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
2007 Ford 4door xlt gas pedal stuck while driver was pulling through fast food drive through. Basically, the car was in a stopped position. But when driver moved forward to leave, the gas pedal hesitated and then stuck, lunged forward out of control; startled the driver and car hit a pole. Driver received head lacerations from the rear view mirror glare adjustment lever and had to be taken to the hospital. He received 8 staples on top of his head. This gas pedal has stuck prior to this incident, but not to this extreme.
I was at the yield sign at the feeder lane approaching the nasa bypass in webster, texas when I applied my brakes as another car was ahead of me and had stopped. Instead of braking, my vehicle accelerated and I run into the rear of the car ahead. The cause of the problem is the design in the vehicle. The brake pedal when depressed is lower than the accelerator pedal and they are too close together. If the brake is not applied exactly right a person can unintentionally hit the accelerator pedal. The vehicle is a 2007 Ford Explorer sports Trac truck.
When I set the cruise control it will sometimes just turn off by itself without me touching the brake or anything. Usually I can hear a noise and the gas pedal will quickly move up. Once that happens then I can no longer set the cruise control.
Hit brakes and engine accelerates. The cause is that the brake pedal and gas pedal are to close together and same distance from floorboard. I wear a size 14 shoe and when I normally hit brake, my heel stays in place and my foot also covers the gas when I press real hard. I own other vehicles and this does not happen.
I have a 2004 Ford Explorer Sport Trac with cruise control. I have complained several times regarding the fact that it does not disengage immediately. In an emergency situation it takes a full second or more for it to disengage after the breaks are applied. I have been told by the dealer that this is normal, that my vehicle has electronic cruise control that is controlled by a cable driven by an electric motor and not a vacuum control like most cars. If this is true it is a very dangerous situation since I have had to veer off the road when traveling at high speed on a highway and someone pulled into my lane abruptly where if the cruise disengaged when I hit the brakes there would have been plenty of time to avoid a collision or a close call. However, after hitting the brakes I was fighting the continual acceleration, or slow deceleration of the engine. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Ford Explorer Sport Trac. When the contact engaged the brakes, the vehicle failed to stop and continued to accelerate forward. On a different occasion, the vehicle surged forward while the vehicle was idling at a traffic light and the brake pedal was depressed. The contact stated that after turning the engine off and back on the vehicle resumed normal operation. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The technician was unable to duplicate or diagnose the failure. The manufacturer was not notified. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 94,300.
On numerous occasions while parking when pressing brake pedal my foot has pressed down on the accelerator linkage causing the engine to race and the vehicle to crip forward. The harder I press the brake the more the engine revs. On jun 6th 2003 my son had an accident where the vehicle went off the road and traveled approx. 700 feet before he was able to stop the vehicle. His only comment was he could not stop. I believe it was because his foot was pressing on the accelerator linkage. My son wears a size 12 shoe and I wear a size 14. The pedals hav eless than 4" horizonal seperation.there is less than 1/2" vertical clearance between brake pedal and accelerator linkage.
Sitting at a stop sign vehicle went into acceleration gas peddle went to floor. Foot was on the brake. Checked no carpet stuck under the gas peddle. Foot was not touching gas peddle. It was almost like the cruise control was pressing the gas peddle. Cruise control was off. Shut vehicle off then back on issue went away. This has happened other times to myself and my wife. Sometimes while pushing the gas the gas peddle leaves your foot and continues to the floor on its own, pressing the brake and turning vehicle off seems to resolve the issue. This issue happens so in frequently that it is hard to reproduce for service shop.
Related recalls (2)
Vehicle speed control
On certain pickup trucks, passenger vehicles, sport utility vehicles, and motor homes chassis, the speed control deactivation switch May, under certain conditions, leak internally and then overheat, smoke, or burn.
Remedy: Dealers will install a fused wiring harness. Owners of the passenger cars included in this campaign will be instructed to return their vehicles to their dealers to have the speed control deactivation switch disconnected…
Vehicle speed control › Cables
On certain sport utility vehicles equipped with speed control and 4.0l sohc engines, if the strand cover on the speed control cable becomes flared at the end, the speed control cable May bind when the speed control is activated.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the speed control cable and, if necessary, replace it. Owner notification began August 29, 2003. Owners should contact Ford at 1-800-392-3673.
Frequently asked questions
Which Ford Explorer Sport Trac years have acceleration problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2001 (26), 2002 (19), 2004 (8) and 2003 (5) model years. Acceleration complaints make up 16% of all complaints for the 2001.
Is there a recall for Ford Explorer Sport Trac acceleration problems?
Yes — 2 recalls, including 07V-336 (vehicle speed control, Aug 3, 2007); 03V-280 (cables, Aug 5, 2003). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Ford Explorer Sport Trac acceleration problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 74,000 miles; 38% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the cruise control (18 mentions), followed by the accelerator pedal (6).
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.