Over the weekend, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced that it had opened a formal investigation to examine allegations of accelerator pedals in model year 2010 Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan vehicles “becoming trapped in the depressed position after the driver releases the pedal to decelerate.”

According to a statement on the NHTSA site:

NHTSA has verified three consumer complaints concerning the MY 2010 Fusion stating that Ford’s optional rubber “All Weather” mat, when laid on top of the secured, standard carpeted floor mat in the driver’s side foot well, can slip forward and trap the accelerator pedal. This causes the accelerator pedal to remain in the depressed position without driver input. This is most likely to occur after the driver presses the accelerator pedal substantially such as when merging or passing in traffic.

None of the complaints mentioned above involve crashes, injuries or fatalities.

While they investigate the matter, NHTSA advises all owners of these vehicles to refrain from using any unsecured floor mats, whether made by Ford or a third-party vendor, on the driver’s side. Also, Fusion owners are being urged to not stack the “All Weather” floor mat on top of the factory-installed carpeted mat.

If your accelerator does get stuck, here are the steps NHTSA advises to bring your vehicle to a stop:
— Brake firmly and steadily – do not pump the brake pedal.
— Shift the transmission into Neutral (familiarize yourself with where Neutral is).
— Steer to a safe location.
— Shut the engine off.
— Call your dealer or repair shop to pick up the vehicle. Do not drive it.

Consumer Advisory: Owners of MY 2010 Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan Warned of Possible Stuck Accelerator Pedals [NHTSA.gov]

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