Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2004 Ford Taurus owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I entered the highway accelerating normally to blend in with traffic in the right travelling lane. Within seconds the car accelerated on its' own up to any alarming rate of speed. I slammed on brakes- nothing happened. Attempted to put car in neutral- nothing happened. I could not steer the car as it was going at least 100mph. I weaved between 3 lanes of traffic before hitting a car's bumper and flipping over 2-3 times and landed upright in the ditch in the medium. I was awake the entire time- in sheer terror. Had I not been wearing a seatbelt I likely would have been killed. The car was totaled. To my knowledge this 2004 Ford Taurus 24vt has had many other accidents and Ford motor co. Has not issued a recall. This is inexcusable!
Tl* the contact owned a 2004 Ford Taurus. When the vehicle was shifted into reverse, it suddenly accelerated and crashed into a tree. Immediately after the crash, the vehicle independently shifted into drive. The contact attempted to engage the brakes; however, they failed to respond. The contact's vehicle sideswiped another vehicle on the passenger side before crashing into an embankment and tree stumps. A police report was not filed and no injuries were reported. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure the failure mileage was 52,728. Updated 03/24/17
My 2004 Ford Taurus suddenly started to accelerate on its own with foot off the gas pedal. Driving in city street at 30 MPH, the car all by itself suddenly started to accelerate (with my foot off the gas pedal) at speeds in excess of 75 MPH. After braking and parking car, I turned car off and noticed that one of the accelerator / throttle cables in engine compartment was completely disconnected . Apparently it is a a black plastic clip that was wearing out and slipping off the throttle linkage. The cable then can get stuck or tangled causing stuck acceleration. I called Ford on June 7, 2018 and they said they did not hear of this problem and that there was not any recalls attached to my VIN. Case # cas-14980128. I mentioned to them that I researched the problem and that they have recalled over 400,000 Ford Taurus and sable models with this same issue. …
The problem is the cruise control cable can come a loose from the throttle body when the accelerator is pressed. When the driver releases the accelerator, if the cruise control cable has come loose, the fitting at the end of it can get jammed in the cam that rotates the throttle plate, and it won allow the throttle to close, causing the engine RPM to stay high. This can happen randomly. It May happen while driving, and it can be duplicated when the car is in park. Several other people have had this concern. I "googled" throttle sticking on 04 Taurus, and came back with several hits, including some shadetree fixes. I feel this should be a recall as it can lead to a crash if the brakes arent powerful enough to overcome the engine's power output or the driver doesnt think to turn the ignition off (or they turn the key too far and lock the steering too) and/or engine/transmission damage.
While pulling out of my driveway and trying to pull into an alley that leads the main road; my vehicles RPM went from just above idle to almost 4000. It caused me to fly through a stop sign, as my brakes were not working. After some tugging I was able to shift it into neutral and get it to a full stop. I turned the vehicle off, then back on again, while in park the rpms were gradually increasing. I stepped on the gas while in park, and it corrected the issue. Second incident occurred while going fifty five MPH down a county road. I took my foot off the gas and the rpms continued increasing again. I got to almost seventy MPH. I was able to shift into neutral again . I came to a full stop in the middle of the road and restarted the vehicle. It started back up without incident. I will be having the vehicle looked at first thing Monday.
The vehicle accelerates on its on up to 4K plus rpms and drives itself with increasing speed. This is our 18 year olds car. I can't believe this is a known issue by the NHTSA and Ford and no recalls have been issued. How many deaths does there have to be before some one issues a recall for the accelerator cable/cruise control system. Ford had the same issue with there 90 models Taurus and a recall wasn't issued til 2008. Wow is all I can say. Ford should be held responsible for their known issues that they continue to have repeated issues with. The cruise control doesn't work and the car continues to accelerate without the gas pedal being touched. An the rpms shoot up, almost rearending other cars.this has been an ongoing issue but I thought my daughter was over exaggerating till we took the car out.
Vehicle unexpectedly gained speed while backing out of driveway causing collision with mailbox before car could be brake to stop. Prior to this the vehicle speed would remain constant when foot was removed from accelerator pedal while driving at approximately 35mph then the car gained speed on its own. Vehicle was able to be brought under control by braking even as the idle surged. Vehicle was taken to autonation Ford of katy where they diagnosed "rolling idle from proportioning valve leaking at back of intake" as the cause. Work was not performed because our son who happened to be in town saw that the cruise control cable had become detached from the throttle. My son reattached the cable and there have not been any further issues with a stuck idle or unattended acceleration.
I was driving down a county road going 50 MPH when I tried to brake the car kept accelerating and the rpms were high. I tried to brake but it was as if my brakes were out but I know they were fine. I kept speeding up so I hit the emergency brake and pushed brake put it in neitral but the rpms seemed to go higher. I quickly just put it in park while still moving n rpms high. Csar made a loud sound and jerked to a stop gave me whip lash there was no casrs on the road I was in the country. But as I stopped I just parked tryiung to figure out what to do . Was very shaken up so I had to park for awhile. After about 30 minutes of parking and calling everyone about my near death experience I started it up and drove 10 MPH hoime. Had it looked at by a self employed mechanic I know.
My 2004 Ford Taurus accelerated on its own quite a few times. After goggling the problem I saw that there had been a recall. I called Ford & was told my car wasn't included in the recall. They also told me to get it fixed because it could be dangerous. I know that because I was almost in a few accidents because of the sudden acceleration. I'd have to pull over, if not at a red light or stop sign, put the car in park & hit the accelerator a few times. I actually had to turn the car off & back on once to get the rpms down. I had the cruise control cable totally removed. The cruise hadn't worked in yrs. My mom owned the car before I did. I'd like to know why my Taurus wasn't in the recall.
Vehicle suddenly accelerated, causing it to go out of control and a striking a building. The consumer stated that he was parking the vehicle with his foot on the brake when it accelerated. The vehicle jumped a concrete retainer and left tire marks on the ground. The vehicle crashed through a glass window of a video store and left tire marks on the carpet. The consumer put the vehicle in park and it came to a stop. The service dealer did not know the cause therefore did not know what to fix. The consumer was told that the vehicle showed signs of an electrical problem. The consumer was told that the RPM's where higher than they should be.
NHTSA investigations
Stuck throttle
Preliminary Evaluation (PE)12-005 was opened to investigate allegations of speed control cables detaching from the throttle body and subsequently interfering with the throttle closing fully to the idle position in model year (MY) 2005 and 2006 Ford Taurus vehicles.The speed control cable, throttle body attachment arm (?nail head?) for the speed control cable, cable mounting bracket and cable routing for the MY 2005…
Acceleration complaints in other Taurus years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 2004 Ford Taurus?
NHTSA has 164 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 2004 Ford Taurus, 44% of the model year's 375 complaints. The component named most often is cables (4 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2004 Ford Taurus acceleration problems?
No. NHTSA lists no speed control & acceleration recall for the 2004 Ford Taurus, though it has 1 recall for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2004 Ford Taurus acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 100,000 miles, and 7% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 15 crashes, 1 fire and 6 injuries and 1 death to speed control & acceleration problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.