Problems with 2004 Ford Escape VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford escape. while driving at an unknown speed, the contact lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a ditch. the steering wheel air bag deployed. a police report was not filed. the driver sustained bruising to the legs and was unconscious. medical treatment was received. the contact was uncertain if the front passenger and curtain air bags deployed. the vehicle was towed to a police impound lot. the vehicle was not diagnosed by an independent mechanic or a dealer. the manufacturer issued nhtsa campaign number: 12v353000 (engine and engine cooling, vehicle speed control); however, the vehicle was not included. the manufacturer was notified of the failure and inquired about access to the vehicle to investigate the cause of the failures. the approximate failure mileage was 177,000.

Vehicle was u able to control,constant issues with transmission and idle kept getting stuck,speed up on its own and was unable stop without throwing car in park while driving

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford escape. when the gear was shifted into drive, the vehicle independently accelerated in excess of 30 mph. as a result, the contact's vehicle crashed into another vehicle. the contact was able to stop the vehicle by shifting into neutral and shutting off the engine. a police report was filed. there were no injuries. the vehicle was towed to the independent mechanic (ct conveyor llc located at 320 terryville rd, bristol, ct 06010; (860) 637-2926) where it was diagnosed that the cruise control cable needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign numbers: 12v353000 and 14v165000 (engine and engine cooling, vehicle speed control and structure). the parts to do the repairs were unavailable. the contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure mileage was 199,400. ..updated 08/31/17 *bf *cn

My 04 ford escape has a 4 cylinder and is a manual. it has begun to accelerate by itself. it will accelerate whether it is in gear or in neutral. i assumed there would recall for this problem, as i know other vehicles have been in serious accidents with similar problems. i can take my foot off of the pedal and it will stay at a steady speed, or accelerate, on its own. often when i'm switching gears, put it in neutral, it will self-rev itself up to 4000+ rpms! i will have to wait and coast for about 10 to 30 seconds for it to bring itself back down to a reasonable rpm to get it into the next gear. so, it is intermittent, but happens about 50% of the time you are driving it, and at times can be very dangerous. i assumed ford might pay for the repair as this is a dangerous situation, however my dealer says "no" because there is no recall.

When pressig on the gas pedal to pass another vehicle , my vehicle began to incress in speed and would not stop.the pedal stuck and i had no control of the speed of this vehicle. speed reduced when gear shift placed in netural and then when slow enough into reverse. whew!!!! wife and i thought we were a gonner. this happen on the highway. seed reached colse to 90 mile an hour befor brought under control.

Unable to accelerate car while driving forward on a city street. after getting the vehicle to a safe location we noticed the cable connecting the accelerator pedal had sheared and completely detached from the pedal. *tr

Driving down the road about fourty five miles per hour i pushed the gas to go up a hill and lost all power to the engine. i removed my foot from the engine and it picked up enough speed to get to the side of the road. after being towed home it would crank but if you moved shifter knob or pressed gas it woukd die out.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford escape. the contact stated that the vehicle revved and unintended accelerated, while driving at low speeds. the contact was able to engage the brake pedal, shifted the gear into neutral, engaged the emergency brake, and coasted the vehicle out of traffic. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer informed that the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 12v353000 (engine and engine cooling, vehicle speed control). the approximate failure mileage was 113,000. updated 01/05/2017*ct the consumer stated on january 18, 2016, the dealer replaced the pcv hose connector. on february 14, 2016 it froze up again and on february 17th they cleaned it again and replaced the vacuum coupling. on decemebr 15, 2016 while driving down the highway, the throttle stuck wide open again. the pvc area was completely frozen again. the consumer cleaned it, only to freeze again. updated 02/14/17.*jb

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford escape. the contact stated that accelerator pedal was depressed but the accelerator pedal went to the floorboard, and the vehicle failed to accelerate. an independent mechanic diagnosed that the accelerator cable fractured. the vehicle was not repaired. the contact was made aware of nhtsa campaign number: 04v574000 (vehicle speed control), but the vin was not included. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 117,000.

