Lincoln MKZ Added to Ford Floor Mats Probe
A couple of years ago, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened a probe on the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan for the possibility of unintended acceleration due to unsecured or stacked floor mats.
Recently, NHTSA upgraded its investigation to an engineering analysis, which is the second step in the process that could ultimately lead to a recall on the vehicles affected. In addition to the 249,000 Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan models that were previously under investigation, the agency has added the Lincoln MKZ to the list, bringing the probe to a total of 480,000 Ford vehicles.
SEE ALSO: Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan Being Investigated for Toyota-Like Floor Mat Issues
Similar to the issue that Toyota ran into several years ago, NHTSA is looking into how unsecured floor mats can block the accelerator pedal from returning to idle. So far no deaths or injuries have been related to the issue and the American automaker believes that the “condition under investigation relates to improperly installed, unsecured or double stacked floor mats,” said Ford spokeswoman Susan Krusel.
A total of 52 complaints have been registered to Ford and safety regulators, where drivers reported difficulty in braking when trying to slow their vehicles down.
Discuss this story at www.fordforums.com.
[Source: Reuters.com]
Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
More by Jason Siu
Comments
Join the conversation