Problems with 2005 Ford Escape VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

After starting the car, the gas pedal felt like it had a brick under it. it would not move. after the car warmed up, it worked again. during the last month, this has happened in traffic, forcing me to pull off the road since i could not accelerate, several times in very heavy traffic. while driving recently, on the highway, hours after beginning my trip, the accelerator became stuck, for 2 or 3 seconds, causing me great concern. now, every morning i have to wait about 15 minutes for the pedal to free itself in order to be able to drive the vehicle. it sticks off and on at least twice during the warm up period. i don't have exact dates, but this has happened several times during the last few months intermittently and has been very frightening when it happens in traffic. this happened to me a few years ago, a time or two, but the problem went away. now it is a daily occurrence. the cooler temperature seems to be a factor. i am reluctant to bring the vehicle to a ford dealer since i have read many postings from people who have been unsuccessful getting the problem corrected, even after spending a sizeable amount of money. additionally, i cant find any evidence that ford has any idea how to correct the problem. *tr

I own at 2005 ford escape. in 2007 and 2009 i had two incidents of being at a red light and when i pushed on the accelerator it felt hard to press and would not budge. i had to pull over and continually push on the accelerator and the car would finally go. this morning i had the same thing happen. the first two incidents resulted in my taking the car to the dealership and they replaced the throttle body stating that it was a defective part. after this most recent incident i am planning on taking the car to the dealership again. *tr

Driving down highway at aprox. 55 mph. theft light came on in vehicle and vehicle quickly decelerated. from the research that i gathered, this is a known problem to ford. faulty spark plugs were installed in some 2005 escapes. the spark plugs emit a radio frequency that cause the coils to basically fry your computer. ford has released a bulletin about this (tsb 09-2-6) but refuses to issue a recall. this is a huge safety issue, as decelerating on a major highway without brake lights has the potential to cause a terrible accident. contacted ford's corporate office and was offered no assistance. i would like to have my spark plugs at least checked at no charge. the cost, for only checking the spark plugs to see if they are the ones affected is $90. i believe that this should be a recall. ford is well aware of the problem but refuses to take any steps to fix this. *tr

While traveling on the interstate in the left lane during rush hour traffic, the gas pedal stuck and would not accelerate any longer. caused other cars to suddenly slow while trying to get off to the ramp. the pedal would not release for approximately 10 minutes. then after traveling maybe 20 yards, the pedal stuck again for another 5 minutes. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. the contact stated the accelerator pedal was stuck to the floor while the vehicle on and while driving at low speeds. the failure was experienced numerous times. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. the manufacturer stated that the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign id number: 12v353000 (vehicle speed control: cables) (engine and engine cooling). the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 95,000. the current mileage was 98,000.

Son was driving vehicle when gas pedal stuck and would not go down--he pushed pedal down with all his strength but it would not move. *tr

The accelerator pedal is very difficult to press and sometimes cannot be pressed down at all. *tr

It was two days after i got the car, i was driving home from manassas to fairfax, all of a sudden the engine light came on the truck started to sputter and i lost acceleration in my truck. i was on 495 at night and the dash board stated that the car would shut down so that the engine would not over heat. i had to call a tow truck to pep boys in annandale, va and they fixed the problem. but, i still have acceleration problems after it was fixed. i will take it back to pepboys to find out if it is the same problem. *tr

While driving, the gas pedal sticks. it feels like there is a brick under the gas pedal and it won't budge. i mash down on the pedal and even stomp it. it will depress after several minutes or when it feels like it. this seems to be happening more as the weather gets colder. when i researched this online, i found recalls for the 2000 - 2004 ford escapes experiencing this issue speed control cables), but nothing for my vehicle. i have also found, through a simple internet search, that this is a common problem with ford escape owners, but ford has not done anything about it. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. the contact stated that the driver of the vehicle was traveling 55 mph when the vehicle began to accelerate independently. the driver shifted into neutral and turned the vehicle off. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for inspection or repairs. the manufacturer was contacted and advised that the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign id number: 12v353000 (vehicle speed control:cables). the failure mileage was 100,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. the contact stated while attempting to accelerate froma traffic stop the vehicle stalled. the dealer was notified who advised the contact to try to reach out to the manufacturer and did not offer any additional assistance. the vehicle was not inspected or repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance since the vehicle was not included on any recalls. the failure mileage was 67,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. while reversing out of the driveway, the vehicle hesitated when the accelerator pedal was depressed. the accelerator pedal had to be depressed multiple times in order for the vehicle to resume normal operation. there were no warning indicators illuminated and the failure recurred multiple times. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 45,000.

