1998 Ford F-150 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
CONSUMER STATES THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL BUTTON DOES NOT WORK. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK
CONSUMER WAS PULLING OUT OF THE CAR PORT WHEN VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED, CAUSING CONSUMER TO HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE. DRIVER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR ANALYSIS. THE MECHANIC COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM.*AK
I AM THE ORIGINAL OWNER OF A 1998 FORD F150 PICKUP. THERE HAVE BEEN OCCASIONS WHEN USING MY RIGHT FOOT TO APPLY PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE SPACE BETWEEN THE BRAKE AND GAS PEDALS IS SPANNED BY MY FOOT CAUSING ACCELERATION AT THE SAME TIME THE BRAKE IS BEING APPLIED. I HAVE DISCUSSED THIS WITH FORD SERVICE PERSONNEL ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION AND WAS, TOLD THAT IT WAS THE FIRST THEY HAD HEARD IT, AND THAT IT MUST BE UNIQUE TO MY DRIVING. I HAVE SUBSEQUENTLY LEARNED THAT FORD TAURUS AND MERCURY SABLE VEHICLES WITH ADJUSTABLE BRAKE/GAS PEDALS HAVE BEEN RECALLED DUE TO THIS PROBLEM. I HAVE ALSO LEARNED THAT OTHER F-150 DRIVERS HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS PROBLEM. I BELIEVE THIS IS AN ENGINEERING DEFECT WHICH IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND SHOULD BE CORRECTED BY THE MANUFACTURER. THIS APPARENT BRAKE/GAS PEDAL PROBLEM WITH FORD F-150 PICKUPS BEING INVESTIGATED AND/OR ADDRESSED FOR CORRECTION. DT
UNABLE TO DISENGAGE CRUISE CONTROL WHICH CAUSES AN INCREASE IN SPEED. *AK
EITHER WHILE USING CRUISE CONTROL OR SHUT OFF CRUISE CONTROL IS ENGAGED, AND USED TO PASS ANOTHER VEHICLE, VEHICLE WILL ACCELERATE AND CONTINUE TO ACCELERATE ERRATICALLY. DRIVER MUST TURN VEHICLE OFF IN GEAR ON STRAIGHTWAY TO GAIN CONTROL. SOMETIMES WHEN THIS CONDITION PERSISTS ENGINE REVS VERY HIGH. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK
THE UNEVEN IDLE IS DANGEROUS. I'VE HAD IT REPAIRED TWICE. I HAVE BEEN AT A FULL STOP WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE AND HAD THE CAR IDLE UP SO SUDDENLY AND VIOLENTLY THAT THE CAR JUMPS FORWARD 2 FEET BEFORE I CAN STOP IT. I HAVE ALMOST HIT PEDESTRIANS CROSSING IN FRONT OF THE VEHICLE ON SEVERAL OCCAISIONS. I HAVE TO PUT THE TRUCK IN PARK AT STOPLIGHTS OR APPLY VERY HEAVY PRESSURE TO THE BRAKE TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING. I'VE CALLED FORD, TAKEN IT TO THREE DIFFERENT DEALERS FOR REPAIR, AND THE MECHANIC'S ALL ACKNOWLEDGE THEY'VE SEEN THE PROBLEM BEFORE ON THIS TRUCK BUT THE CENTRAL CUSTOMER CARE PEOPLE CLAIM TO HAVE NO RECORD.*AK
GAS PEDAL JAMMED UNDER FLOOR MAT, HIT FRONT PORCH OF HOUSE,COULD NOT STOP VEHICLE WITH BOTH FEET FEET ON BRAKE PEDAL. SAME THING HAPPENED MANY TIMES ON THE FREEWAY, BUT COULD ALWAYS PULL FLOOR MAT BACK WITH MY FEET, THIS TIME HAPPENED IN MY DRIVEWAY, AND MY GRANDSON WAS STANDING IN FRONT OF THE PORCH. THANK GOD HE TOOK OFF RUNNING, I PANICKED OR I WOULD HAVE PUT THE VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL. I FEEL THAT IS A DESIGN DEFECT, THERE SHOULD BE A HOOK TO HOLD THE MAT IN PLACE, APPARENTLY FORD THINKS SO TOO, THE NEW TRUCKS HAVE THE HOOKS. MY TRUCK HAS A LITTLE PLASTIC SCREW THAT IS SUPPOSED TO BURROW INTO THE CARPET, IT DOES NOT WORK. *AK
GAS PEDAL TRAPPED UNDER FLOORMAT DURING ACCELERATION. ALMOST CASUED MULITPLE CAR ACCIDENT. THIRD INCIDENT.*AK
SUDDEN ACCELERATION FROM 5 MPH TO OVER 40 MPH WHILE SLOWING FOR STOPPED TRAFFIC RESULTING IN AN ACCIDENT AND $4,000 DAMAGE TO THE TRUCK AND AN UNKNOWN AMOUNT TO THE CAR I STRUCK AFTER THE SUDDEN ACCELERATION.*AK
WHILE PASSING ANOTHER VEHICLE THE ACCELERATOR STUCK CAUSING SUDDEN ACCELERATION, CONSUMER HAD TO PUT VEHICLE INTO NEUTRAL AND TURN OFF THE ENGINE TO REDUCE SPEED. NLM
ACCELERATOR PEDAL STICKS INTERMITTENTLY. CONSUMER HAS TO KICK PEDAL TO GET IT TO RELEASE. NOT TAKEN TO DEALER YET. *AK
ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS THROTTLE STICKS AFTER ACCELERATION. ACCELERATOR PEDAL FEELS LIKE IT PULLS AWAY FROM DRIVERS FOOT, ACCELERATING MORE ON IT'S OWN. FORD HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK *SLC
VEHICLE WAS STOPPED AND CONSUMER HAD FOOT ON BRAKE, WHILE MOVING THE SHIFT LEVER TO PARK ACCELERATOR WENT TO THE FLOOR GOING BACKWARD CRASHING THROUGHT THE GARAGE DOOR AND INNER WALL OF HOME. *SLC
VEHICLE ACCELERATES WHILE BRAKES DEPRESSED. HAVE HAD TO TURN OFF IGNITION. *AK
INTERMITTENTLY VEHICLE SUDDENLY/UNEXPECTEDLY ACCELERATES WHEN BRAKES ARE APPLIED. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
I HAVE NOTICED A COUPLE OF TIMES THAT DUE TO THE RELATIVE POSITIONS OF THE BRAKE PEDAL AND ACCELERATOR PEDAL (BOTH IN LATERAL DISTANCE AND IN HEIGHT) THAT IF YOU DO NOT GET YOUR LEFT FOOT ENTIRELY OVER ONTO THE BRAKE PEDAL WHILE STOPPING OR HOLDING STOPPED AT AN INTERSECTION THAT YOU CAN ALSO CATCH THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WHILE TRYING TO BRAKE. THIS RESULTS IN THE TRUCK TRYING TO MOVE FORWARD AND THE OPERATOR TRYING TO DEPRESS THE BRAKE PEDAL FURTHER WITH THE RESULT BEING TO DEPRESS THE ACCLERATOR PEDAL FURTHER AS WELL. THIS CAN OCCUR WITHOUT REALIZING THAT YOUR FOOT IS PARTIALLY ON THE BRAKE PEDAL AND THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL (ONCE THE BRAKE PEDAL IS DEPRESSED FAR ENOUGH) I HAVE CAUGHT THIS OCCURRING SEVERAL TIMES AND IT CAN BE QUITE DISCONCERTING WHEN THE TRUCK STARTS MOVING FORWARD EVEN THOUGH YOU ARE DEPRSSING THE BRAKE PEDAL HARDER AND HARDER. I BELIEVE THE PROBLEM TO BE A DESIGN RELATED ONE THAT IS BUILT INTO THE DESIGN OF THE CONTROLS. WHILE IT HAS NOT RESULTED IN AN INCIDENT WITH MY TRUCK YET IT CERTAINLY COULD ESPECIALLY IF A PERSON PANICS AND DOESN'T REALIZE WHAT IS HAPPENING. I BELIEVE THIS FAILURE COULD EXPLAIN SOME THE COMPLAINTS RECIEVED ABOUT THE TRUCKS ACCELERATING WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL IS DEPRESSED.
WHEN DRIVING UNDER 20 MPH, VEHICLE ACCELERATED BY ITSELF AND IT ALMOST CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. *AK
WHEN APPLYING THE ACCELERATOR, THE PEDAL STUCK AND CAUSED THE DRIVER TO RUN INTO A FENCE. DEALER COULD FIND NO CAUSE FOR FAILURE. *AK
THE CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE IN REVERSE AND THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN FORWARD. CONSUMER HAD HIS FOOT ON THE BRAKES, AND THE VEHICLE KEPT ON ACCELERATING. *AK
WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS PUT INTO REVERSE IT SUDDENLY ACCELERATED BACKWARDS,CAUSING A COLLISION. CAUSE UNKNOWN, CONSUMER HAD TO PUT VEHICLE IN PARK AND CUT THE VEHICLE OFF INORDER TO REGAIN CONTROL. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLES EXPERIENCES SUDDEN SURGES/JERKING MOTIONS, WHICH HAS NEARLY CAUSED VEHICLE TO HIT OTHER VEHICLES, SEVERAL REPAIRS (TRANSMISSION, SPARK PLUGS AND COMPUTER UNIT), HOWEVER VEHICLE CONTINUES TO SURGE. MJS
ACCELERATOR PEDAL DOES NOT DISENGAGE WHEN TURNING OFF CRUISE CONTROL. DEALER IS AWARE OF PROBLEM. THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTED. *AK
HAD JUST TAKEN FOOT OFF ACCELERATOR PEDAL WHEN IT SUDDENLY ACCELERATED UP TO 80MPH. HAD STOOD ON BRAKES TO SLOW VEHICLE, BUT ENGINE HAD REVVED UP AS HIGH AS IT COULD GO. MOVED VEHICLE TO SIDE OF ROAD & SLAMMED INTO NEUTRAL TO STOP. SHIFTED INTO PARK, TURNED VEHICLE OFF. LATER RESTARTED VEHICLE & IT STARTED RACING. *AK *ML
ACCELERATOR PEDAL STUCK TO FLOOR AND WOULD NOT RELEASE WHILE ENTERING FREEWAY @ 40MPH. PUT BOTH FEET ON BRAKE PEDAL @ 70MPH BEFORE PEDAL RELEASED AND WAS ABLE TO REGAIN CONTROL. CRUISE CONTROL WAS NOT ENGAGED AT TIME OF INCIDENT. *AK
ACCELERATOR PEDAL HAS A KNOB THAT WEARS INTO THE FLOOR MAT, CAUSING THE PEDAL TO SOMETIMES STICK TO THE FLOOR. DEALER HAS REPLACED FLOOR MAT AND PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. *AK
Trend Over Time
Complaints by year
Other Issues
Common problems reported
Quick Summary
The 1998 Ford F-150 has 92 VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL complaints on file. 8 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.