Ford to recall 485,000 small SUVs to fix throttles - 13 WTHR Indianapolis

Ford is recalling about a-half million vehicles. Specifically, it affects nearly 485,000 Escapes and Mavericks to fix sticking gas pedals that can cause crashes.

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has received 68 complaints about the problem, including 13 crashes, nine injuries and one death. A teenage girl died when an Escape crashed in Arizona in January.

The worldwide recall affects vehicles from the 2001 through 2004 model years that are powered by 3-liter V-6 engines with cruise control. It comes just over a week after U.S. safety regulators began investigating the small SUVs, which are called Mavericks in Europe.

It's the third recall in just two weeks for the Escape, which was the top-selling SUV in the U.S. last month. A week ago Ford recalled 11,500 of the all-new 2013 models with 1.6-liter engines because the fuel lines can crack and leak gasoline, causing fires. A few days before that, it recalled 10,000 2013 Escapes to fix carpet padding that could interfere with braking.

Experts say if your car accelerates unexpectedly, you should step on the brake and shift into neutral, steer safely to the roadside, put the car in park and shut off the engine.

The Escape has been one of Ford's most popular vehicles since it went on sale in 2000. More than 2.1 million have been sold. It was the top-selling small SUV in the country in three of the four years covered by the recall.

The latest recall affects 421,000 Escapes in the U.S. The rest are in Canada, Mexico, Europe, Asia and some smaller markets.

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