars to suddenly stall or shut down and federal safety regulators are looking into the problem. http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2005/prius_stalls5.html
  
• August 11, 2005  The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has launched an investigation of several Toyota models because of uncontrollable and unintended acceleration while the vehicle is in reverse. The agency has received 13 reports of accidents because of the uncontrollable acceleration.  NHTSA has received complaints involving the Camry, Solara, Lexus, ES, ES 300, ES 330 losing throttle control while the vehicle is reversing out of a driveway. The vehicles were all manufactured between 2000 and 1005. [NHTSA Action Number: DP05002] http://www.consumeraffairs.com/recalls04/2005/nhtsa_toyota.html
  
• Feb 22 2005 France: Toyota Corolla speed regulator fails to disengage at a toll station on the Chambery - Grenoble Autoroute. 5 people hospitalised. Le Monde
  
• July 27 2004 Reuters : US Closes Safety Probe of Camry, Lexus Models
  
• April 13 2004 : Statement from Toyota Motor Sales USA Media Relations re. NHTSA Camry and Lexus Investigation
  http://pressroom.toyota.com/photo_library/display_release.html?id=20040413

• April 1, 2004   Federal safety officials are  investigating reports that the Toyota Camry and other models may have a   defect that causes sudden   acceleration surges. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says it has received reports of 30 crashes that  injured at least five people, when some Toyota Camry, Camry Solara and Lexus ES300 vehicles suddenly and unexpectedly surged forward. [ Link not valid Aug 05 http://www.thewbalchannel.com/automotive/2966685/detail.htm]

• February 4 2004 : Toyota Camry 2002 Model: Report of Sudden Acceleration Problem when approaching traffic lights to turn left. Vehicle went straight on. Brakes and handbrake of no effect. Travelled 1/4 mile and brought to halt in a snow bank. http://www.complaints.com/directory/2004/february/10/29.htm

• March 2001: 53,061 Toyota Camrys built between 1998-2001were recalled. "On certain passenger vehicles built at Toyota’s Kentucky plant, the accelerator cable housing could be deformed at the cruise control actuator-to-throttle body connection.  The accelerator inner-cable could wear away and eventually break, allowing the throttle to return to idle or remain in its most recent position regardless of accelerator pedal operation.  This could increase the risk of a crash." [NHTSA Recall No. 01V012M]

• 1986 : 4561 Toyota Celicas were recalled  because soldered terminals of the cruise control module may develop cracks due to improper application of the coating to the printed circuit board. The consequences of the defect were said to be that continued use of cruise control could lead to complete separation of soldered terminals and circuit failure; engine speed would instantly race and vehicle could suddenly accelerate, possibly resulting in an accident.  [NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number: 86V132000].

• 
  

• August 15, 2007  LEXUS SAFETY PROBE WIDENS: 40 report unintended acceleration   BY JUSTIN HYDE  FREE PRESS WASHINGTON STAFF  Federal regulators have stepped up an investigation into 98,454 Lexus ES 350 sedans after amassing 40 reports of unintended acceleration, including eight crashes and 12 injuries, along with cases in which drivers said their cars stopped only after an accident. Toyota Motor Co. told safety officials that the problem appeared to be caused by loose floor mats and contends that it dealt with the flaw through a mailing to customers earlier this year. But the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration decided to continue its investigation last week to verify whether Toyota's efforts were sufficient.  http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070815/BUSINESS01/708150373/1014

• May 4th 2004 : Drivers Blame Sudden Acceleration For Crashes
  HOUSTON -- Last December, a car crashed into a strip center soccer store in Kingwood. As it plowed inside, 45-year-old Debbie MacAfee was killed. Another woman survived, but is still recovering from her injuries. Carol Parish was the driver that day. She still cries about the crash, five months later. "It's a horrible hole that is shot through your spirit," Parish said. She said that she was backing out of a parking space, and then started to pull away. That's when she said her car took on a mind of its own. ....Houston area Congressman Nick Lampson asks for Government to re-open Sudden Acceleration investigation.  http://www.click2houston.com/automotive/3268351/detail.html   See also http://www.autosafety.org/article.php?scid=125&did=887
   
  
• April 13th 2004 : Technology puts unintended acceleration back in spotlight. By Jayne O'Donnell and David Kiley / USA TODAY. Carol Mathews, 60, has been driving since she was 12 years old on a South Dakota farm. So when her 2002 Lexus ES 300 ran into a tree as she pulled into a restaurant parking space last fall, she was pretty sure she wasn't the problem. She says it was the third time the car lurched forward without her help. http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2004-04-13-unintended-acceleration_x.htm

