2013 Ford Escape Owner Manual Printing 4 - Page 201

Driving Hints WARNINGS Always use floor mats that are designed to fit the foot well of your vehicle. Only use floor mats that leave the pedal area unobstructed. Only use floor mats that are firmly secured to retention posts so that they cannot slip out of position and interfere with the pedals or impair safe operation of your vehicle in other ways. ( When driving through water, traction or brake capability may be limited. Also, water may enter your engine's air intake and severely damage your engine or your vehicle may stall. Once through the water, always dry the brakes by moving your vehicle slowly while applying light pressure on the brake pedal. Wet brakes do not stop the vehicle as quickly as dry brakes. Pedals that cannot move freely can cause loss of vehicle control and increase the risk of serious personal injury. Always make sure that the floor mats are properly attached to the retention posts in the carpet that are supplied with your vehicle. Floor mats must be properly secured to both retention posts to ensure mats do not shift out of position. Never place floor mats or any other covering in the vehicle foot well that cannot be properly secured to prevent them from moving and interfering with the pedals or the ability to control the vehicle. Never place floor mats or any other covering on top of already installed floor mats. Floor mats should always rest on top of vehicle carpeting surface and not another floor mat or other covering. Additional floor mats or any other covering will reduce the pedal clearance and potentially interfere with pedal operation. FLOOR MATS ( Check attachment of floor mats on a regular basis. Always properly reinstall and secure floor mats that have been removed for cleaning or replacement. Always make sure that objects cannot fall into the driver foot well while the vehicle is moving. Objects that are loose can become trapped under the pedals causing a loss of vehicle control. 197 Escape (TM2)