Three problems related to car accelerates on its own have been reported for the 2008 Ford Escape. The most recently reported issues are listed below. Please also check out the statistics and reliability analysis of the 2008 Ford Escape based on all problems reported for the 2008 Escape.
When the temperature outside gets cold, the gas pedal on my '08 Escape will stick in place and will not press down. If I jiggle it or jam it down hard I am able to make the vehicle accelerate. The issue is very prominent when it's cold out and the car hasn't been ran for a while. The gas pedal will jam both when stopped and when attempting to accelerate at higher speeds. It can be dangerous in parking lot situations when trying to slowly maneuver out of a space or around blind corners, and the gas pedal sticks, causing the car to lurch forward without much control. It's also dangerous when driving since you may be trying to accelerate from a stop but are unable to due to the gas pedal sticking. This can cause unsuspecting drivers to slam on their brakes, as they were assuming that you were going to move forward in traffic but the car is unable to advance. It has proven to be very dangerous in snowy situations and unplowed roads and driveways. When attempting to accelerate, the pedal will stick and then suddenly lurch forward, causing the car to slide around. Trying to drive up a snowy slope from a stop is nearly impossible, since the sudden acceleration causes you to spin out in the snow rather than allowing you to advance slowly. I have read that cleaning the throttle body is an effective fix for this issue but haven't yet tried it.
The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape. While driving approximately 25 mph, the brake pedal was applied and the vehicle unexpectedly accelerated with an increase in the engine rpms. The failure recurred whenever the vehicle was in operation. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the idle air control valve was replaced. One day after the repair was performed the identical failure recurred without warning. The vehicle was currently at the dealer for diagnosis and repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 30,000.
The contact owns a 2008 Ford Escape. The contact was driving approximately 25 mph when the vehicle suddenly accelerated to higher speeds. The contact lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a barrier before rolling over. The contact sustained minor scratches. The police were called and a report was filed. The vehicle was then towed to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was pending investigation. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure and current mileages were approximately 31,000. Updated 07/20/11.