2005 Ford Explorer VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
WHEN USING THE CRUISE CONTROL AND THE 2005 FORD EXPLORER IS GOING DOWN HILL OR WHEN PRESSING COAST BUTTON, THE 2005 FORD EXPLORER STALL, ENGINE CUTS OUT. STEERING AND BRAKING BECOMES DIFFICULT.
I WAS BACKING UP FROM MY DRIVEWAY AND MY CAR ACCELERATED WHEN PUT INTO REVERSE AND IT PEELED OUT AND HAD TO HIT THE BRAKES REALLY HARD.SOMETIMES THE ENGINE SHAKES WHEN GOING FORWARD FOR A FEW SECONDS THEN IT GOES AWAY.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE DRIVING AT 5 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED BUT THE VEHICLE UNEXPECTEDLY ACCELERATED. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE CONTACT'S GARAGE AND OTHER VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000. UPDATED 09/10/15*LJ
THE VEHICLE HAS A HARD TIME ACCELERATING, WHEN IT DOES, A "CLUCK" SOUND CAN BE HEARD, SOMETIMES ACCELERATION FAILS ALL TOGETHER. O/D LIGHT COMES ON AND BLINKS. CHECK TRANSMISSION LIGHT COMES ON.
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. *TR
OUR 2005 EXPLORER WITH V8 ENGINE HAS DEVELOPED A SERIOUS PROBLEM WHEN CRUISE CONTROL IS ENGAGED AND A HILL IS CRESTED (FOR EXAMPLE) AND THE ENGINE GOES TO IDLE IT DROPS BELOW STALL SPEED AND DIES WHILE DRIVING. DRIVER MUST MOVE SHIFTER INTO N AND RESTART, OBVIOUSLY CRITICALLY DANGEROUS PROBLEM. THE CAR HAS NO PROBLEM WITH NORMAL DRIVING OR IDLING WITHOUT CRUISE ON. THIS PROBLEM IS PERSISTENT AND EASY TO REPRODUCE EVEN ON FLAT SURFACES WHEN CRUISE BACKS OFF THE THROTTLE TO SLOW DOWN. A/C CAN BE ON OR OFF. *TR
WHEN SPEED CONTROL IS SET, AND COAST BUTTON IS PRESSED FOR MORE THEN A FEW SECONDS, ENGINE WILL STALL. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ON THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS WHILE DEPRESSING THE BRAKES, THE VEHICLE ABNORMALLY ACCELERATED AND THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE. ON THE THIRD INSTANCE OF THE FAILURE, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED AND CRASHED INTO A PARKED VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES REPORTED AND NO POLICE REPORT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INSPECTED OR REPAIRED FOR THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 97,000 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 25,000.
MY 2005 FORD EXPLORER ENGINE SHUTS OFF WHILE DRIVING WHEN CRUISE CONTROL IS ON. THE ENGINE ALSO HAS A HUM SOUND WHILE CRUISE CONTROL WAS ON. *TR
I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ON MY 2005 FORD EXPLORER. MY SON FIRST DISCOVERED IT BACK IN JULY-AUGUST 2010. WHILE HE WAS ADJUSTING HIS SPEED FOR THE CRUISE CONTROL WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY, THE CAR COMPLETELY STALLED OUT AND HE LOST ALL POWER STEERING AND BRAKES. THANK GOODNESS, HE HAD THE PEACE OF MIND TO PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND TURN THE KEY TO START IT AGAIN. I WOULD NOT HAVE THOUGHT TO DO THAT WHILE TRAVELING AT A HIGH SPEED TRYING TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE WITHOUT POWER BRAKES OR STEERING. SINCE THAT INITIAL EPISODE, BOTH MY SON AND MY HUSBAND HAVE TESTED IT AT SLOWER SPEEDS AND HAVE HAD THE SAME RESULTS. SO WE BROUGHT IT TO A FORD DEALER IN OUR AREA TO HAVE IT CHECKED OUT. THEY EVENTUALLY DETERMINED THAT IT WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE BOX AND THAT IT WOULD COST IN THE RANGE OF $800-850 TO FIX. I ASKED THE DEALER IF THERE WAS A RECALL REGARDING THIS PROBLEM AND HE SAID THERE WASN'T. I QUESTIONED WHY THERE WASN'T SINCE THIS WAS CLEARLY A SAFETY ISSUE, STALLING AT HIGH SPEEDS. I REALIZE IT IS ONLY WHEN I USE THE CRUISE CONTROL BUT THAT STILL DOESN'T TAKE AWAY THE SAFETY CONCERN. HE ASSURED ME THAT IT WOULD NOT HAPPEN IF THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS NOT USED. SO I OPTED TO CONTACT THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTER TO SEE WHAT THEY COULD DO. $800-850 IS A LOT OF MONEY. I GOT FEEDBACK ON THE ISSUE A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER THAT BASICALLY SAID THERE WAS NO RECALL SO THEY COULDN'T HELP ME. THEN I WAS ASKED TO FILL OUT A CUSTOMER SERVICE SURVEY WHERE I REITERATED THAT MY CONCERNS ABOUT THE SAFETY ISSUE WERE NOT ANSWERED. I HAVE NOT GOTTEN A RESPONSE FROM THEM AND THAT WAS BACK ON 8-10-10. SO I AM NOW WRITING TO YOU. JUST HOW DOES A SAFETY RECALL GET STARTED? ARE THERE OTHER PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM? *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD EXPLORER XLT. WHILE DRIVING IN REVERSE OUT OF A PARKING SPACE SHE LIGHTLY PLACED HER FEET ON THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND SUDDENLY THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED AND CRASHED INTO A PARKED VEHICLE. THE PARKED VEHICLE WAS PUSHED INTO TWO OTHER PARKED VEHICLES. SHE STATED THAT HER VEHICLE DOES NOT HAVE FLOOR MATS. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE INSURANCE COMPANY WILL INVESTIGATE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE'S BODY WAS REPAIRED. THE POLICE REPORT NUMBER IS 09-19790. THE CURRENT AND THE FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 52,287. UPDATED 11/18/09.LJ UPDATED 11/19/09
