US automaker Ford said Thursday it was suspending production of a commercial vehicle sold in China that may be suffering from the same accelerator problems as rival Toyota, reported AFP.
The suspension was a precautionary measure that will allow Ford and its Chinese partner to review the vehicles produced with a pedal made by the supplier of Toyota's problematic pedals.
"We have not determined whether we have a problem there or not yet," Ford chief executive officer Alan Mulally said during a conference call discussing the automaker's year-end results.
Ford has experienced no accidents or problems with the 1,663 vehicles built in China since it began using those pedals in December, spokesman Said Deep told AFP.
No other Ford vehicles have been made with the problematic pedal and production of all other Ford vehicles worldwide will continue as scheduled, he stressed.
Toyota suspended sales of some of its most popular vehicles in the United States on Tuesday after recalling 2.3 million US cars and trucks last week because of problems with sticking accelerator pedals.
On Thursday, Toyota said the recalls would expand to Europe and China and the Japanese giant recalled 1.1 million US vehicles to replace floor mats that could trap accelerator pedals.
Ford's Chinese partner, Jiangling Motors Company, said its recall affects light buses built in Nanchang and only distributed in China.