Tl* the contact owned a 2004 ford escape. the contact stated that while driving at approximately 20 mph, the speed accelerated independently, the brake pedal was depressed but failed to respond causing the vehicle to crash into a guard rail. the air bags did not deploy. a police report was filed. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. the vehicle was destroyed. the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 12v353000 (engine and engine cooling, vehicle speed control). the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was unknown.

Was driving 25 miles an hour down small hill, the car in front of me stopped. i hit the brakes and the car didn't stop it felt as if i was pushing the accelerator like when pushing button! to speed up cruise control and it slowly increases speed. i slammed both feet to the brake and went to reach for emergency brake but never made it. i hit the other car. last thing i remember is hearing metal crunch, the next thing i remember is smoke, top of my head on left side hairline ached looked in mirror and saw blood. started looking for my phone on the dash but it was broken.could hear someone talking, then people were walking up to car. when the officer got there he asked what i hit my head on i didn't know, he asked if i had my seatbelt on i said yes. i told him my car wouldn't stop. realized when e.m.t asked same question i knee i had it on but couldn't remember taking it off, and i told him that. he looked at chest didn't see marks or bruising, he asked again if i was sure, i was sure i put it on. after crash, when got to tow yard next day saw my seat belt broke, i cracked the windshield with my head and broke all under steering wheel with my knees...but the airbags deployed must have been after i hit everything because it hit me in the arm only based on that stinging red raised rash that later bruised on my forearm, no airbag to face injuries, just hit top of head on windshield and knees on lower dash under steering wheel, bruising on stomach lower abdomen near pelvic bone may have been steering wheel. my car kept going faster brakes didn't slow me at all witness said and my seatbelt latch is in pieces, my airbag went of late. my bumper is folded like a flat piece of metal about one inch wide hit it pushing it into my radiator. my suv was going 25 miles an hour, my suv bumper hit a small car bumper, that car was stopped. what went wrong? *tr

The throttle will stay open as if i have the gas pedal being applied. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford escape. while driving approximately 70 mph and depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle began to independently accelerate. the contact noticed that the cruise control was activated and the emergency brake had to be applied in order to stop the vehicle. the failure occurred multiple times. the dealer could not determine the cause of the failure, but disconnected the cruise control cable. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 142,835. the vin was unavailable.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford escape. the contact stated that after setting the cruise control at 75 mph, the vehicle started to accelerate independently. the contact was unable to deactivate the cruise control and stop the vehicle. the contact applied the accelerator pedal several times in order for the vehicle to stop accelerating. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the plastic piece covering the throttle body fractured. the vehicle was repaired under nhtsa campaign number: 12v353000 (vehicle speed control) but the recall remedy failed to repair the vehicle. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 120,000. updated 7/21/15*cn the dealer replaced the part. updated 07/28/15*jb

Takata recall

Takata recall

Vehicle airbag light goes on and off intermittently. this happens whether parked or driving, whether there is a passenger or not. vehicle will "rev" in park, if the steering wheel is turned slightly, bumped or move. twice vehicle has "jumped" while in parked when this has happened. major issue: door locks will not open. there is no manual lock on the doors, only electronic. no place for a key. passengers have been locked inside with no way to exit vehicle except to climb over seat. will happen to various doors, most often the front passenger door, but not all doors at the same time (we believe this may happen,) door lock will click 3 times but will not unlock.

On three previous occasions throttle stuck on high when stopped or in park while parking vehicle. after googling information on possible causes i found a complaints already filed with this issue. ford acknowledged recall number 12s37. when i contacted my local ford dealer saturday morning 11/15/2014 with this number they where unaware,and found no reference this issue. please assist. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford escape. while driving 45 mph, the vehicle accelerated abruptly and the rpms increased. there were no warning indicators illuminated on the instrument panel. the contact examined underneath the hood and noticed there was an electrical component that was burned on the driver side of the engine compartment. when the contact depressed the accelerator pedal while the vehicle was in the park position, it shut off. the vehicle was towed to the dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure only occurred once. the failure mileage was 160,000.

