Recalls
| Campaign | Manufacturer | Manufacturing date | Type | # of units affected | Date Owner notified Mfg | Recall Initiated by | Manufacturers of recalled vehicles/products | Report Recieved Date | Record Creation Date | Regulation Part Number | FMVSS Number | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SEATS - FRONT ASSEMBLY - RECLINER | ||||||||||||||||
| 03V281000 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | from 05/13/1997 to 12/24/2000 | V (Vehicle) | 1552880 | 08/29/2003 | ODI | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | 08/05/2003 | 08/07/2003 | |||||||
| Defect Summary | On certain sport utility vehicles equipped with high back seats, the upper bolt on the driver | |||||||||||||||
| Consequence Summary | The driver could potentially lose contact with the steering wheel or foot pedals during such an event, increasing the risk of a crash. | |||||||||||||||
| Corrective Summary | Dealers will replace the driver seat upper bolt with a metal spacer and bolt. in addition, seats with tubular back frames will have the fully threaded lower recliner bolt replaced with a partially threaded bolt. owner notification began on august 29, 2003. owners should contact ford at 1-800-392-3673. | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | Ford recall no. 03s04.customers can also contact the national highway traffic safety administration | |||||||||||||||
Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SEATS | |||||
| 11759 | 08/01/1998 | 615261 | Some vehicles may come in for a bent front seat back recliner lever. *tt | 01/10/2001 | |
| 13218 | 09/01/1999 | 6090591 | Information regarding seat that willl not move forward. *mjs | 03/21/2000 | |
| 7079 | 09/01/1999 | 6090430 | Information regarding seat that will not move forward. *mjs | 03/20/2000 | |
| 982515 | 12/21/1998 | 603653 | Conditions with the front seat back lever bent. *yc | 03/01/1999 | |
| SEATS - FRONT ASSEMBLY - POWER ADJUST | |||||
| 11809 | 08/01/1998 | 615306 | Some vehicles may exhibit a seat squeak / rattle / rock from the front power seat track. *tt | 01/12/2001 | |
| 4701 | 08/01/1998 | 615241 | Some vehicles may exhibit a seat squeak / rattle / rock from the front power seat track. *tt | 01/10/2001 | |
| 982019 | 10/12/1998 | 603704 | Concerns with the power seat control button ( knob ) may detach from the switch actuator. *yc | 03/03/1999 | |
| SEATS - FRONT ASSEMBLY - RECLINER | |||||
| 4642 | 08/01/1998 | 615180 | Some vehicles may come in for a bent front seat back recliner lever. *tt | 01/03/2001 | |
Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SEATS - FRONT ASSEMBLY - RECLINER | ||||||
| PE03020 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | 05/21/2003 | 09/05/2003 | FRONT SEAT BACK RECLINER ATTACHMENT | 03V281000 | |
| By letter dated august 4, 2003, ford notified the agency that it is conducting a voluntary safety recall (nhtsa recall no. 03v281) involving certain model year (my) 1998-2001 ford explorer / mercury mountaineer 4-door, my 1998-2000 ford explorer 2-door and my 2001-2002 ford explorer sport and sport trac vehicles equipped with high back seats.complaints allege that the driver's seat back reclined without warning.a bolt between the upper seat recliner attachment and the seat back frame may fracture.ford will replace the bolt that attaches the seat recliner mechanism to the seat back frame on the driver side seat.based on ford's safety recall action, this investigation is closed. | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| SEATS | |||
| 06/14/2008 | 50000 | ||
| About 3 years ago i started to notice the driver | |||
| 08/18/2010 | 190000 | ||
| Agust 18th 2010 1:30 pm pearland tx . a ford explorer 4 dors get hit it in the back by other vehicule wil is in stop position; about 40/50 miles p/h. the front panel get broked, the stereo flu to the front hiting the driver. and the air bag do not get open driver get injured on the face and at the harms. olso the driver seat get broked .to the back | |||
| 05/05/2009 | 100000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 1998 ford explorer. the contact stated that the front driver's seat reclines all the way back until it touches an object behind the seat. she could potentially lose control of the steering wheel or foot pedals due to this issue. his vehicle model year was not included in nhtsa campaign id number 03v281000 (seats:front assembly:recliner). the vehicle has not been properly repaired. the failure and current mileages were 100,000. | |||
