2009 ford escape with 190k losing power going up hills and sputtering badly if I gas it up a hill. Only on hills trying to excelerate. Check engine light blinks then goes away when I let off and baby it. Drives great all other times.

If you plan to keep your car for a while, then you should do a tune-up. Change spark plugs, use a tank full of super unleaded gas, change your oil to a thicker oil and go from there. If you still have this problem than do a engine compression test (might have a bad piston rings), change or check transmission fluid. Good luck.