Ford Recalls 19,140 2003-04 SVT Cobras

April 11th, 2006 by CobraMatt

Finally I will have an excuse when I get caught speeding in excess of 150 mph by a Texas State Trooper. As the Trooper yanks me from my 2003 Cobra and slams me against the hood saying boy do you know how fast you were going. I yell back ; Trooper Trooper, Sir ( because I am polite ) my accelerator was stuck, ask Ford they will tell you. Somehow I don’t think it will fly ,but it’s worth a shot.

Now you are asking what the heck is he talking about, well Ford has issued a recall for 19,140 SVT Cobras from 2003-04 because the back of the accelerator pedal could become caught in the floor carpeting. Ford has received about 100 complaints and a handful have ended in crashes.

Being a 2003 Cobra owner I took it upon myself to give you a picture of what the underside of the accelerator looks like. From what I see it seems possible the back of the accelerator could get stuck on the carpet as there are a few sharp edges. I have owned my car for more then 1 1/2 years and I can tell you I have pushed the pedal to the floor with no problems.

Offcial Press Release:
Ford Motor Co. said Tuesday that it was recalling nearly 20,000 Mustang Cobra sports cars after receiving complaints that the back of the accelerator pedal could become caught in the floor carpeting and lead to a crash.Ford told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in late January that it had received about 100 complaints and allegations of two crashes and one injury. The recall affects 19,140 Mustang Cobras from the 2003 and 2004 model years.

Ford said in a letter to NHTSA that the rear surface of the pedal could interfere with the carpeting during heavy throttling and make it difficult for the pedal to return to an idle position. The problem could be found in vehicles where the floor carpeting does not fit flush with the sheet metal.

Dealers are expected to install a bracket over the cutout in the carpet behind the pedal. Owners are expected to be notified of the recall in late April and will not be charged for the repair.

Last July, NHTSA opened an investigation into accelerator pedal interference in the 2003 and 2004 Mustang, and the 2003 model year of the Mustang convertible and Mustang GT.

Ford spokeswoman Kristen Kinley said the automaker’s investigation only found the issue in the Cobras because the high-performance model has a different pedal configuration than the other Mustang versions.