NHTSA Complaint #10334123 — 2010 FORD FUSION

SAFETY ISSUE. DESIGN/ENGINEERING DEFECT. 2010 FUSION HYBRID. FOOT SPACE BETWEEN THE KNEE AIRBAG HOUSING AND BRAKE PEDAL IS SEVERELY AND DANGEROUSLY RESTRICTED BY THE PHYSICAL PRESENCE, BULK, AND LOCATION OF THE KNEE AIRBAG. THIS DELAYS RESPONSE FOR INSTANT BRAKE DEPLOYMENT FOR EMERGENCY DECELERATION. VERTICAL CLEARANCE IS ~4" AND IS LESS IF APPROACHED AT AN ANGLE, SWIVELING ON HEEL FROM ACCELERATOR TO BRAKE. LIFTING FOOT WITH LEG FROM HIP BUMPS FOOT AGAINST AIRBAG HOUSING, STOPPING SMOOTH TRANSITION TO PEDAL WITH EITHER FOOT. FOOT THEN MUST SLIDE HORIZONTALLY INTO NARROW SPACE TO ENGAGE BRAKES. FOOT SPACE IS DANGEROUSLY RESTRICTED EVEN WITH DRIVING MOCS. I HAVE EXCELLENT REFLEXES AND 60-YEAR SAFE DRIVING RECORD WITH NO MOVING VIOLATIONS. BUT IN CONGESTED FREEWAY CONDITIONS DURING A 3600-MILE ROAD TRIP I FELT REQUIRED TO DRIVE WITH LEFT FOOT POISED ABOVE THE BRAKE PEDAL TO LIMIT EMERGENCY RESPONSE TIME. WITH ONLY SHORT TRIPS FOR 1500 MILES, I AT FIRST THOUGHT I MIGHT GET USED TO THIS PROBLEM. THIS LIMITATION AND THE EXTRAORDINARY DRIVING PRACTICES REQUIRED FOR SAFETY ONLY BECAME PAINFULLY APPARENT DURING THE ROAD TRIP. THIS SAFETY ISSUE WAS REPORTED TO FORD MOTOR COMPANY TODAY. DESIRE PHYSICAL REMOVAL OF KNEE AIRBAG WITH ALL MOUNTING HARDWARE AND REPROGRAMMING OF SOFTWARE TO IGNORE ITS ABSENCE. NOTE: THE REQUIRED "INCIDENT DATE" ON THIS FORM IS THE APPROXIMATE DATE OF MANUFACTURE, LISTED ON THE ROCKER PANEL AS 10/09. THIS IS AN ENGINEERING DESIGN DEFECT WHICH APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN AN AFTERTHOUGHT. NO ACCIDENT HAS RESULTED ONLY BECAUSE I HAVE DEVOTED ASSIDUOUS ATTENTION TO MITIGATING THE PROBLEM BY SHOE CHOICE AND EXTREMELY CAREFUL DRIVING PRACTICE. *TR