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 2008 Ford F-150 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
When the brake is depressed the engine accelerates (never know when this is going to happen). I have had three instances over the total 8 years (first owner). All three times the brakes are ineffective in stopping the vehicle. Two times backing out of my driveway (afraid that the truck would cross over my road and hit neighbor's vehicles or home. Once it occurred at a all stop intersection. In most cases I had to take the truck out of drive to stop it. I'm afraid it is going to cause serious issue with life and property. There are nine other reported cases of this happening on 2008 f-150 vehicles see website for the nine reported cases ( http://m.carcomplaints.com/Ford/f-150/2008/engine/unintended_acceleration.shtml). I think there is an issue with the throttle body sticking but have no idea. I checked Ford and there is no known recall for this issue. …
Tl contact owns a 2008 Ford f-150. While driving approximately 50 MPH with the cruise control engaged, the engine began to rev at full throttle and the vehicle accelerated unexpectedly. There were no warning indicators illuminated on the instrument panel. Immediately, the cruise control was disengaged to slow the vehicle down. The failure occurred sporadically. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for diagnostic testing, but they could not duplicate the failure. The failure recurred on two separate occasions, in which the most recent failure contributed to the vehicle lunging forward unexpectedly into the preceding vehicle. There were no personal injuries and both vehicles sustained minor damage. The police was called to the scene and filed a report. The vehicle was towed to the authorized dealer for diagnostic testing and repair. …
When I brake the engine sounds like its racing louder and louder and seems like I'm excellerating instead of stopping. Its very hard to stop in time at a stop sign and I can't. I almost it a crossing car.this problem happened several times with myself and also when my husband drove the truck.we took it to a mechanic. The same happened to 2 mechanics at the shop on test drives. They have a theory it is happening because when we take our foot off the gas pedal and put it on the brake to brake we are too close to the gas pedal and are unknowingly pressing both at the same time. I didn't feel like that was happening, but maybe it was bec now when I brake , I place my foot much further from the gas pedal. I've heard this is a common problem in trucks, but I wasn't warned and I don't think this is safe.
It was about 6:00 am when I started my truck up and drove to my mail box which was about 300ft from my carport. I had backed my truck under the carport to remove grocerys the day before, so I drove forward to the mail box and drove backwards to park my truck back under the carport,. I came to a complete stop and took my foot off the gas pedal and pressed the brake when the truck started spinning the tires as though the engine went to full trottle. I took of in reverse ran thru a two foot ditch, over my outside airconditioner unit and slammed into my brick home. I had applied the brake as hard as I could with no effect. Upon the impact with the house I turned the ignition switch off to stop the wheels from spinning . I could finally put it in park .
This has happened numerous times when braking the accelerator is also depressed at the same time. Causing the vehicle to continue to move unexpectedly. Today while pulling into our driveway this happened again and the vehicle went through the house pushing it off the foundation and causing damage to the vehicle. This is a design flaw the gas and brake pedal are to close together. This has also happened to my wife and she wears a size 6 shoe. Are there any recalls or class action suits that any one is aware of. Or does someone have to die before it matters. I have been on other web sites and find many owners of and \08 f150 have the same complaints.
Tl contact owns a 2008 Ford f-150. The contact started the vehicle and depressed the brake pedal, but both the brake and accelerator pedals became stuck. The vehicle surged backwards and struck the bumper of another vehicle. There were no warning indicators prior to the failure. The driver sustained minor injuries. The police was called to the scene and filed a report. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer and a diagnostic was performed, but no failures were found. The VIN and speed were unknown. The failure mileage was 5,600 and current mileage was 7,600.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Ford f-150. The contact stated that while driving approximately 25 MPH and depressing the brake pedal, the engine rpms increased excessively. The brake pedal began to pulsate and the contact crashed into another vehicle. The contact was able to come to a stop when he shifted the vehicle into park. The contact did not sustain any injuries. The vehicle was towed to a collision center. A police report was filed of the incident. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 51,000.
Sitting in my truck with the key turned or even on idle, the electronics on my dash(radio allumination, trip box, etc.) will be faded on one side or will be completely faded and I cant see the time, station, gas mileage, etc. From time to time when it does this, my cruise control figure wont show but after a while(10-30 minutes) it will pop up on the cluster. It doesnt matter if its cold out or hot out, idle,running or ignition switched off, it will be faded. Its becoming more of a common thing(daily).
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Ford f-150. The contact stated that while attempting to stop, the vehicle suddenly accelerated. As a result, the vehicle crash into a stone wall. The driver sustained minor bruising and a police report was filed. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was not available. The failure and current mileage was 98,000.
2008 Ford f150 pick up... Twice within the last 2 months my truck unexpectedly accelerated when I was idling in reverse and my foot was on the brake pedal. I nearly hit an employee of mine the first time and yesterday the spontaneous acceleration caused significant damage to my motorhome. There were burn marks on the asphalt caused by me pressing on the brake so hard trying to get it to stop.
Acceleration complaints in other F-150 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 2008 Ford F-150?
NHTSA has 41 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 2008 Ford F-150, 11% of the model year's 369 complaints. The component named most often is accelerator pedal (5 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2008 Ford F-150 acceleration problems?
No. NHTSA lists no speed control & acceleration recall for the 2008 Ford F-150, though it has 1 recall for other components. 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 2008 Ford F-150 acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 27,000 miles, and 46% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 11 crashes, 0 fires and 5 injuries 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.