(Reuters) - Mercedes-Benz is recalling all-season rubber floor mats sold as accessories in model year 2012 and 2013 ML-Class sport utility vehicles in the United States because they could cause the gas pedal to get stuck and increase the risk of a crash, according to U.S. safety regulators.
Daimler AG's <DAIGn.DE> Mercedes said 8,675 of the floor mats have been sold in the U.S., according to documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Until replacements are available, Mercedes is advising ML-Class owners to remove the floor mats.
Mercedes said the recall does not include the regular floor mats that come standard with each ML-Class vehicle.
Mercedes said it was not aware of any accidents or injuries related to the issue. A spokesman said the part is sold as an accessory by its dealers globally, but he did not have a total number affected.
Mercedes said in documents filed with NHTSA that the floor mats may not fully conform to the contour of the vehicle's floor pan as intended. If that occurs, the gas pedal may not retract after the driver stops applying pressure so the car may not slow as expected.
Mercedes said its vehicles come with a brake overide function in which a depressed brake takes precedence even if the gas pedal is also depressed.
A recall, expected to begin by September, will provide a modified replacement floor mat, according to NHTSA documents.
(Reporting By Ben Klayman; editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)
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