Ford Motor Co. recently announced another recall, this time affecting its 2013 Ford Escape crossover SUVs.
Ford is recalling more than 10,000 redesigned 2013 Escape compact SUVs because of a potential carpet problem affecting the brake pedal.
The company said that the wrongly positioned carpet padding could reduce space around the pedals and cause drivers to hit the side of the brake pedal when switching from the accelerator, increasing stopping distances and the risk of crashes.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), this latest Ford recall affects Escape SUVs made between March 8 and June 7, 2012 at Ford's assembly plant in Louisville, KY.
NHTSA said that there are 8,266 Ford Escapes involved in the recall in the US. In addition, Ford spokeswoman Marcey Zwiebel said it also affected about 2,000 vehicles in Canada and a couple hundred in Mexico.
Currently, Ford had not received any reports of accidents or injuries related to the carpet problem. The recall begins on July 23, 2012.
Affected owners can bring their cars in Ford dealers nationwide where it will be repaired free of charge. Ford dealers said they will remove the carpet padding and replace the left-side console trim panel.
Moreover, owners may also call Ford's hotline at 866-436-7332 or NHTSA's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 for any inquiries about the recall.
Ford Escape remains the second-best selling vehicle of the automaker. It was the sixth best-selling vehicle overall in the United States in June, with sales of 28,500 last month, up 28 percent from June 2011.