Defect Investigation Detail
WEATHERTECH / 460961 (FLOOR MATS) / 9999
| Components - Details | |
|---|---|
| NHTSA Action Number: PE08039 | Vehicale/Equipment Name: WEATHERTECH |
| Vehicale/Equipment Model: 460961 (FLOOR MATS) | Vehicale/Equipment Year: 9999 |
| Component Name: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL | Manufacturer's Name: MACNEIL AUTOMOTIVE PRODUCTS LIMITED |
| Date Opened: Jun, 25 2008 | Date Closed: Oct, 27 2008 |
| Subject: ACCELERATOR PEDAL-FLOOR MAT INTERFERENCE | Summary: the office of defects investigation (odi) is aware of 12 reports since 2005 that allege unwanted acceleration on a variety of different model year 2006 and 2007 vehicles (ford mustang; chevrolet cobalt; gmc sierra 2500; acura mdx; honda ridgeline; hyundai azera and santa fe; and toyota 4runner, avalon, camry, and tundra) equipped with a variety of different aftermarket weathertech brand "all-weather floor mats" and "floorliner" floor coverings manufactured by macneil.none of the vehicle/mat combinations had more than one complaint.none of the complaints alleged any crashes or injuries.weathertech brand "all-weather floor mats" are a flat-pattern floor covering made of a flexible rubber material that have deeply sculpted channels designed to trap moisture and debris.while they are not customized to fit any particular make or model vehicle, macneil recommends any one of approximately 80 different shaped designs for each specific make, model and model year vehicle based on its own best fit criteria."all-weather floor mats" utilize a nibbed backing and/or a ridged non-skid pattern to limit movement between the mat and the vehicle floor board.weathertech also sells "floorliners," which are rigid plastic floor coverings that are contoured to fit specific make, model, and model year vehicles."floorliners" appear to rely primarily on their form fitting shape to limit movement between the mat and the vehicle floor board.however, macneil does warn consumers, "if so equipped, please be sure to use any retention devices supplied with vehicle mats."in general, various vehicle, mat and use factors can contribute to the potential for floor mat interference with accelerator pedal travel.vehicle factors can include pedal and floor pan design.mat factors can include thickness and geometry, particularly affecting the orientation of the leading edge in the vicinity of the accelerator pedal.use factors that have been observed in interference incidents include failure to remove original floor mats when installing new mats (i.e., "stacked" floor mats), installing passenger side mats on the driver's side, installing mats in an improper orientation (e.g., backwards, upside down), and failure to use retention devices.odi has not identified a safety-related defect trend at this time with any particular applications of weathertech brand "all-weather floor mats" and/or "floorliner" floor coverings and further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.accordingly, this investigation is closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by nhtsa that a safety-related defect does not exist.the agency will take further action if warranted by the circumstances. |