1997 Mercury mountaineer stuck gas pedal

[Jimmy0923]

I'm currently deployed and my wife was driving my mountaineer while pulling out onto a main road she stated the gas pedal got stuck and wouldn't come loose, she proceeded to press the brakes and the engine wouldn't slow due to the gas pedal
Being stuck. After a near accident she jammed the vehicle into park luckily no one was hurt. A buddy of mine came to her to help out and said he cleaned the rusty area of the pedal with some lube/cleaner and it loosened up allowing it to be driven back to the house. My question is what should I do so it doesn't happen again? Replace something to due with the gas pedal itself? Clean the area? If anyone has and input it would be grately appreacited, this is a family vehicle so before its driven again I want to know whatever I do to it when I get home will be safe. Thank you in advanced.

 

[BrianDye]

Might sound dumb, but did the floor mat slide up and jam the pedal? I (and other members) have had the floor mat slide up over time and then once I had really got on it to get out in traffic, and the lip of the mat held the pedal down.

 

[Mike65]

Might sound dumb, but did the floor mat slide up and jam the pedal? I (and other members) have had the floor mat slide up over time and then once I had really got on it to get out in traffic, and the lip of the mat held the pedal down.

X2, that is what I was going to post.

 

[Jimmy0923]

That was my first thought also but she made certain that was the problem. Once the vehicle had stopped the pedal was still stuck down all the way with the mat out of the way. My buddy had to use some cleaner and wd-40 to loosen it. Which is what's making me wonder what I need to do to fix it or is it more of a problem then just a stuck gas pedal.

 

[BrianDye]

It's hard to say without seeing it, but I would start at the throttle body, seems much more likely to have rust/corrosion there on the cable vs on the pedal end.

Did he check under the hood at the cable for anything causing it to stick?

 

[1Aauto]

Welcome to the site, it's great to have you here
Tony :wavey:

 

[Jimmy0923]

He didn't check under the hood so that will be were I check first after reading other post some what related I feel that could be the start of the issue.