On august 18th 2012 i was returning home from grocery shopping in downtown hamilton mt when our 2005 ford escape accelerated out of control and would not stop. i managed to dodge traffic and people and put it in park and hold my foot down on the brake but it kept speeding. it continued to race down the street about mile or more until i came to a place i was able to turn off the street into a parking area with a corral which had an iron gate on the fence that i felt would stop me. it finally slowed down and i was able to turn off the key and stop; thank god without hitting or harming anyone still it was a terrifying event. *tr

Entering the interstate, i sped up to merge, but could not push accelerator pedal to even get out of overdrive. (making things worse, the merge was from the left.) pedal was full down. after dodging go home traffic, i limped to right hand lane and got off at next ford dealership. service rep and i looked at the depression made in the plastic housing to the steering column, where pedal hardware had indented it. service said engine appeared to be operating ok; he tested it by revving the engine in the garage. he remarked the visible symptom was the pedal being so low there's no room for travel. i continued on 150 miles back home and called ford to look at the "speed control malfunction" issue. vehicle appears to accelerate ok with cruise control; the pedal is sitting so low there's no travel to accelerate. this could have been seriously dangerous - merging in metro traffic is no game. *tr

While driving home from work, i went to accelerate. upon reaching 40. i heard a substantial backfire noise, and the engine shut off in the middle of a busy road causing me to block traffic as i coasted almost into a busy intersection. i was able to put it in neutral and restart the engine after coasting for 100+ feet. after which, the engine began running very rough and rugged never being able to accelerate about 30 mph and causing major traffic problems. i took it to a dealership (varsity ford in ann arbor, mi) and have been told that my 2005 ford escape was in trouble. apparently, my spark plug after being clogged, caused a backfire which blew my ignition coils and sparkplugs and my pcm. i am being quoted $2,200. at my last oil change (3 months ago) varsity ford told me i was getting close to needing a tune up but it was not necessary that day and that i could wait until my next oil change. i was planning on going this weekend because i was heading out of town. had i been told the risk was a $400 tune up vs. a $2,200 blown engine, maybe i would have changed the spark plugs. i'm very distraught at the ford dealership, and now am questioning whether i will ever buy a ford or work with a ford dealership. *tr

While driving on the expressway, my gas pedal snapped forward by itself and accelerated my car. then snapped back and hit my foot in the position it was already in. this has happened before, several times over the course of my ownership of this car. (i bought it new) i ignored it the first few times because i thought it was related to being on cruise control, but this was not always the case. i saw on fox news that there is an ongoing investigation; and called ford to see if they would repair my car and they said no. i am hoping they will have a recall, because i plan on keeping this car for awhile, and don't want to pay for the repairs. thanks. *tr

I have experienced several cases over the years with the 2005 ford escape seeming to idle very-very low and when attempting to accelerate (for instance from a stop sign) the acceleration is very very slow and then ramps up after a few seconds.this occurs intermittently but regularly and despite taking it to several repair shops, none have managed to provide a reasonable explanation but have all recognized it. recently i have noticed issues, especially at highways speeds, of the vehicle "shuddering" as if the brakes are having trouble slowing the vehicle which im concerned may be from the throttle not disengaging properly when released (almost like its stuck or frozen). we have recently in my region of the country been experiencing a few cold snaps and that brings me to the most recent issue. when attempting to use the vehicle today, i noticed that the accelerator seemed "stuck" or frozen. i depressed it a few times, no luck as it seemed "frozen". i took it to mean that the cold (it got down below 15* f. in georgia) and let it run for a bit to warm. i pushed accelerator and it seemed unstuck. i put in reverse and attempted to accelerate backwards. i found the pedal would not come off the floorboard. i stopped the vehicle and after looking at the pedal, i was able to move it freely and looking at the connection i thought it had broken or became disconnected. i came back from work after getting ride from wife and went to inspect it. the pedal this time acted as expected although i could hear squeaking and it thumped when i hit the brakes. it seems that the cod had frozen something or exacerbated whatever was causing issues in general. i called ford and they mentioned something had been done in 06 and then i read article about 17 year old who died after her escape throttle became stuck in a similar way after having a recent repair. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. while stopped in a parking space, the contact depressed the accelerator pedal but noticed that the pedal had become hard and would not respond. the contact placed the vehicle in neutral and then back into drive while continually applying pressure to the accelerator pedal. the vehicle jerked forward and proceeded to accelerate. the failure recurred intermittently. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 60,000.

Throttle body sticks when it's wet outside or cold.

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. the contact was driving approximately 15 mph and attempting to accelerate onto the highway when the vehicle hesitated before accelerating with a substantial reduction in power. the vehicle was not inspected by a dealer nor repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 80,000. the vin was unavailable.