2004 ford escape. consumer writes in regards to cruise control cable recall notice. *smd the consumer stated she received a recall notice, in 2013, and the part is still not available. *jb

Had speed control on, when to slow down, stepped on brakes cruise control light came off but the car didn't slow down it speed up! i did have a recall call done on the car for this. but the fix didn't work. the car speed up to 90 mph. i had to take it out of gear to slow the car down. i did everything i could think of to stop the car from speeding up. stomped on the brakes, push the cruise control button on and off. towed the car and the repair guy said there was snow in the cruise control casing, that was causing it. he disconnected it. *tr

The vehicle will not decelerate. it is ok when you first start it, but the first time you push the accelerator and let off it will not decelerate. you must hold the brake. if you let go of the brake it will surge. very dangerous. *tr

The vehicle will not decelerate. it is okay when you first start it, but the first time you push the accelerator it will not decelerate. you must hold the brake. if you let go of the brake it will surge. it is dangerous to drive. *tr

While driving, the throttle stuck. applied the brakes, but vehicle was difficult to slow and tachometer indicated high engine speed. shifting to neutral, the engine rpms put the needle in the red beyond the gauge. after shutting off the vehicle, and opening the hood the problem did not persist, but returned after driving again. *tr

Well, my ford escape 2004 ltd edition had issues slowing down. i had used the cruise control intermittently and noticed that the vehicle continued as if cruise control was on even after i braked hard and cancelled the cruise control. i shut the vehicle off and tried turning it back on. when it started back up, the vehicle revved to 5,000 rpm in under 5 seconds. i did this twice with the same effect. i brought it in to my ford dealership. they said there was no recall (although now i see them all over the internet). i got a call back after this whole ordeal that the right rear wheel well had completely rusted through and that the shock was not attached to anything. this seems to be a common trend with these vehicles, but there are no recalls. my dealership is bringing it to an auto body shop today. i am expecting a $3,000 repair now. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford escape. the contact stated that the cruise control would not disengage when applying the brakes, causing the vehicle to accelerate to 85 mph independently. the contact shifted the vehicle into neutral and was able to slow the vehicle down. the vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was advised that the cruise control malfunctioned due to extreme cold weather. the contact stated the vehicle was remedied under nhtsa campaign i.d. number: 12v353000 (engine and engine cooling, vehicle speed control). the failure mileage was 80,000.

Driving down road and the rpms on my 2004 escape jump up. so i try to slow down and car keeps accelerating. throw car into park because brakes wouldn't slow it down. ever site i read says it is the accelerator cable. supposedly this was replaced by dealer while in for air bag indicator light repair in december 2012. under recall. now when i start vehicle rpms jump, and get burning smell from motor. cars rpms jump while driving down road also. battery and alternator were replaced in may 2013 but since they were replaced battery indicator light is dimly lite upon accelerating. i have spent a fortune on this vehicle and every time i turn around it needs more work. i also after getting battery and alternator replaced had to put a new throttle body component in because motor was racing to 3000 rpms while in park or while foot was on break. please help. i am scared to death to drive this vehicle like it is. can not afford to put anymore money into it either. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford escape. the contact stated while traveling approximately 80 mph, the vehicle continued to accelerate although the accelerator pedal was not depressed. the failure was not diagnosed nor was the vehicle repaired. the manufacturer advised the contact that the vehicle was not included in nhtsa recall campaign number 12v353000 (engine and engine cooling , vehicle speed control). the failure mileage was 140,000. the vin was unavailable.

