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NHTSA upgrades Ford floor mat unintended acceleration probe

According to a Bloomberg report, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has upgraded an investigation into complaints of unintended acceleration lodged against Ford vehicles. The investigation began in June of 2010 when just three complaints had been received and it only concerned the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan, but this was at a time when the phrase "unintended acceleration" made grown men go pale. With 49 additional complaints received since then, the investigation has been reclassified as an engineering analysis - the last phase before a recall - and it has been expanded to include the Lincoln MKZ, making for a total of "around 480,000" units affected between the three sedans from the 2008 to 2010 model years.
The ostensible cause is that floor mats are trapping the accelerator pedal, but according to a Ford statement at the time, the entrapment is due to owners placing the optional all-weather floor mats, or aftermarket floor mats, on top of the car's standard floor mats. NHTSA has backed up that assessment, pinning the blame on "unsecured or double stacked floor mats."
On the face of it, it would appear that NHTSA has upgraded the status not because of Ford's error, but owner error, and Ford has stated publicly that it is "disappointed" in NHTSA's move. On top of NHTSA still being skittish after that other unintended acceleration debacle, it could be seen to be taking its time investigating all of the variables: it's reported that Ford changed its accelerator pedal design in 2010, a "heel blocker" in the floorpan has been considered a potential culprit in how the floor mats could be trapping the pedal, some drivers have said the floor mats weren't anywhere near the pedal, and according to a report in the LA Times, in "a letter sent by Ford to NHTSA in August 2010, the automaker said it found three injuries and one fatality that 'may have resulted from the alleged defect.'"

2022 Lincoln Corsair starts at $37,300

A week ago, we posted on price increases and reductions Ford applied to the 2022 Escape. Ford Authority reveals that automaker money men have been working similar equations on MSRPs for the Escape's platform mate, the 2022 Lincoln Corsair. Similar to what was done with the Escape, the Corsair sees a small increase on one of the lower trims and reductions on the upper trims. The discounts are offset slightly by the destination charge going up by $100, from $1,095 to $1,195. The entry-level, front-wheel-drive Corsair only goes up by that higher destination charge, its MSRP sticking at $36,105 and coming to $37,300 after destination. Sending power to the rear wheels raises the price by $200, half of that in the MSRP, totaling $39,600.    The Corsair Reserve with front-wheel drive comes down by $2,125, to $42,020. Opting for all-wheel drive shaves the discount a tad to $2,025, for a total of $44,320. This is no freebie, the reduction coming thanks to product planners removing the 14-speaker Reveal Audio System from the list of standard equipment. Putting that stereo back into the Reveal will cost $3,300, but that price is the result of combining options packages so it does include extra equipment. Audiophiles need to choose the Luxury Package, which costs $2,200; however, in order to get the Luxury, they'll also need to choose the $1,100 Elements package, a cold-weather group with features like a heated steering wheel and seats, and windshield wiper de-icer.    Note, at the time of writing, the Corsair Reserve configurator is a little confusing. It still lists the "Revel Audio System with 14-Speakers including Subwoofer" as standard under the Radio Type tab. Under Audio Upgrade, it lists "Lincoln Premium Audio System with 14-Speakers Including Subwoofer," and wants to charge $3,300 for that. This is backward. The Lincoln Premium Audio is a 10-speaker system, and it's the one that comes standard in 2022.  The Corsair Grand Touring, which only comes with all-wheel drive, drops $60 on MSRP but overall climbs by $40 with the destination charge, to $51,525. The Corsair, like the Escape, is due for a refresh for the 2023 model year that could bring a new powertrain besides the expected interior revisions. A brand new Escape/Corsair duo has been predicted for 2025. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Lincoln Continental to end after one-and-done generation?

After only 18 months on sale, the vultures of rumor have begun circling above the Lincoln Continental. Ford Authority says "sources intricately familiar with Ford Motor Company's future product plans" for the domestic luxury brand say the Continental won't get another chance at life after this generation. Those sources didn't detail Ford's reasons for dispatching the executioner on another sad task, but if this is true, even the reasons we can only guess make enough sense to justify the move. The Continental launched into a crossover mania still mushrooming in strength like some Marvel villain, the equivalent of a new dinosaur hatching a few months before the Chicxulub Impact Event. In 18 months, the Continental sold 18,846 units, 12,012 of those sales happening in 2017. In the U.S. this year, sales amounted to 1,573 units through February, about 25 percent down on the annualized monthly rate. It could be worse: The Lexus GS has found 1,009 U.S. buyers so far this year, the Acura RLX, 285. Conversely, the Cadillac XTS — yes, a fleet darling — secured 3,163 sales in the same period. And the German kingpins live in another dimension, with BMW scooting 5,641 5 Series models off dealer lots, and the Mercedes E-Class boasting 8,411 sales of all three variants. Even the much more expensive and much more profitable Lincoln Navigator rang up 2,351 sales in the first 60 days of 2018. That's disheartening reading, especially after Ford reportedly spent more than $1 billion to bring the Continental to market. Sedan segment woes look to have killed the Continental's platform siblings, too, making the Lincoln's demise simply part of the cull. The CD4 architecture also underpins the Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ. Ford canceled the Fusion redesign and won't commit to making either vehicle after 2020. Lincoln's passenger car sales declined more than 30 percent last month; meanwhile, Lincoln needs to spend its money on the crossovers that are selling, and investment in the coming three-row Aviator that will replace the MKT. Ford has a CD6 platform in development that suits front-, rear-, and all-wheel-drive vehicles. Under previous CEO Mark Fields, a new Fusion, Mustang, and MKZ would ride on the CD6, as well as the new Explorer and a Lincoln brother. Those plans left with the previous administration, and company sources told both Ford Authority and The Truth About Cars not to expect a Continental revival on that architecture. Related Video: