April 23, 2002
Federal safety regulators are opening an investigation into adjustable brake and accelerator pedals on late-model Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable sedans, following complaints that the pedals are too close together.
Drivers are prone to step on both the accelerator and the brake at the same time, complainants said.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has received 22 complaints, including one from a 2001 Sable owner who said her car was crashed three times by three different drivers, one of them a Ford mechanic. No injuries have been reported.
The electronically-adjusted pedals are standard equipment on the Sable and optional on the Taurus. Several other Ford vehicles, including the Explorer SUV, also offer the feature.
Ford said it's cooperating with the probe.
