U.S. auto-safety regulators are investigating 2002 models of the Ford Escape for possible unintended acceleration after a fatal car accident in January involving a 17-year-old Arizona girl.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is investigating about 730,000 Escapes and identical Tributes manufactured by Mazda.
NHTSA has received 99 complaints about unintended acceleration in the SUVs, including 13 collisions, eight injuries and the death of the Arizona teenager.
This is not the first time that these vehicles have been investigated. The 2002 Escapes have been the subject of eight previous NHTSA investigations. Some investigations led to recalls for engine stalling, an electrical short in the antilock brake system and leaking brake fluid.
Some of the complaints about the Escape claim that the throttle fails to return to idle when the accelerator is released.
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