Ford's Australian-built Territory soft-roader has been recalled for the same safety issue that led to a huge Toyota recall in the United States.

Nearly 5000 Territorys are affected by floor mats that can get stuck underneath the vehicle's accelerator pedal, potentially preventing the accelerator pedal from returning to idle, the same issue that sparked a recall of more than 8 million Toyotas earlier this year.

Two customers have reported problems with the mats. In one case in March a female driver chose to get out of her vehicle while it was still travelling at around 10km/h after having trouble bringing it to a stop with the bunched up floor mat.

In the other the floor mat reportedly interfered with the accelerator pedal and the driver was forced to pull the car off to the side of the road before bringing it to a stop.

According to Ford, the affected Ford Genuine Accessory Carpet Mat set is black with silver "TERRITORY" embossing and a rubber spike backing material. It has been sold through authorised Ford dealers since June 2009.

Ford Australia spokesman Todd Nissen said customers with the mats should remove the driver's floor mat immediately until they could contact their dealer to arrange to have replacement mats fitted. Affected mats are made of black carpet with a rubber spike backing, and have a silver "Territory" embossed on them. The Ford part number is 5R7J A13002 AA.

The new mats have a different shape to discourage bunching under the feet in the driver's footwell.