Acceleration complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
Tl contact owns a 2001 Ford Escort. When the contact depressed the brake pedal, the vehicle dramatically surged forward and crashed into another vehicle. She took her vehicle to the dealer and they repaired the coil spring in the brake pedal, along with other cosmetic repairs. One month later, while attempting to park the vehicle into a parking space, it surged forward again and crashed into a pipe. The air bags deployed and the vehicle sustained moderate damage. An investigator from her insurance company is in the process of inspecting the vehicle. The contact has pictures of the vehicle. A police report was filed. The current and failure mileages were 115,000.
Dt: the contact states while parked with the engine off vehicle caught on fire. The vehicle had been sitting for over two hours. He smelled smoke and checked in the garage where the vehicle was parked. The fire was coming from under the hood in front of the steering compartment. The fire was extinguished by the fire department. The vehicle was totaled. There was extensive damage to the garage and the contact's house. The preliminary report indicated the fire started in the engine compartment. Reports were taken by the police, fire department, and insurance company.
While driving at any speed and whenever the gas pedal was depressed the vehicle revved, but did not accelerate. The consumer had this problem since buying the vehicle brand new. One transmission had been replaced by the dealer. The transmission hesitated and shifted harshly, there was a popping noise with the braking at all times, the plastic molding interior of the driver mirror was loose, there was a slow start when cold or damp weather is present,the vehicle would experience rough idle at the stop position, the cd player had been looked at three times, the cruise control was looked at three times and remained inoperative.
Upon pressing the accerator pedal the vehicle jumps forward (or backward, if in reverse). When pressing the accelerator pedal linkage it feels like it is taking up, delaying, then the vehicle does a small fast jump or acceleration. It is very dangerous manuvering in close places like parking lots. I brought the vehicle in to the dealer. They agreed the system was "touchy" but said it was normal for this model! My wife and I both feel this is not correct. This should be fixed on all vehicles of this model before someone is hurt!
On two occasions, as I was waiting at a red light, foot on brake, my vehicle tried to accelerate on its own accord. In one of these instances I hit the rear of the vehicle in front of me. There was no damage to either vehicle.
When pressing gas accelerator pedal, car does not move. Car hesitates when starting from a stop. Occasionally (about 1 of 2 times) the car will shut down and check engine lights and other service lights appear. The transmission was replaced once already on 11/29/00. Transmission further complained about on 1/15/01 and 8/9/01 - told there was no problem. The car has been towed by aaa twice in past two weeks. 5 mechanics cannot diagnosis the problem. Also, when car is idling, in gear, the whole car shakes.
Tl* the contact owns a 1998 Ford Escort. The contact stated while sitting idle at a traffic stop with the brakes depressed, the vehicle abnormally accelerated to 80 MPH. The contact was able to avoid a crash by weaving in and out of traffic and attempted to shift into park but to no avail. The contact then engaged the emergency brake with the assistance of the passenger. The contact stated that there was very little brake fluid in the vehicle but enough that the brakes should have stopped the vehicle. The vehicle was inspected at a local repair facility where the contact was informed that the throttle body and exhaust/ gas recirculation flaw were defective and possibly the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. Neither the manufacturer nor the dealer was contacted to report the failure. The contact stated she did not feel safe driving the vehicle. …
Dt: the contact states the vehicle has a loud roar when idling. The vehicle also accelerates rapidly on its own. He took the vehicle to an independent garage. The technician suggested a new speed control and an idle control module. This was replaced twice but did not correct the problem. A diagnostic check did not detect any codes. The dealer was unable to determine the cause of this problem. There have been no further repairs at this time. Updated 12/27/2005 - this problem seemed worse in cold weather. In order for the vehicle to idle down the consumer had to turn the vehicle off then turn it back on. The problem would sometimes resurface a few minutes later, a few weeks later or a few months later.
Frequently asked questions
Which Ford Escort years have acceleration problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 1997 (28), 1995 (18), 1998 (14), 2001 (10) and 1999 (8) model years. Acceleration complaints make up 5% of all complaints for the 1997.
Is there a recall for Ford Escort acceleration problems?
No. NHTSA lists no speed control & acceleration recall for any Ford Escort model year. A widespread problem may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin, so ask a dealer.
At what mileage do Ford Escort acceleration problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 73,000 miles; 43% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the accelerator pedal (12 mentions), followed by the cruise control (8).
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.