Woman Pulls Out Her GMC Yukon’s Floor Mats To Clean Them. It Makes Her Car Break Down: 'This Just Happened To Me'

"You wouldn't believe how many people tow their cars to the dealership for this exact issue."

Photo by: Unsplash.com

By: Nina Hernandez

Aug 15, at 6:00am ET

Add Motor1.com as a preferred source in Google

Comment

A man sets out on a wild goose chase after his wife’s GMC Yukon fails to start. How did cleaning the vehicle lead to this malfunction?

TikTok creator Brandon Fisher (@thehustlefish) posted a video with a rundown of what he says happened. “All right, mechanics,” he says, explaining that his wife drives a 2013 GMC Yukon. "Wife called me earlier, said she gets in, [it] turns over, will not start. No issues up until now. So, I start doing my diagnosis.”

He says he started by asking his wife for a specific recounting of everything she did that day. All his wife said she did other than driving was clean the car. “I don't know why this didn't register with me,” Fisher says. “I go through all the process of checking the fuses.”

What Happened To Cause This GMC Yukon To Break Down?

After checking all that with no luck, Fisher decided to call his wife again and ask her to tell him step by step everything she did when she cleaned the car. She told him one important new piece of information: She pulled her floor mats out to clean them.

“So I get in. I'm just going to hook up a scanner to it,” Fisher says. “I put in our Snap On scanner, and ChatGPT is saying check the crank speed. I can't hear the fuel pump kicking on. I should've gathered this. So, I go to hit the gas pedal.”

He lowers the camera so viewers can see the driver’s side footwell, and the problem is immediately apparent. Apparently, when Fisher’s wife put the floor mat back, it got wedged between the accelerator and the brake. “We don't see a problem here?” Fisher quips. “When did GM start making one-pedal cars?”

Gallery: 2026 GMC Yukon Denali Ultimate Review

Source: Zander Sutton | Motor1

Why An Improperly Installed Floor Mat Is Dangerous

In the comments section of the video, viewers weighed in with similar stories of accidentally pinning their accelerator down with their floor mat. Others, who apparently haven’t ever done this, could only offer humor.

"Accelerator pushed down by the floor mat," offered one helpful viewer.

"I did this with my Chevrolet Tahoe," wrote a second person. "Soooo embarrassing."

"Ever since people removed and installed floor mats," joked a third person.

Someone else said, "[I've been] a GM technician for the past 15 years. You wouldn't believe how many people tow their cars to the dealership for this exact issue."

GM addressed this issue in a recent memo, noting that using floor mats incorrectly can cause interference with the accelerator or brake pedal. That interference can cause unintended acceleration or increased stopping distance or even what is known as a crank no-start.

What do you think?

View

Comments

A crank no-start condition happens when the accelerator pedal is fully depressed and the ignition is switched to the start position. However, fuel will be cut in order to clear the cylinders, so the engine will not start. GM recommends always double-checking after floor mat installation to make sure they are properly secured.

Motor1 reached out to Fisher via TikTok comment and direct message for comment. We also contacted GM via email for comment. We will update this story if they respond.