I sometimes can not get my gas pedal unstuck. i have to keep tapping it and then press really hard. it gets stuck usually when the weather is colder out. sometimes it takes me a minute or two to get it going and then when i do i almost get whip lash taking off. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. the contact stated that the accelerator pedal became stuck to the floor board when parking or in reverse. the contact had to depress the accelerator pedal several times for it to release. the failure was experienced several times. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer to have a diagnostic performed. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 98,000 and the current mileage was 123,000.

I had to have the throttle cable replaced had it done at d patrick ford ford recalled 2001 thru 2004 models for same replacement. i contacted ford and even though i purchased my 2005 in april of 2004they pretty much said sorry about your luck. i still think they should have reimbursed me for this due to it being the same issue with the same vehicle made at the same time frame the said they had not had enough complaints for it to be a recall. my daughter and grandchildren could have been seriously injured or worse. please check this issue on 2005 escapes [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr updated 9/25/2014 *js

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. the contact stated that while driving at any speed, he attempted to accelerate further but the accelerator pedal was stuck. the accelerator pedal began to operate as normal after waiting a few moments. the vehicle was not taken to have the failure diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 42,000. updated 01/24/12*lj updated 01/27/12

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. the contact stated that the throttle became stuck and he had to use extreme force before the vehicle would drive normally. the vehicle was taken to a local mechanic who diagnosed that the throttle body needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance since the vehicle was not included in any recalls. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and the current mileage was 103,000.

The vehicle speeds up 10 to 15 mph by itself for 5 to 7 seconds when cruise control is activated and, then, slows down to original set speed. when this happens, the gas pedal goes all the way down and kick back when it releases and making sounds when hits hard the shoe. it has been happening since november 2011 only when cruise control is being use and not all the time. it happens at least 2 each month since then. it was reported july 18 around 9:45am to ford motor company after recall news about ford escapes 2002-2004 with v6 engines (like mine) suffer from mechanical flaw that leads to sudden acceleration. at the time, there were no recalls for my vin. *tr

accelerator gets stuck without warning. i was almost rear ended because i could not move at the stop light. i pressed the accelerator, stomped it, and it would not work. i could not press the accelerator and make it work. eventually it unfrozen and i was able to move. this is very dangerous, it has done it at times when i was on the road and i couldn't move. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. the contact was driving 35 mph when he noticed that the pedal of the accelerator had become stuck to the floorboard. he had to place his foot under the accelerator for it to release. the vehicle was taken to the dealer. the dealer stated that they needed to replace a spring in the pedal. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was contacted and they stated that they did not have any report on the defect. the failure mileage was 69,000 and the current mileage 82,000.

As with many reported, my gas pedal sticks more and more often - especially when the weather is cold (45 degrees or below). it will happen once or twice about 10 minutes into a drive and then not happen again. the dealership says nothing is wrong, but clearly something is. its been going on for years. *tr

It feels like a brick is underneath the accelerator pedal. no matter how hard i push down, the pedal doesn't budge. then without reason the pedal works again. at first it would happen when i shift to third gear and i would be in the flow of traffic and not often, maybe once every 7-8 months. now it has occurred everyday once a day the last three days. one time backing up. the accelerator pedal will not engage.

Accelerator pedal freezing up while driving or a stop sign/traffic light. engine is 2.3l, 4 cylinder with a 3-speed automatic with overdrive, front wheel drive, cruise control, power steering and a/c. the temperature was six degrees and it was snowing with five inches on the ground. started car and the pedal would not moved, after 15 minutes of warming it up, it began to work, but kept sticking. got to a stop sign and went to hit pedal to go; nothing, i just coasted into the intersection with cars approaching both ways. finally, i let go and went. it did the same thing at two lights on the way home. on the way home, which is 10 miles from work, the pedal kept freezing up every time i gave it gas. the speed limit was 65 mph and the road was clear at the time. got home and pulled the vehicle into the garage where i keep it when not being used and turned the heat on and started to work on it. i cleaned the speed control cable and accelerator at the throttle body connection point. disconnected both and checked the throttle body and hooked it back up. i put wd-40 on the cable and it started to work like new. i put everything back together and pulled it outside to get cold again. the next morning, i started the vehicle and the pedal was frozen again. this time it was worse than before. after 5 minutes it started to work some, i put the vehicle back in the garage. i arrived home the next morning, and it would not work at all. i checked under the hood and all was ok. this time i went under the dash and sprayed some dw-40 on the pedal bracket assembly. i sprayed a long burst of wd-40 onto the cable and it started to work again. it looks like the cable is fraying on the shield. updated 02/14/11 *bf

