Merging onto highway pressed on gas pedal to around 45-50mph. Stepped on break pedal and car would not slow down. Took foot off brake pedal twice and car accelerated without touching gas pedal. Had to keep applying pressure to brake pedal, slowed down somewhat, pulled off highway into parking lot. Trying to avoid crashing into frozen snow bank and building, put car into neutral. Car went into reverse back onto highway in the slow lane into oncoming traffic. Was able to avoid accident due to oncoming car switching lanes. Put car back into drive and was able to pull into the same parking lot. Was afraid to put into another gear, so shut the car off while in drive to stop car. This was the most terrifying experience my family and I ever experienced. Had the car towed to the dealership. The dealership tried to reproduce the problem for 2 days without any success. Will be trading car in with another car maker.

- Saugus, MA, USA

On 5-10-04 I was driving home in heavy traffic traveling at about 55 mph, then suddenly the car surged on it's own to 80 mph. I attempted to stop the car, and the brakes locked and would not move at all. I shifted the car down to low gear and slowed the car down to 60mph, . I was only able to stop the car by shifting it into park. The dealership (charile hilliard stated that they could not see what would have caused that problem. They stated that there was leakage in my brake line that they repaired. This incident was repeated again on 9-23-04. I T was told this this time it was a spring in my accelerator that was broken, and that there was a floor mat pushed under my gas. I told them that this is not true. I was driving mycar all day, I konw for a fact there was not anything under my foot, and that if it was it was from my having to shift my car into park while traveling so fast! I have not driven the car since this second incident. I am a mother of 3 and I can no longer put my husband and children at risk.

- Fort Worth, TX, USA

My wife was driving the Windstar on the highway when all of a sudden the car accelerated up to 80 mph by itself. By applying the brakes, she got it to a low enough speed to slam the transmission into park. The dealership said that the problem was fixed, but about 3 or 4 months later, it happened again. The dealership says that they fixed it again. But we refuse to ride in this death trap, and demand that they give us a new car among other things.

- Fort Worth, TX, USA

2003 Ford Windstar accelerates unexpectedly, almost causing death.

- Depew, NY, USA

I have a 2003 Windstar SE. The gas pedal has a pivot in the arm and over the last 8 months that I have owned the vehicle this pedal has caused me to almost get into several accidents. The pedal flips almost horizontal towards the drivers seat when I take my foot off of it, therefore when I go to leave a stop light or something of that nature it is almost like slamming the gas pedal. In order to get the pedal back in the position it was orginally in I have to flip it back up with my foot. This is a very bad problem and needs to be fixed. I believe there should be a recall on this van to fix the problem.

- Carthage, NY, USA

The brake pedal and the gas pedal are too close together. Owner took vehicle to the dealership, who had recognized the problem, but told the owner that there was nothing they could do about it.

- Pittsburgh, PA, USA

The accelerator pedal and brake pedal are too close. When pushing the brake pedal somehow the accelerator is pushed, causing the vehicle to accelerate. Once, caused a collision, where consumer's vehicle hit a parked vehicle in a parking lot.

- Manzanita, OR, USA

Consumer feels that brake/gas pedals are located too close together. This resulted in accidental acceleration.

- Dearborn Heights, MI, USA

Vehicle accelerated when brakes were applied due to a faulty brake sensor. The consumer experienced sudden acceleration on three different occasions where the vehicle jerked into oncoming traffic while the consumer's foot was on the brake pedal. (received by consumer frauds bureau on 6/4/03)

- Coxsackie, NY, USA