Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2005 Ford Expedition owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Red light up ahead. Driver slowing down giving plenty of space. Engine started revving and vehicle started speeding up. Driver pushed brake as hard as she could. Vehicle was almost stopped before acceleration but accelerated to about 10 MPH at the time of impact. 2005 Ford Expedition struck rear of car which was stopped at the red light. Driver took vehicle to mechanic at gas station to check for mechanical problem- no defect found.
I was approaching an intersection at craig and I-15. This is known to have a green light, yet the traffic will suddenly stop instead of a steady flow. I was driving my Ford Expedition that I purchased less than 2 weeks before. Suddenly the traffic stopped, I slammed on the brakes to avoid hitting the vehicle in front of me. I noticed that my vehicle did not stop. I ended up hitting the vehicle in front of me. I got cited for going too fast for the condition of the traffic. At that time I did not notice a problem with the pedals, accelerator and brake have a conflict. Since the vehicle was new to me, I did not notice the problem until a month later, although I questioned how I could have this collision after slamming on the brakes as I did. After the vehicle got out of the shop, I was driving in a residential area. I applied the brake to slow down and noticed the acceleration increasing. …
I have an 05 Expedition eddie bauer edition and the truck was shuddering and vibrating while on incline or driving. It also would hesitate upon acceleration. The next day the truck will only roll in reverse it will not drive forward and the "check electronic throttle control" message continues to pop up. Drove it and all of a sudden it wouldn't shift, and all gauges went flat, truck was still revving but gauges were at zero and the truck wouldn't move. I was going 60 MPH. And it just stopped moving completely. Cannot drive the truck.
My 2005 Expedition is maintained normally and spark plugs changed and the engine will either cut off or slow down to about 30 miles an hour while I am on the highway with a error message fail save mode. Most times when I shut off the engine and restart it turns over but doesn't stay on. Totally unsafe for me and my family. Please research and recall what the issue is! This issue has started about 4 years after we purchased the vehicle and has been happening maybe one to two times a month since.
My car at times will give a hard start. Turning, but not fully turning over or gives off a sound that I can only describe as an elephant trumpeting. When it does start at times it will shut completely off just as fast. It hesitates to pick up adequate speed and will stumble or jerk, and when put in reverse it will completely stall out. I've had a new battery installed, and the spark plugs and boots have been changed, but to no avail.
Twice I've been driving and all of a sudden I lost power and "electronic throttle control" message came on. Accelerator would not work, coasted to the side of the road-- 2nd time in heavy traffic!! Both times I turned off engine and restarted OK, but I'm scared to death to drive with my children in the car. Driving straight on city street both times.
I have a 2005 Ford Expedition, eddie bauer. Most recently (2 weeks ago), my check electronic throttle light came on, I called my local dealer and planned to take it in the next day. I work close to home and have limited driving distance. On the way home, the throttle went completely out and the vehicle cut off on the side of the road and was unable to be restarted and had to be towed. My local dealer did fix it in a timely manner. However...this is not the first problem. We bought it brand new and within a month the fuel injector went out when I was coming back home from out of town, my drivers side seat adjustment went out twice and had to be replaced. I am short and had to drive with my seat all the way back. 2 cam phasers had to be replaced back in the summer and then most recently this. I have 2 small children and would prefer a dependable vehicle. …
This is the fourth incident regarding this vehicle. In each case, the car was traveling at a normal rate of speed under ordinary traffic conditions. Without warning, the car either lost power and shut off suddenly or lost the ability to accelerate and slowed to a stop. In each case the dashboard message center warning "check electronic throttle control" (or something similar) appeared. In each case the driver turned the ignition switch to the off position, waited several minutes, and then started the car. The warning message no longer appeared and the car ran fine without any further immediate incident. In this particular case (incident #4), the car was traveling at approximately 10 MPH and was turning right into a supermarket parking lot in Chevy chase, maryland. …
This is the fifth incident regarding this vehicle. In each case, the car was traveling at a normal rate of speed under ordinary traffic conditions. Without warning, the car either lost power and shut off suddenly or lost the ability to accelerate and slowed to a stop. In each case the dashboard message center warning "check electronic throttle control" (or something similar) appeared. In each case the driver turned the ignition switch to the off position, waited several minutes, and then started the car. The warning message no longer appeared and the car ran fine without any further immediate incident. In this particular case (incident #5), the car was traveling at approximately 25 MPH south on 14th st nw in washington, dc, when the car lost the ability to accelerate, and the "check electronic throttle control" warning appeared in the dashboard message center. …
This is incident #2 of 3 with respect to this vehicle. In each case, the car was traveling at a normal rate of speed under ordinary traffic conditions. Without warning, the car either lost power and shut off suddenly or lost the ability to accelerate and slowed to a stop. In each case dashboard message center warning "check electronic throttle control" (or something similar) appeared. In each case the driver turned the ignition switch to the off position, waited several minutes, and then started the car. The warning message no longer appeared and the car ran fine without further immediate incident. In this particular case (incident #2), the car was traveling at approximately 60 MPH on a four-lane (in each direction) interstate highway (the inner loop of the capital beltway in montgomery county, md). …
Acceleration complaints in other Expedition years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 2005 Ford Expedition?
NHTSA has 66 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 2005 Ford Expedition, 21% of the model year's 315 complaints. The component named most often is accelerator pedal (5 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Ford Expedition acceleration problems?
No. NHTSA lists no speed control & acceleration recall for the 2005 Ford Expedition. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2005 Ford Expedition acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 71,000 miles, and 13% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 0 fires and 1 injury to speed control & acceleration problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.