While driving vehicle at 50 mph the gas pedal, throttle became stuck. this occurred as i was entering the highway, the speed of the vehicle immediately started to slow, this was an extreme hazard as traffic behind me had to go around me, i was pressing the gas pedal and it was like pressing a brick. i was very lucky no one rear ended me going 60mph. this occurs in cold weather (under 45 degrees), but i can see from previous complaints that it will happen in warm weather too eventually. i guess ford will not issue a recall until a fatality occurs. i am in the process of finding a mechanic that i can afford to get the throttle body replaced at my expense, as ford dealers are not offering any help for me. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. the contact stated that during cold weather and when trying to accelerate, the vehicle would hesitate for approximately 5 seconds. the failure recurred on an intermittent basis. the vehicle was taken to a dealer where they advised him that the throttle body failed and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was contacted and offered no assistance. the failure mileage was approximately 52,000. the current mileage was approximately 128,000.

When the weather is cold, the gas pedal sticks when you try to accelerate from standing still. when it does kick in the car jumps and could cause an accident. i have looked this up and it seems to be a recurring problem, however, ford has stated that it is based on vin and march - april of 2004 was a problem but june 04 (my man date?) was not. this has happened repeatedly since about a year or two after i got the car. it appears to be a carbon build up problem, however, it is ridiculous to have to go in once a month to have it cleaned. *tr

Throttle cable sticks when the 2001-2004 was recalled i questioned ford they said too bad even though i purchased the vehicle in april of 2004 it is a 2005 and they would not cover me on the recall gas pedal sticks a lot using brakes at same time when in park it won't go until you do gas and brake

The first issue i had with my car was in december of 2010. i immediately took my car to a repair place and they told me that the coils and the plugs were out and that they needed to be replaced. i assumed that this was just time to get this repaired because my car was right over the 100,000 mile mark. everything seemed fine until may of 2011 when the problem returned. this time i took my car to a ford service center. this time i noticed that my car would run ok up to about 35 mph and then after that speed it would start jerking. if i take my foot off the gas it stops, but if i leave my foot on the gas and continue to accelerate, the car shuts off completely. i haven't taken my car anywhere that i have to drive over 45mph but recently i noticed that if i try to accelerate past 35, that instead of jerking to turn my car off, the harder i push the gas, it feels like i am pushing the brake with that same intensity when i haven't even touched the brake. im afraid that while pushing the gas, the car is going to brake and that someone else is going to slam into the back of my car and hurt my 2 yr old son in his carseat in the back. i avoid driving this car unless i absolutely have to because it is dangerous. it seems that many other owners of the same car i have are having the same or a similar issue. this really needs to be checked into because ford is aware that this is a common issue but will do nothing about it. it seems like they are waiting for someone to get hurt before the assume responsibility. *tr

The accelerator on my 2005 escapes gets stuck while driving on the highway, and on city streets. i was turning left onto a 45mph main street when the pedal jammed and i got stuck in the middle of the road. i could not push it down. fortunately, the oncoming traffic was far enough away that it slowed down before causing an accident. the same sticking problem has happened while driving down the interstate. i press the accelerator to keep with the flow of traffic, but it sometimes feels like it's locked in position and will not move. this is causing dangerous scenarios. by doing research, it appears the ford escapes have been having a similar problem since 2001. *tr

During cold weather conditions the gas pedal becomes stiff and at times difficult to depress. *tr

When weather gets cold accelerator pedal gets stuck when trying to start vehicle and sticky when driving for a time after that.sometimes feels like it doesn't want to stop at stop signs or lights, like its still getting fuel. dealer wanted to change out throttle body for an outrageous amount. from my research this is a wide spread problem. *tr

The accelerator on my ford escape sticks in the up position when it gets cool out. it happens intermittently after you brake and then go to accelerate. very scary on the freeway. push the accelerator and it does not go down, no acceleration. you have to keep lifting your foot and pushing (hard) tho get it to accelerate we have tried spraying it with lubricant and using graphite, neither has helped. this started when it was about 3 yrs old and has gotten worse. it is now 5 yrs old and has become a dangerous problem. *tr

Sticking gas pedal. seems to be more prevalent in the cooler weather. the pedal will lock up and no amount of force will make it depress. especially dangerous when a big truck is barreling down you. have lubricated the assembly but this does not help. only way to fix ( and it doesn't always happen right away ) is to manipulate the pedal with my foot and try different pressure points. *tr

My gas pedal was sticking off and on a few days before sept, 1, 2010. on sept. 1, 2010 i was driving and the gas pedal cable went. i have never heard of gas pedal just breaking. i was on busy street and lost all power. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. the contact stated that while driving 35 mph, the vehicle accelerated independently. the vehicle was taken to the dealer previously for the same failure which was diagnosed as being related to the cruise control, which was repaired at that time. the vehicle recently started exhibit the same issues. the dealer was not notified of the second failure. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure either. the failure mileage was 140,000 and the current mileage was 178,000.

