Reports of mats trapping pedals in Fords
June 1, 2010 The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened a
preliminary investigation Friday after receiving three such
complaints involving unsecured all weather floor mats. There are no
reports of crashes or injuries.
A Ford spokesman, Said Deep, said the problem was due to drivers
stacking all-weather mats on top of floor mats that come with the
vehicle. Ford's all-weather mats have warnings advising customers
not to pile them and to secure them properly to the floor, he said.
The issue is similar to Toyota's problems with floor mats that
led to the recall of more than 5 million vehicles worldwide. In
those cases, drivers said their vehicles sped up when pedals became
lodged under all-weather mats that were stacked on top of the floor
mats.
To solve the problem, Toyota shortened its gas pedals and took
out some of the carpet padding below the pedal.
Safety officials said the investigation covers about 250,000
Fusions and Milans. The preliminary investigation is meant to try
to verify whether the complaints have merit and gauge the
seriousness of any potential problems.
The Fusion, a midsize sedan, is one of Ford's most popular
models, with more than 70,000 sold in the first four months of
2010. This year, Ford has sold about 11,500 Mercury Milans, a car
that is essentially the same as the Fusion.
Ford shares dipped 8 cents to $11.65 in early afternoon trading.
