U.S. safety regulators said they have opened an investigation into possible throttle control problems with an estimated 730,000 older model Ford Escape and Mazda Tribute small SUVs.
There have been 13 crashes reported to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration related to the issue that led to nine injuries and one fatality, a Tuesday NHTSA filing shows.
NHTSA said it will investigate whether throttles remain open even after a driver has released the accelerator pedal.
A NHTSA investigation is short of a recall, but may lead to them for the two vehicles, which are from the model years 2001-2004.
Copyright 2026 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Was this article valuable?
Here are more articles you may enjoy.
Claims Handling Breakdowns From LA Wildfires One Year on 
Walmart to Pay $100 Million to Settle FTC Case on Driver Wages 
Asbestos Lawsuits Prompt Vanderbilt Minerals to File Bankruptcy 
Moody’s: LA Wildfires, US Catastrophes Drove Bulk of Global Insured Losses in 2025 
Want to stay up to date?
Get the latest insurance news
sent straight to your inbox.