escape idleling and taking off slow and running slow up hills

could be a clogged cat converter or a bad clutch. have a shop check it for you and give you a bid. Roy

deff. could be a clogged cat converter or a bad clutch. They are know for bad IAC valves also. Stop in and let us look at it for you.....If you would like

When i had this problem on my 04 escape it was the cat that is attached to the rear manifold. This is a expensive fix. the part alone is between 300 and 450 dollars. It is a tough job for a shade tree mechanic because you need the special engine jack to jack the engine forward so that the converter can be removed. If you do not have emissions you could always just punch the converter out.