2004 ford escape. consumer writes in regards to vehicle accident and safety recall notice. *smd the consumer stated the vehicle was totaled. she believed the accident, was due to the safety recall.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford escape. the contact stated that while driving 25 mph, the steering wheel seized and the brake and accelerator pedals would not respond to pressure. the contact was able to move the steering wheel after much effort but shortly after, crashed into a utility box. the contact was not injured. a police report was not filed. the vehicle was destroyed. the failure and current mileage was 90,000. updated 04/22/14 ma when the consumers daughter crashed into the electrical box, it caught on fire, and spread to the vehicle. updated 04/24/14

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford escape. the contact stated while driving approximately 50 mph, the accelerator pedal became stuck and the vehicle failed to slow down. the accelerator pedal was applied repeatedly and the front end of the vehicle began to vibrate. the vehicle veered off the road to avoid crashing into another vehicle into a ditch. the vehicle continued to travel and crashed into a concrete barrier and then a fence. there were no injuries. a police report was filed. the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer. there was a recall under nhtsa campaign id number was 12v353000 (engine and engine cooling , vehicle speed control). the manufacturer was notified and informed him that the vin was included. the exterior damages had not been determined. the approximate failure mileage was 192,000. updated 9/5/13 *cn updated 09/11/2013 *js

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford escape. the contact stated that while driving approximately 40 mph, the engine rpms increased excessively as the vehicle suddenly accelerated. the contact mentioned that the throttle cable was stuck. the vehicle was not taken to a dealer for a diagnostic and the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the manufacturer stated that the vehicle was included in nhtsa campaign number: 04v574000 (vehicle speed control). the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure and current mileage was 176,000.

It was last friday when i almost rear ended someone. the speed control recall is not fixed. i went to keith hawthorn ford on south blvd, here in charlotte, last year, and was told that they had to order a part. i waited a few weeks, then i called them again, and was told that the part was in, i took my car in, and it did not take 40 minutes the car was ready. i don't know what they did but i am still having issues with speed. it is very scary. this is all the time, not just last friday. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford escape. the contact stated that while driving 35 mph, the vehicle erroneously accelerated and crashed into another vehicle. the vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. the police were notified and a report was filed. the vehicle was not taken to a mechanic and was not repaired. the manufacturer was contacted and informed the contact that the parts needed to service the vehicle under nhtsa campaign id number: 12v353000 (vehicle speed control:cables) were not available. the contact stated that the failure recurred several times. the failure mileage was 60,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford escape. the contact stated that while driving approximately 55 mph, the accelerator pedal became jammed. the contact depressed the brakes but the vehicle would not decelerate. the contact veered in and out of traffic and crashed into two guard rails, forcing the vehicle onto two wheels until the vehicle finally came to a stop. the contact sustained injuries to the head, neck and back. the police were contacted and a report was filed. the vehicle was later towed to an independent mechanic and was pending an investigation. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure and current mileages were approximately 110,000. the vin was unavailable.

I was on i-30 westbound approaching the mixmaster in downtown dallas. when i attempted to pass a slow moving vehicle the throttle cable stuck. my vehicle continued to accelerate. i tried pulling the gas pedal up, but it continued to gain speed. reaching 80 mph in a 60 mph zone i braked but could only get down to 50 mph. i was having to weave through traffic to avoid hitting other cars. this continued for about 5 miles. i decided to try to put the car in neutral to stop it. then car then slowed down to about 30 mph. i was in the far left lane in heavy traffic. i needed to try to get off the freeway, so i put it back in drive. the car started accelerating out control again. i made it to the right lane and put it in neutral again. the car came to a stop. the engine was severely damaged by this. i am out around $1,500. so far, ford is not being very helpful, they are giving me the runaround when i call. they act like they are not responsible. i could have been killed or killed someone. *tr