| 06/26/2008 | 157565 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 1998 ford explorer. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer to have it repaired according to nhtsa campaign id number 03v281000 (seats:front assembly:recliner), although no failures were occurring at the moment. the dealer refused to repair the issue after consulting with the manufacturer because the bolt failed. after being denied of the recall repair, the failures began to occur a week later. the driver's seat would recline backwards on its own. the issue occurred over ten times, but the dealer still refused to repair the vehicle. the contact spoke with the manufacturer and was informed that because she did not take the vehicle to the dealer in a timely fashion, the bolt sheared; therefore, they could not assist. the current mileage was approximately 170,000 and failure mileage was 157,565. | |||
| 08/18/2008 | 85002 | 1 | |
| Driver side seat recliner lever broke off..now is safety issue, can't adjust seat back.. many angry people on the ford truck explorerforum.com have same problem...should have been a recall...ford sells a redesigned stronger part #xl2z7862649aa.. *tr | |||
| 12/17/2003 | 183000 | 08/22/1998 | |
| On december 17,2003 the drivers side seat release on my 1998 ford explorer broke while i was trying to adjust the seat back. the steel that attaches the positioning lever to the mechanical part of the seat shirred off in a clean break and came off in my hand. my seat became stuck in a forward position while i was in the seat forcing me into a forward position. i had to drive in this position to the dealer where they used a large vice grip type wrench to release the seat back into a position so i could drive the car. at this time the seat is jammed in a static position while the remaining part of the steel is still in the reclining gear. | |||
| 78000 | 1 | ||
| The driver side seat back recliner lever broke off without being used. consumer feels that the recall defective component for the high back bolt 03 v 281 000, is the possible cause of the lever breaking because it's part of the same structure. *ph | |||
| 4 | |||
| The brake sensors were faulty, the driver seat bolt had broken and fell while driving, the driver door lock was defective, and the brake warning lights system was inoperative. scc *jb | |||
| 07/27/2002 | |||
| On two separate occasions driver's seat has collapsed backwards while parking in reverse. dealer notified. feel free to provide any further information.*ak | |||
| 02/17/2002 | 3 | 02/01/2002 | |
| When making turns, especially right turns, vehicle slides and almost turns over.*ak. consumer states vehicle is experiencing acceleration problems,and there was a humming noise coming from the engine, signals are not working, dealer replaced a defective connector and multi-function switch, firestone tires have experienced tread separation, which were replaced in july 2001, the rear seats move/bounce when driving, the rear seat belts were inoperative, the dealer replaced the buckles, there was smoke coming from the steering column, dealer replaced the multi-function switch, the windshield was chipped, the alarm would not chut off at times, dealer replaced a bad loose wire.*jb | |||
| 01/06/2002 | 1 | 09/01/1998 | |
| While driving, the left side driver's seat retaining bolt (that holds the seat back to the base of the seat) sheared causing the seat back to fall backward into the rear seat. the driver fell back also causing him to run off the edge of the road. local dealer has been notified and wishes to charge for a complete seat replacement.*ak | |||
| 05/05/2001 | |||
| Vehicle was rear ended. upon impact, driver's seat collapsed, resulting in minor injuries to passenger sitting in seat. dealer has been notified.*ak | |||
| 04/07/2001 | |||
| This was second time that seat has reclined back while consumer has been driving. first time being at 26,400 miles. this time consumer was traveling at 55mph, and seat reclined straight back, and wouldn't go back into postion. consumer called dealer, and they couldn't give any information without seeing vehicle.*ak | |||
| 1 | 08/10/1998 | ||
| Drivers seat catches consumers clothing. nlm | |||
| 07/12/2000 | 1 | 07/01/1998 | |
| A 'bolt' failed in the driver seat, allowing the seat to fully recline without any method of stopping the recline. fortunately, i was stopped when this happened. since the part failed at two years and 48000 miles, this seems like a part that may fail on other vehicles. if the seat had reclined 3 minutes earlier or later, the outcome could have been tragic. the dealer charged $100 labor to change the $2 bolt.*ak | |||
| 1 | |||
| Design of the arm rest assembly is weak which resulted in collapsing under weight of consumer. mjs | |||
| 07/26/1999 | 01/01/1998 | ||
