NHTSA complaint: 1989 MERCURY COUGAR — VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
VEHICLE WA SPARKED, FACING UPHILL ON A 75 FOOT LONG DOWNWARD SLOPING DRIVEWAY OF ASPHALT. STARTED VEHICLE AND IT SUDDENLY REVVED AND ACCELERATED VIOLENTLY REARWARD. VEHICLE RACED BACKWARD, DOWN DRIVE, TOWARD STREET. DRIVER TRIED TO STOP WITH BRAKES, BUT THEY ONLY SLOWED VEHICLE A BIT. FEARING THAT VEHICLE WOULD RACE INTO STREET, SWUNG STEERING WHEEL TO LEFT, TO PUT VEHICLE ON LAWN. REA ROF VEHICLE SWUNG INTO PARKE DVEHICLE, KNOCKING IT FORWARD AND DAMAGING REAR. VEHICLE THEN BOUNCED SIDEWAYS INTO DRIVE AND ATTEMPTED TO CLIMB A HILL. KILLED IGNITION TO STOP. DRIVER SUSTAINED BACK INJURIES AND HAD A HEADACHE. .
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation