The Lemon IndexA pause before the car picks up speed usually comes from the fuel, air or ignition side, or from slow transmission response.
Fix soon. Be careful pulling into traffic until it is fixed. Get it checked soon.
A dirty throttle body or mass air flow sensor. Then: a clogged fuel filter or weak fuel pump; worn spark plugs or coils.
Owners describe this in 19,114 complaints to the U.S. government, most often on the Ford Focus.
Cars owners report it on most
Complaints describing this symptom, by model, all years. Raw counts, not a failure rate: popular models get more complaints.
Model years that report it most
| Model year | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 Ford Focus | 357 | 13% |
| 2013 Ford Focus | 229 | 10% |
| 2007 Toyota Camry | 224 | 6% |
| 2012 Ford Focus | 211 | 6% |
| 2017 Hyundai Tucson | 149 | 14% |
| 2016 Hyundai Tucson | 145 | 9% |
| 2017 Hyundai Santa Fe | 125 | 9% |
| 2016 Ford Focus | 119 | 10% |
| 2018 Ford F-Series | 118 | 4% |
| 2015 Jeep Cherokee | 110 | 6% |
| 2013 Ford Fiesta | 96 | 14% |
| 2014 Jeep Cherokee | 95 | 4% |
Each row is that model year's record in NHTSA complaints, not the history of any one car. Share = complaints describing this symptom out of every complaint we hold for that model year (shown when the year has 50+ complaints).
Where it makes up the biggest share
2004 Lexus ES · 28% 2015 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport · 26% 2005 Lexus ES · 25% 2022 Toyota Tundra · 19% 2004 Toyota Highlander · 17% 2024 Toyota Tundra · 17% 2013 Ford Fiesta · 14% 2023 Toyota Tundra · 14%
Model years with 150+ complaints in our data and 10+ describing this symptom, ranked by share. A high share means owners of that year who complained often mentioned it.
The details
Common causes of car hesitates when accelerating
- A dirty throttle body or mass air flow sensor
- A clogged fuel filter or weak fuel pump
- Worn spark plugs or coils
- A transmission that is slow to downshift, or its software
- A vacuum leak
General causes, not a diagnosis. A shop should confirm the cause with tests before replacing parts.
Is it safe to drive if your car hesitates when accelerating?
Fix soon. Be careful pulling into traffic until it is fixed. Get it checked soon.
Get help right away if the car hesitates long enough to feel unsafe; warning lights come on.
Of the 19,114 complaints describing it, 2% mention a crash, 3% say the car was towed, 0.9% mention a fire and 0.8% report an injury.
What the complaints show
The parts owners filed these complaints under: power train (49%), engine (24%), vehicle speed control (13%), electrical system (12%). A complaint can list more than one.
Median odometer reading when owners reported it: 50,400 miles.
Most reports by make: Ford (4,599), Toyota (1,774), Chevrolet (1,437), Hyundai (1,286), Honda (1,271).
What owners say it cost to fix
Repair bills owners named in complaints that describe this symptom (cooling, engine, exhaust & emissions, fuel system repairs): the middle half ran $800 to $6,000, typical $2,100, from 140 bills.
Each figure is one repair bill as an owner wrote it in a complaint, not a quote for your car. Prices vary with the part, the shop and the year.
Engine codes that come up with it
P0420 P0776 P0430 P1450 P0011 P0171 P0740 P0316
Trouble codes owners named in these complaints more often than in other symptom complaints. Look up any code →
Related symptoms
Car jerks when accelerating Transmission shudder Car shakes when accelerating Transmission shifting hard Engine sputtering Transmission slipping
Quick answers
What causes car hesitates when accelerating?
A pause before the car picks up speed usually comes from the fuel, air or ignition side, or from slow transmission response. Common causes: a dirty throttle body or mass air flow sensor; a clogged fuel filter or weak fuel pump; worn spark plugs or coils; a transmission that is slow to downshift, or its software; a vacuum leak.
Is it safe to drive if your car hesitates when accelerating?
Fix soon. Be careful pulling into traffic until it is fixed. Get it checked soon.
Which cars have this problem most?
In complaints to NHTSA, owners describe it most on the Ford Focus, Ford F-Series and Ford Escape. These are raw counts, so popular models rank higher; complaints are owner reports, not proof of a defect.
How much does it cost to fix?
In 140 repair bills owners named in complaints describing it, the middle half ran $800 to $6,000. The right repair depends on the cause.
Counts: NHTSA owner complaints whose text describes this symptom (we matched owners' own wording, then read samples to check the matches). A complaint is an owner's report, not a diagnosis or proof of a defect. Causes and advice are general information in our own words, not repair advice for your car. Every symptom · Engine code lookup