| These defects happens just months after warranty was out live far from dealership but i tried to get it there as soon as i could being that it was my only source of transportation. i felt that capital ford should of still honored these defects and try to at least offer to help me in anyway they could i feel that they didnt care about it all they had to say to me that the warranty is out and it's going to cost a lot to have these defects fix they wouldn't even give a price all they said is it's going to be a couple of hundred of dollars. i was very dissapointed in their service and the way they handled this situation. if something isn't done, then i plan to return my suv at the end of it's lease and go elsewhere to buy my next usv. i hope that you can resolve this problem i purchase several ford in the past years and have never had any problems with them so i hope you will honor these defects . i look forward to hearing from this request thank you time. no safety defect (s) listed in summary. *ak | |||
| 05/27/1998 | |||
| Brother was checking underneath vehicle & noticed the under carriage was rusty. contacted dealer & manufacturer & was informed it's normal due to heavy road salt that was used. also, seat & anchor attachments were rusty. vehicle sold as new due to low mileage, according to dealer. *ak | |||
| 02/23/1999 | 1 | 09/01/1998 | |
| Power seat. rocked back and forth and got worse. dealer replaced. seat started to get loose again and dealer replaced it again. also seat belt was not retracting back in. dealer replaced. additional defect not noted was the 5 speed manual transmission having to be rebuilt at 22,868 miles. would be glad to fill out additional form or provide service records etc. if needed. thanks for your time. keith | |||
| 10/01/1998 | 1 | 02/01/1998 | |
| Passenger side seat bladder failed. yh | |||
| 10/20/1998 | 1 | ||
| Center armrest failed. yh | |||
| 06/29/1998 | 06/01/1998 | ||
| No summary. | |||
| 06/30/1998 | |||
| The driver's seat mechanism cannot move back more than 10 inches which put the consumer in danger of the airbag if it was to deploy. mfr cannot solve the problem. please provide further information. *ak | |||
| 1 | |||
| Broken switch on lumbar pump to power seat. | |||
| During rear impact at 20 to 25 mph, the driver's side seat frame broke, causing the seat to collapse backward. please describe details. *ak | |||
| SEATS - FRONT ASSEMBLY - RECLINER | |||
| 02/04/2008 | 117400 | 1 | 02/01/1998 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 1998 ford explorer. the driver's side seat does not stay in place. if the contact leaned back too hard, the seat would recline onto the rear seat. when she called the dealer concerning nhtsa recall number 03v281000 (seats:front assembly: recliner) and was informed that they do not honor nhtsa recalls. the current mileage was 117,800 and failure mileage was 117,400. | |||
| 08/15/2007 | 150000 | 1 | 10/15/1998 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 1998 ford explorer. while driving 40 mph, the driver's seat reclined towards the rear seat. the dealer stated that the vin was included in nhtsa campaign id number 03v281000 (seats:front assembly:recliner). the dealer refuses to make the repair until the contact pays $400 to have another mechanism of the seat recliner repaired. the ford manufacturer stated that they knew nothing about technical issues and that the dealer would make the final decision. the seat has not been repaired. the vehicle does not have cruise control. the failure mileage was 150,000 and current mileage was 176,000. | |||
| 07/13/2005 | 92000 | 2 | 07/13/2005 |
| Dt: the contact purchased a used vehicle on a warranty. she discovered the rear seat belt buckle assemblies were broken. also, the front seats did not recline properly. she took the vehicle to a dealer. no repairs have been made at this time. *ak | |||
| 09/21/2005 | 29740 | 1 | 09/20/1998 |
| I own a 1998 ford explorer xl 4 door model with 29744 original miles on it. the vehicle is in excellent condition and has never been involved in any kind of accident. the vehicle has been well maintained and was taken to the dealer for 3 different safety recalls, throttle cable, hood latch and drivers seat in the early part of my ownership. on september 21 2005 while driving the vehicle home from work the drivers seat fell backwards about 4-5 inches making me momentarily lose control of the vehicle and nearly caused and accident. upon inspection of the seat when i got home it was apparent that the seat frame just in front of the hinge mechanism had broken and bent upward allowing the entire mechanism and the back of the seat to move rearward. the vehicle is now unusable due to this extreme safety defect. on september 22 2005 the vehicle was taken to south bay ford at 5100 w rosecrans ave. hawthorne ca. 90250 and presented to the service adviser aaron estrada and asked if this was a result of the safety recall of the drivers seat. i was informed that this was not part of that recall and that ford was not responsible for this potentially deadly seat defect and other than selling me a new seat there was nothing they would do. i feel that this is a very dangerous safety defect that ford should be responsible for repairing. south bay ford said they wanted a minimum of $87 to even initiate a repair ticket to look at the defective seat. i now own a ford vehicle that looks to be in perfect condition but is in fact, the vehicle can not be driven or sold. i could never recommend this vehicle to anyone in good conscience knowing it could kill their family!. *jb | |||