My daughter was about a mile from home after taking a friend home. it was august 27, 2012 around 9:30pm. her car went off the road crashed into a tree and caught fire. she was killed in the accident. what is puzzling is there were no skid marks, no signs of braking. it has been brought to our attention just yesterday that there was a recall on her automobile that we were never aware of. we were told that if there was a throttle problem then that would maybe explain the absent skid marks and no signs of braking. she was only 19 years old. i was told to contact you and that maybe you could help. thank you for all you can do. [xxx] heartsick mother information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford escape limited. the contact stated that while traveling 70 mph with the cruise control activated, the vehicle failed to stop after engaging the brakes. as a result, the contact crashed into another vehicle and the air bags deployed. the police was contacted. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. the contact received a recall notice about repairs under nhtsa campaign id number:12v353000 (vehicle speed control:cables). the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 145,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford escape. the contact stated that while driving 55 mph with the cruise control engaged, the vehicle suddenly accelerated and crashed into a tree. the contact sustained a bruised leg and kidney. the vehicle was destroyed. a police report was filed. the manufacturer was not notified of the incident. the failure mileage was 167,000. pmb

I do not own a ford escape but rather i'm a mechanic that has ran into this problem 2 or 3 times over the last couple years. the throttle sticks on these vehicles due to the speed control actuator to throttle cable. there is a plastic sleeve around the steel cable that allows the cable to retract freely. the plastic degrades and brakes up over time allowing the speed control throttle cable to bind and wedge its self under the engine cover causing a stuck wide open throttle condition. there should be a recall on this cable. it runs from the speed control (cruise control) actuator to the throttle body butterfly. removal of the engine cover is the simple fix for this issue, but the speed control cable is indeed at fault. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford escape. the contact stated that upon starting, there was an increase in the engine rpms and the vehicle accelerated forward once shifted into gear. the vehicle was taken to a local repair shop. the repair shop stated that the throttle body gasket and sensor needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was contacted. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 97,769 and the current mileage was 98,000.

I made a left turn from eastbound stewart road onto the inside lane of northbound m125 (n. monroe street), monroe, mi at approximately 09:00. when approaching frenchtown mall area on the left, cars ahead were stopped for others making left turns into the mall. i took my right foot off of the gas pedal to coast so as not to have to brake. suddenly my car accelerated (sped up); my right foot was still off of the gas pedal and on the floor. i hit the brake hard with my right foot and the vehicle did stop. (i never use my left foot to brake. i always use the right foot to drive and to brake.) i thought of all of the incidents of sudden acceleration; now knew how it felt. researched, found info as to recall issued . we never received recall notice. put vin # in ford site. our vehicle, 2004 escape 3.0l v6 not recalled. the cruise control quit working may, 2011. we had the escape in for regular service recently and we told the service advisor, who is also the assistant service manager at the dealer, that the cruise control no longer worked. he said it could be checked but it would be expensive to fix. we chose not to incur additional expense given the age of the vehicle. this vehicle has consistently had all service, oil changes, repairs done at the ford dealer. we did not know about the recall, nor of the technical service bulletin issued to all dealers by ford. interesting note: we own and drive a 1989 ford f150 and the cruise control works fine! *tr

I would like to add my complaint to the acceleration problems of the 2001-2004 ford escapes which my 2004 has also experienced. there have been a few situations over the last 2-3 years where my cars engine would suddenly start racing while parked at idle. when the issue first began i was able to tap the gas pedal with my foot and the car would return to a standard idle. the more recent instances now require turning the vehicle off and it would idle normal again after being restarted. i believe this problem is connected to a current investigation and the letter dated 7/10/12 written to ford from the center for auto safety. this may also be connected to a prior recall 04v-574 that i was recently made aware of. please keep me advised of your efforts or anything i can do to help. thank you *tr

