Fed look into accelerators on 1.9M Fords, Mercurys

Federal safety regulators are investigating sticky accelerators in as many as 1.9 million Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable sedans.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration started the probe last week and expanded it Monday to include cars of 2001 to 2006 model years. The agency has received 14 complaints of Taurus cars accelerating on their own but no reports of crashes or injuries.

A faulty cruise control cable may be the cause. It can detach and hold the throttle open, the agency said on its website. In at least two of the complaints, drivers told NHTSA that their cars took off and ran red lights before they were able to bring them to a stop by shifting them into neutral or park.

"This is an extremely dangerous situation," one driver wrote in a complaint filed in August 2010. "There needs to be something done about this before it becomes fatal."

It's a problem similar to one that tarnished Toyota Motor Corp.'s reputation about two years ago. The Japanese automaker recalled 14 million vehicles worldwide because of acceleration problems, which it blamed on ill-fitting floor mats and sticky accelerator pedals.

There were 7,851 2001 through 2006 Tauruses registered on Long Island as of April and 3,701 Sables, according to data compiled for Newsday by R.L. Polk & Co., the Michigan-based auto data provider.

Ford is cooperating with the NHTSA investigation, spokesman Daniel Pierce said Monday. "It's asking for information like they have done in the past with other vehicles, and we will be working with them throughout the investigation," Pierce said. Mercury is a discontinued brand that was sold by Ford.

Customers with questions can call Ford at 866-436-7332.

If a car suddenly accelerates, drivers should brake firmly without pumping the brakes, shift the car into neutral, steer to a safe location and shut off the engine, NHTSA spokeswoman Lynda Tran said.

This story was supplemented with reports from The Assoiated Press.