So far there have been only three complaints related to the 249,301 sedans under investigation, and no injuries or accidents were related to those three complaints, so it's safe to say the NHTSA is likely reacting quickly to the issue based on the media thrashing it received over a perceived lack of enforcement during the Toyota safety fiasco.

One of the complaints, for example, came from a driver who said the floor mats were improperly replaced after a trip to the car wash or a body shop -- something Ford warns against in its instruction manual. The manufacturer also does not recommend stacking floor mats -- that is, using the all-weather mat on top of the regular one -- and says that this could could lead to the problem.

Still, Ford has an investigation to contend with. At the end of the day, though, and despite the fact that Toyota's problems stemmed from more than just an improperly secured mat, at least that whole fiasco taught people to pay attention to every safety risk in a vehicle -- including those innocuous floor mats.