As i was accelerating to get on the freeway i felt my car accelerate beyond the speed in which i was applying pressure. i immediately removed my foot from the pedal but the pedal remained all the way on the floor board. i tried braking but the brake pedal applied no stopping force. i exited the freeway not knowing what was ahead in terms of innocent bystanders and traffic. not knowing how to proceed i began standing on the brake with both feet and lifting the emergency brake. my car continued to gain speed and showed no signs of slowing down. i drove the right side of my vehicle down some concrete construction barriers on the feeder in hopes that it would slow the vehicle but our speed was so great at this point we were bouncing off and i was afraid we would cause a more horrific accident by being thrown back on to the freeway. i made it through an intersection narrowly missing a truck driving through. i got on to the other side of the concrete barriers at the intersection and began driving on the dirt road under construction. searching for something to crashed into to stop my vehicle as each passing second our speed increased, i located a telephone pole and crashed into it with my two small children, my mother and myself in the vehicle. i am unsure if the vehicle caught fire but there were bystanders would came with a fire extinguisher and sprayed my engine. i am also unsure of the speed of the vehicle at the point of impact. the last time i looked it was around 60 miles per hour when i was entering the freeway. *tr

As i was accelerating to pass a slow moving vehicle, i pressed on the gas petal and after i was back in my proper lane, my vehicle kept speeding and not backing off on the gas. i then put the car in neural and the engine continued to keep racing. i tried to stomp lightly on the gas petal to see if it would come back up but it didn't. i then shut off the engine and called the tow truck company. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford escape. the contact was pulling into a parking space when the brakes were applied and the vehicle surged forward causing a crash. the contact was unable to stop the vehicle until it crashed into a barrier. the vehicle was towed to a repair shop. the mechanic stated that they could not confirm if the crash was caused by the accelerator cable. the vehicle was repaired for nhtsa campaign 04v574000, vehicle speed control cables on 2/7/2005; however, it has now failed. the vin was unknown. the failure and current mileage was 60,000. updated 5/2/11 *cn updated 05/11/11*jb

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford escape. the contact stated that the vehicle would sporadically exhibit sudden acceleration. the contact had to use the emergency brakes on each occasion, but the wheels continued spinning. the contact's mechanic cleaned the accelerator pedal but stated that they did not find a problem with the vehicle. the failure recurred after the cleaning of the accelerator pedal. the failure mileage was 100,000 and the current mileage was 146,000. updated 08/28/12*lj the consumer stated that the vehicle was put into reverse and then accelerated on its own. the consumer depressed the brake but, the vehicle did not stop until the emergency brake was pulled. the front wheels continued to spin. the second time shifting from reverse to park, then to drive the vehicle accelerated again. the emergency brake was pulled and the front wheels continued to spin. updated 09/05/2012 *js

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford escape. the contact was driving approximately 55 mph when the vehicle abnormally accelerated at a rapid speed. the vehicle failed to decelerate when the brakes were applied. the contact immediately shifted into neutral and the vehicle came to a complete stop with the engine exhibiting an unusually high increase in rpms. the failure recurred intermittently. the dealer was notified and they advised the contact that there were no recalls related to the failure for his vehicle. the vehicle was neither repaired nor diagnosed for the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 85,000. updated 03/22/11*lj updated 12/20/11 *cn

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford escape. the contact stated that when she depressed the accelerator pedal, it stuck to the floorboard and accelerated up to 80 mph although the brake pedal was also depressed. the contact had to turn the vehicle off to stop the vehicle. the vehicle had not been inspected or repaired. the current and failure mileages were approximately 141,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford escape. while driving 65 mph with the cruise control on as he depressed the accelerator pedal to past another vehicle there was sudden acceleration and the vehicle speed increased more than it should. he had to depress the brake pedal with extreme force in order to get to move onto the side of the road and turn the engine off. the vehicle was towed to the closest dealer and after inspection he was told that the vehicle speed control cable broke and caused the vehicle to accelerate. the vehicle speed control was disconnected; yet, the vehicle was driven to his residence. he then took the vehicle to another dealer where they replaced the cable at his expense for $160. the manufacturer was notified and also offered no assistance. the failure mileage was 107,394.