The gas pedal of my 2005 ford escape some times gets stack to the point where i can't accelerate no matter how much weight i put on it. it normally happens after it has been idle for many hours and goes away after driving for about 30 minutes. it was like that since i bought it two years ago and has been getting worst lately. i took it to local ford dealer and they test drove and said there is nothing wrong with it. on 6/2/2010, i got stack in the middle of a busy intersection and nearly got hit from the rear and from both sides. it took me more than two minutes before i could accelerate again. *tr

I live in virginia and friday morning got up and there was frost on the windshield. i got in the 2005 ford escape let it warm up for about 5 mins. drove approx 1 & 1/2 miles stopped at a stop sign to turn out on a main road and pressed the gas pedal and the vehicle would not move. i let it roll backwards to a safe place and turned it off. i tried it many times for over 30 minutes and it finally worked. this happens more often in cold weather but usually after 5 mins. it will work. this time was different and more scary as i was attempting to pull out on to a main road. *tr

The accelerator keeps getting stuck on my 2005 ford escape. i start it off, back up, put it in drive, press on the accelerator, and the accelerator won't move. i have to press on the accelerator really hard and then the truck takes off really fast and i have to fight with the wheel to gain control. my sister was also driving it on a cold day and all of a sudden the accelerator got stuck, the truck would no longer move, it finally started rolling down a hill and she almost crashed into a tree. she too had to fight the wheel to gain control of the car. *tr

I recently purchased a 2005 ford escape from my cousin. as i was purchasing the vehicle he did explain to me how the pedal would stick on cold days. going into buying it from him i soon realized what he meant. he had taken it in to the ford dealership to get it fixed. they sprayed a cleaner on the throttle body to remove residue. when i heard of the toyota recall i called whoolwhine ford lincoln mercury here in ms where i live to see if my vehicle was also one. i was told that this was not the first time he had heard this and to spray stuff in the throttle body until it wouldn't let me anymore. well, i am very worried about this situation. as a mom with a small child, i worry about the majority of other people and families that my die from this malfunction. what it does is the pedal gets so hard to push until you can not get gas to the ignition to make the vehicle go. i have had this happen to me several times. i can even crank the escape long before my journey and it still sticks. well, yesterday was the worst day ever. i am a mom and a student in school. i had gotten to school and finished my class when it was time to leave. i got in the vehicle and started to leave oh boy the pedal worked. i got to the first intersection to where when it was my time to go the pedal was hard. i had to coast through it and pull over. finally got it soft again and went to the closest place to get a bite to eat. sat there for at least 5 min letting it run hoping it would fix the problem for that time. when i was leaving it was hard again and i had alot of vehicles behind me so i coasted to the nearest bank. it took 10 minutes for me, while i kept pushing on my gas pedal for nothing. it is so hard you cant make it go. so, in telling you this that is 3 times i could ...

My 2005 ford escape's gas pedal is sticking. i will be sitting at an intersection, and suddenly when pressing the gas pedal it will not accelerate. it is as if there is a brick under the pedal and it's completely stuck. this has happened at numerous times when attempting to drive forward into an intersection or when pulling out into traffic, and has almost caused a severe accident. there have been numerous reports of this happening to ford escapes, so please investigate further before there are any additional injuries or deaths. there needs to be a recall. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2005 ford escape. since the vehicle was purchased he noticed that the vehicle would not accelerate normally. the pedal was difficult to engage which also made it difficult to accelerate, he thought it was due to the cold weather until he experienced the failure while he was in traffic. several times the accelerator pedal became hard to engage and forced him to pump the pedal in order for the vehicle to accelerate in traffic. the dealers estimated cost to diagnose and repair the failure was $800.00. the vehicle will be repaired. the failure mileage was 82,500 and the current mileage was 83,300.

I own a 2005 ford escape 4cyl. my gas pedal started getting hard to push down and was becoming a safety issue. i brought it to framingham, mass ford 1-6-10. it took until 1-22-10 for them to get a new throttle box to replace the defective one. did this take so long to get the throttle box because ford is experiencing numerous problems with this? if so, this should be a safety and recall issue the public should be aware of. is ford hiding this from public knowledge? i registered a safety product complaint with ford motors today 2-10-10. *tr