"If bad carpeting is wrong, I don't wanna be right," must have been the creedo of our great aunt Mamie of Bellerose, Queens — whose chartruse and mauve carpets were legendary for causing temporary insanity among small children and at least two Dachshunds. But it's probably not that of Ford, although the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has ben investigating whether carpering in 2003 and 2004 Mustangs is responsible for cases of cars' accelerator pedals sticking. Seven consumers have complained to the agency about the problem, which could affect 20,000 Mustangs sold between 2003 and 2004.
Side note: The Feds are also looking at 2002 Ford Explorer and Mercury Mountaineer SUVs, after reports of throttle stickage. Nearly 500,000 of those vehicles were sold that year.
Related:
New SUVs Less Prone to Rollovers, Feds Say; Safety Advocates Say Test Is Flawed; US Government Launches Investigation into Kia, Chrysler Engine Fires [internal]