Acceleration complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 1 | 3% | — |
| 2023 | 4 | 9% | 5,000 miles |
| 2022 | 3 | 2% | — |
| 2021 | 2 | 1% | — |
| 2020 | 5 | 2% | 7,000 miles |
| 2019 | 14 | 1% | 20,000 miles |
| 2018 | 4 | 1% | 1,000 miles |
| 2017 | 11 | 1% | 25,000 miles |
| 2016 | 3 | 1% | 74,000 miles |
| 2015 | 3 | 1% | 10,000 miles |
| 2013 | 1 | 5% | — |
| 2012 | 1 | 2% | 20,000 miles |
| 2011 | 4 | 3% | 35,000 miles |
| 2008 | 6 | 4% | 8,000 miles |
| 2007 | 1 | 2% | 25,000 miles |
| 2006 | 3 | 1% | 38,000 miles |
| 2005 | 10 | 3% | 20,000 miles |
| 2004 | 17 | 7% | 35,000 miles |
| 2003 | 10 | 6% | 14,000 miles |
| 2002 | 14 | 6% | 60,000 miles |
| 2001 | 11 | 4% | 75,000 miles |
| 2000 | 15 | 6% | 130,000 miles |
| 1999 | 8 | 3% | 123,000 miles |
| 1997 | 7 | 18% | 150,000 miles |
| 1996 | 2 | 18% | 131,000 miles |
| 1995 | 1 | 11% | 230,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
The contact owns a 2023 Ford F-250 SD. The contact stated while driving 78 MPH, the vehicle was not aligned. The contact stated that while the brake pedal was depressed, the vehicle lunged forward and failed to stop intermittently. There were unknown warning lights illuminated, with a smell of smoke coming from the vehicle. On a separate occasion, the vehicle pointed to the left and accelerated independently. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer, but a diagnostic test was pending; however, the contact was informed that the drive line and the engine were rusty. The vehicle was taken to a different dealer, where the contact was informed that the failure was not the same. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 4,500.
On September 16, 2025, while driving my 2023 Ford F-250 Super Duty at approximately 65 mph with cruise control engaged, I pressed the brake pedal to disengage cruise. The cruise control did not disengage. I pressed the brake pedal harder, but the truck did not slow down and maintained speed. There was no ABS activation sound or sensation, and no skid marks were left on the roadway. I struck the rear of a tractor trailer because the vehicle failed to slow down or cancel cruise control. In addition, the airbags did not deploy during the collision. This appears to be a failure of the brake pedal input/cruise disengagement system, braking system, and potentially the airbag system. This is a severe safety defect that could result in serious injury or death.
I live in a mountain area, many steep hills. When driving down a steep windy road (speed under 30 MPH) I use the exhaust brake so I don't have to ride my brakes. However, the exhaust brake keeps going off and on. Worse yet the engine throttles up increasing speed. I have to then press my brake peddle to slow the truck down. Once I release the brake the truck repeats the same process of speeding up. If I turn off the exhaust brake the issue goes away but then I need to ride the brake. If I am on a steep straight road going over 40 MPH the exhaust brake works like it is supposed to. Another issue of safety is when approaching a stop the engine RPM will not drop below 1200 RPM allowing the truck to slow down unless I push the brake harder then normal. This also happens when driving in a parking lot. The engine will stay at high idle moving the truck to fact in a parking lot situation. …
Intermittent delay in throttle response. Sometimes the delay is nonexistent or nearly imperceptible, other times the delay can be 2 seconds or more. Is very dangerous when trying to merge with flowing traffic. Occurs most often with the steering wheels turned and accelerating from stop, but has happened while driving straight at freeway speeds. Turning off traction control seems to mitigate but not entirely eliminate the issue.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-250. The contact stated that while entering light traffic, the transmission became stuck between gears. The accelerator pedal was depressed, but the vehicle failed to respond or move. The vehicle was restarted and worked as designed. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that the failure was related to the transmission. The mechanic called the local dealer for the contact and was informed that the vehicle was not under warranty. The contact called another local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 57,000.
when passing another vehicle in a passing zone, with gas pedal fully depressed, there is a 2 or 3 second lag time after releasing the gas pedal before the truck actually stops accelerating. this has happened since I bought the truck brand new from the dealership. first few times it happened it scared the hell out of me. I had to apply the brakes hard in order for it to slow down. I brought it back to the dealer to have it looked at (while having the windsheild wiper recall repaired). the ford mechanic stated that that was just the way it is. he also said others have had this problem as well but there was no factory directive to fix it. The problem still occurs to this day but since i am used to it and expect it It is not as terrifying. but still, this is a obvious safety problem.
The contact owns a 2019 Ford F-250. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle unintendedly accelerated without warning. The contact turned off the vehicle. The contact stated the vehicle operated normally once restarted. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure recurred on several occasions. The contact stated that the failure occurred while the vehicle was in low gear and in colder temperatures. The vehicle was taken to the dealer however, the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 35,000.
I was driving 60 miles an hour and I hit a pot hole and the truck went into a "death wobble". It started to shake extremely violently that I thought I was going to crash and die. My arms hurt so bad from trying to hold on to the steering wheel for dear life. I managed to come to a complete stop but not before I almost [redacted] my pants from fear. "
Related recalls (2)
Vehicle speed control
Ford is recalling model years 1995-2003 windstar, 2000-2003 excursion diesel, 1993-1997 and 1999-2003 f-250 sd through f-550 sd diesel, 1992-2003 e-150 through e-550, 1995-2002 explorer, 1997 and 2002 Mercury mountaineer, 1995-1997 and 2001-2003 ranger, and 1994 f53 vehicles equipped with the texas instruments speed control…
Remedy: Ford will notify owners that dealers will install a fused wiring harness in line with the scds. On 1999-2003 windstar vehicles with a leaking scds, dealers will also inspect the ABS control module connector and repair…
Vehicle speed control
On certain trucks equipped with speed control, gasoline or natural gas engines, the speed control deactivation switch May overheat.
Remedy: Dealers will install a fused wiring harness into the speed control system free of charge. The recall began on March 12, 2007. Owners May contact Ford at 1-800-392-3673. (note: also see recalls 05V017, 05V388, and 06V286)
NHTSA investigations
Accelerator pedal sensor (etc)
Failure counts from odi?s analysis are stated above; see the additional problem experience discussion in the summary report.Ford data contained duplicative reports for 4 odi complaints and 1 crash.three crashes were allegedly due to intermittent operation of the electronic throttle control (etc) pedal, one crash occurred when an etc disabled vehicle was struck by another motorist, one report contained no detail.the…
Frequently asked questions
Which Ford F-250 SD years have acceleration problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2004 (17), 2000 (15), 2002 (14), 2019 (14) and 2001 (11) model years. Acceleration complaints make up 7% of all complaints for the 2004.
Is there a recall for Ford F-250 SD acceleration problems?
Yes — 2 recalls, including 09V-399 (vehicle speed control, Oct 13, 2009); 07V-078 (vehicle speed control, Mar 6, 2007). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Ford F-250 SD acceleration problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 54,000 miles; 57% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the cruise control (24 mentions), followed by the accelerator pedal (16).
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.