• HOUSTON, Texas Dec 5th 2003 -- One woman was killed and another was seriously injured Friday when a car slammed through a Kingwood-area store,. Police said the driver of a Lexus lost control of her vehicle around noon and it rammed through the front of Soccer 4 All, 4423 Kingwood Drive. News2Houston report: http://www.click2houston.com/news/2686211/detail.html#

• Federal Register / Vol. 68, No. 183 / Monday, September 22, 2003 / Notices  55076-79: Denial of Motor Vehicle Defect Petition, DP03–003 : National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), DOT. See under NHTSA Notice describing the reasons for denying a petition by Mr. Peter  Boddaert requesting that the agency conduct a Petition Analysis ‘‘covering Lexus cars, model years 1997 to 2000, model series 300 & 400.’’

• TOYOTA TACOMA
• Nov 1st  2007 "A growing number of people are complaining about their 2007 Toyota Tacomas".  Problems with the vehicle include a sudden acceleration, even when drivers said they pressed on the brakes. http://www.kcra.com/station/14478369/detail.html
  

• 20 February 2007 : Volvo Bus Sudden Acceleration: A Dublin Bus driver has been found not guilty of dangerous driving causing the deaths of five people at Wellington Quay three years ago. http://www.rte.ie/news/2007/0220/bus.html   An expert defence witness in the trial of a Dublin Bus driver accused of dangerous driving has queried new technical evidence produced by the prosecution. Dr Denis Woods was giving evidence on behalf of 51-year-old Kenneth Henvey from Palmerstown in Dublin, who has pleaded not guilty.The new technical evidence was provided after it emerged that previous technical data given to the jury was seriously inaccurate. Both sets of figures were provided by an engineer in Volvo in Sweden. http://www.rte.ie/news/2007/0216/bus.html  [A Swedish Volvo engineer had mistakenly sent  a mixture of data from the bus in question and a much larger South African bus to the Gardai that was then used in the case.]                                                                                        

• 4 November 2006 : The Australian : Unexpected excitement from Volvo : Article by John Conolly http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,20695925-5001942,00.html

• 16 Sept 2005  : thedenverchannel.com  :Some Drivers Say Volvos Unexpectedly Stall, Accelerate - Engineer Blames Electronic Throttle Module  :  : DENVER -- Investigators from Denver television station KMGH are exploring accusations of a seven-year cover-up by a major automaker -- an automaker known for building the safest cars in the world.The station has obtained key documents that raise serious questions about Volvo's commitment to safety. The investigation included a discovery by a Colorado man that may ultimately force Volvo to recall hundreds of thousands of cars worldwide.... http://www.thedenverchannel.com/automotive/4982057/detail.html

• VEXEDVolvo Website. A website  dedicated to providing Volvo owners and prospective purchase of second hand Volvos with information about alleged defective electronic throttle modules used in Series, 60, 70, and 80 gasoline-engined Volvo cars manufactured from  1999 through to 2001 model years.The site contains a detailed technical description of the Magneti Marelli Electronic Throttle Unit,  with  photomicrographs of a worn  throttle positions sensor.  http://www.vexedvolvo.org/
  

• 3 September 2003 Korean Court dismisses car safety cases On the heels of a series of court rulings in favor of local carmakers sued for liability in regard to cars over-accelerating prior to accidents, the Seoul District Court is following suit in cases involving foreign carmakers.  In all five cases against BMW, Volvo and importers of foreign cars, the district court yesterday dismissed the plaintiffs' claims as groundless, saying there is no convincing evidence to support any link between quick acceleration speeds and the ensuing accidents. [Aug 05: Link no longer available: http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/SITE/data/html_dir/2003/09/03/200309030073.asp]

• NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number: 96V199000
Model: 965 Year: 1997
Causing Fault : POOR FIT/LOOSE
Resulting Fault : ENGINE RUNAWAY, SUDDEN ACCELERATION
Component: FUEL:THROTTLE LINKAGES AND CONTROL
Manufacturer: VOLVO OF AMERICA CORP.
Potential Number of Units Affected: 12,530
Summary: The screws which attach the throttle plate to its axle (shaft) can loosen allowing the throttle plate to come in contact with the throttle housing.  This condition could prevent the throttle from returning to idle position increasing the potential for a vehicle accident. http://www.car.org.tw/recall/volvo/volvo7.htm