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM ENGAGED, THE SCDS DEACTIVATED WITHOUT INTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED AND SHE RESUMED NORMAL VEHICLE OPERATION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE, THEREFORE NO REPAIRS WERE MADE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,550. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 45,000. THE CONSUMER STATED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, THE CRUISE CONTROL WOULD NOT RESUME AFTER THE BRAKE WAS APPLIED TO REDUCE THE SPEED. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED THE SYSTEM WOULD WORK PROPERLY. UPDATED 11/04/09
THIS MORNING, AS I WAS IN MOTION OF (64MPH). MY CRUISE CONTROL WAS ON AND I PRESSED THE OFF BUTTON ON WHEEL TO DISENGAGE. MY TRUCK COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN, THE GAS PEDAL FELT LIKE THE TRUCK WAS NOT ON- IT DID NOTHING, THE STEERING WHEEL WAS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN, THE BRAKE PEDAL VERY HARD TO PUSH AND WOULD NOT BRING THE TRUCK TO A STOP, THE DASH LIGHTS DIMMED VERY LOW. AFTER WRESTLING WITH THESE OBSTACLES, I PUT THE TRUCK IN PARK AND TURNED ENG. OFF, THEN BACK ON AND I HAVEN'T TRIED THE CRUISE SINCE. *TR
CAR WAS PARKED AND OFF OUT IN FRONT OF GARAGE, ALL DOORS LOCKED. APPROXIMATELY ONE HOUR WE NOTICED THE CAR WAS ON FIRE OUTSIDE. FIRE WAS COMING FROM INSIDE ENGINE HOOD. FIRE DEPARTMENT SHOWED UP, PUT OUT FIRE AND KICKED IN THE WINDOWS. DAMAGE WAS SEVERE AND LIFE-THREATENING; LARGE FIRE ALMOST CAUGHT THE ENTIRE APARTMENT BUILDING ON FIRE. THE FIREMAN SAID THAT THIS SEEMED DUE TO AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM AND NOT ARSON DUE TO THE WAY THE FIRE CAME FROM THE ENGINE, ALL DOORS AND WINDOWS OF THE CAR WERE CLOSED WITH NO EVIDENCE OF BREAK-IN. THIS PROBLEM SEEMS TO BE SIMILAR TO THE RECALL FOR SCDS THE CRUISE CONTROL DEACTIVATION FORD MADE ON SUVS AND PICKUPS 1998-2002 BUT THIS OCCURRED ON A 2005 FORD EXPLORER. PLEASE HELP! PEOPLE ALMOST DIED DUE TO THIS TERRIBLE HAZARD FORD HAS NOT FIXED. *TR
MY ACCELERATOR ON A 2005 FORD EXPLORER STUCK AND CAUSED ME TO HAVE A CAR ACCIDENT. *TR
MY GAS PEDAL IS STICKING. I INITIALLY THOUGHT MY BRAKES WERE GOING. I JUST HAD MY REAR BRAKES REPLACED AND MY CAR PASSED INSPECTION. I WAS TOLD I'D NEED NEW FRONT BRAKES IN THE NEXT SIX MONTHS. THREE TIMES, I'VE HAD THE GAS PEDAL STICK. WHEN I TRY TO APPLY BRAKES, IT BARELY SLOWS DOWN THE CAR AND THE MOTOR GETS REALLY LOUD. *TR
WHILE DRIVING THE 2005 FORD EXPLORER XLT, 4X4 (4.0 L, 6-CYL, ADVANCE TRAC WITH ROLL STABILITY CONTROL) VEHICLE , THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS ENGAGED AT APPROXIMATELY 48 MPH. LESS THAN 5 SECONDS LATER, WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 48 MPH AND 50 MPH THE VEHICLE ENGINE SHUT-OFF. FORD CAR/TRUCK DEALER WAS NOTIFIED THAT THE ENGINE SHUT-OFF WHILE THE VEHICLE CRUISE CONTROL WAS ENGAGED AT APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH. DURING THE PAST TWO YEARS THE FORD CAR/TRUCK DEALER WAS PREVIOUSLY NOTIFIED THAT ENGINE FAILURE HAD ALSO OCCURRED FIVE SEPARATE TIMES IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS ENGAGED. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ACTIVATED, ALL OF THE WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE SLOWED DOWN. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE DEALER COULD NOT DIAGNOSE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 46,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL BECAME STUCK. THE CONTACT DROVE OVER A CURB AND INTO A SCAFFOLD, WHICH FINALLY STOPPED THE VEHICLE. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE THROTTLE BODY ASSEMBLY FAILED. THE WINDSHIELD, HOOD, ROOF, FENDER, FRONT DRIVER'S SEAT, AND PASSENGER'S SUN VISOR ALL SUSTAINED OVER $5,000 WORTH OF DAMAGE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SHE DID NOT WANT THE VEHICLE BACK BECAUSE SHE IS AFRAID. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 81,000.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE AUTOMATICALLY ACCELERATES AT RANDOM AND WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THE FAILURE OCCURRED AGAIN WHILE DRIVING INTO THE SERVICE BAY AT 5 MPH. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE CAUSE OF FAILURE. THE ENGINE SIZE IS UNAVAILABLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 23,000.
WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT ANY GIVEN SPEED AND NO MATTER HOW MUCH GAS I HAVE THE VEHICLE SHUTS OFF AND ALL POWERWAS LOST. I WAS ABLE TO RESTART VEHICLE ONLY IF I CAE TO A COMPLETE STOP AND PUT VEHICLE IN PARK, THEN VEHICLE RE-STARTED AND ACTED NORMALLY. THIS HAPPENED SOMETIMES 3 TO 4 TIMES A DAY OR NOT FOR A MONTH. I WAS TOLD BY MY FORD DEALER THAT THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM DESPITE DRIVING THE VEHICLE HOME AND HOOKING UP THE COMPUTER TO IT. THE LAST ADVICE I RECEIVED FROM FORD WAS TO GET THE VEHICLE TOWED IN WHEN STOPPAGE OCCURS. THATWAS NOT THAT EASY WHEN YOU NEED THE VEHICLE TO GET YOU TO YOUR DESTINATION OR YOU WERE STUCK IN A BAD AREA. THIS OCCURRED 1 YEAR AFTER PURCHASE. ALSO, I HAVE A NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE SURGESD WHEN THE BRAKEWA S APPLIED AS IF THE GAS HAD BEEN APPLIED. *AK
FORD EXPLORER WITH A DEFECTIVE ACCELERATOR/BRAKE PEDAL CUSTOMER STATES THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL ACTS LIKE THE GAS PEDAL SOMETIMES**CC THE CONSUMER STATED THE SURGE ALWAYS HAPPENS WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEEDS. 4/23/07 *TR
OUR VEHICLE IS A 2005 FORD EXPLORER. WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL SET AND COASTING WITH THE COAST BUTTON DOWN TO 30 MPH THE CAR SHUTS OFF. WE JUST HAD THE CAR CHECKED AT COURTESY FORD IN PORTLAND OREGON AND WERE TOLD THAT EVERYTHING CHECKS OUT AND THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. SERVICE WAS ABLE TO REPRODUCE OUR CAR SHUTTING OFF WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ON WHEN COASTING TO 30 MPH. I FILED A COMPLAINT WITH FORD CUSTOMER CARE AND WAS ALSO TOLD THAT ALL SYSTEMS CHECKED OUT AND THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH OUR CAR. COURTESY FORD WAS NOT ABLE TO REPRODUCE THIS PROBLEM IN 3 OTHER NEWER MODEL EXPLORERS, BUT TODAY WERE ABLE TO REPRODUCE THIS PROBLEM IN 2 OTHER 2005 EXPLORERS.
SPEED CONTROL ON 2005 FORD EXPLORED WILL ACCELERATE WHEN COAST BUTTON PUSHED. CAN BE TURNED ON BY PRESSING OFF BUTTON. OPERATES OK FOR SOME OF THE TIME AND IS UNPREDICTABLE WHEN WILL MALFUNCTION. OCCASIONALLY ONLY TAP BRAKE WILL TURN OFF SPEED CONTROL. OFF BUTTON DOES NOT WORK. WILL ACCELERATE AFTER SPEED CONTROL OFF SEVERAL MINUTES LATER. UNINTENDED ACCELERATION BY SPEED CONTROL. *JB
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHEN ACTIVATING THE CRUISE CONTROL AND THE SPEED SET AT 70 MPH, THE CRUISE CONTROL DEACTIVATES ITSELF WITH NO INTERACTION FROM THE CONTACT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION; HOWEVER THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE DUPLICATED. VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATED 3 TIMES WHILE IN USE. IN FEBRUARY 2006, AFTER SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATED IT TOOK 3 TO 5 MINUTES TO TURN IT BACK ON. DEALER FOUND NO PROBLEM. IN MARCH 2006, IT DEACTIVATED ONCE. *AK
Trend Over Time
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Common problems reported
Quick Summary
The 2005 Ford Explorer has 30 VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL complaints on file. 6 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.