| 11/01/2004 | 1 | ||
| Nhtsa recall 03v281000; ford issued a high back seat recall. this vehicle was not included in the recall, but the seat reclined back, almost touching the second row cushion. driver had to manually push the seat forward. *ak | |||
| 11/01/2004 | 1 | ||
| Defective bolt that attaches the seat recliner mechanism to driver seat frame kept the seat from reclining. *bf campaign id number : 03v281000 the consumer received a recall letter which stated that drivers may experience looseness or noise in the seat and in extreme cases it could potentially cause one to lose contact with the steering wheel or foot pedals resulting in a crash. the dealer indicated that the consumer would have to pay $110. to have a component within the seat repaired so they could easily repair the recalled part. the consumer stated that she should not be made to pay for service that a recall was issued for. . *tc *jb | |||
| 10/31/2004 | 0 | 1 | 06/14/2002 |
| Today, i was going to adjust my drivers seat and the lever that allows you to adjust the seat snapped off. i didn't use force or anything. now my seat is unable to be adjusted. *jb | |||
| 10/25/2004 | 1 | ||
| While pulling up the seat lever driver 's seat would not move on its own. consumer drove vehicle to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic determined that the seat and lever needed to be replaced. *ak | |||
| 1 | |||
| Drivers seat bolt broke, causing the seat to recline backwards. this occurred without any warning while vehicle was being driven. dealership replaced the bolt, but not the seat. *ak | |||
| 1 | |||
| Prior to receiving latch recall, the consumer experienced the defect and was told only the bolt would be replaced, not the latch. *ph *jb | |||
| 01/03/2004 | 125000 | 2 | 10/15/1998 |
| I was involved in an accident while driving a 1998 ford explorer. due to black ice there was a loss of vehicle control. this resulted in a rear end collision with the concrete barrier at the side of the road. the drivers seat back collapsed, and the seat for aft adjusting mechanism failed. the seat back reclining mechanism had been fixed for the recent recall. *la | |||
| 12/28/2003 | 90 | 2 | 03/01/1998 |
| Dealership refuse to repair car parts that are important and have serious safty issues. drivers car seat back collapse, accelerator pedal support bracket ell off the floor boad...needs to be welded back on.*ak | |||
| 12/01/2003 | 85110 | 1 | |
| While driving 45 mph seat reclined without warning. dealer stated the reclining bolt cracked. no impact reported. *ak | |||
| 1 | |||
| Seat recliner mechanism failed on 1998 ford explorer.*mr the consumer received recall notice 03v-281000, related to the seat recliner mechanism bolt, after the vehicle's seat recliner mechanism fractured. the consumer wanted to know if his vehicle's failure was covered by the safety recall. the consumer took the vehicle to the nearest ford dealer to have the seat inspected by a technician. the consumer was informed that the recall only cover the replacement of the bolts, therefore the failure of the recliner handle would not be covered. *nlm | |||
| 1 | |||
| Consumer unable to take vehicle to have recall repair performed because consumer has been deployed to iraq.*mr consumer inquired as whether or not the repair would be free of charge when he returns home from iraq. the recall is on the reclining bolt that connects to the back of the seat. *ph | |||
| 11/15/2003 | 1 | ||
| Driver's seat reclining lever broke. had been bent for sometime. will cost almost $200 to replace. told by dealer that several people had been in with the same problem. *ak | |||
| 12/01/2003 | 1 | ||
| Consumer stated driver's side seat broke. when consumer received recall notice, he took vehicle to the dealer for repairs, and was told that since bolt did not break the recall did not apply to this vehicle. consumer indicated that drivers' seat frame cracked, and he took it to the mechanic, and was told that this was a problem for the dealer. also, consumer insisted that what the recall stated was exactly what happened to his vehicle. *ak | |||
| 10/21/2003 | 1 | 07/01/1998 | |
| The consumer was contacted regarding recall 03281000 related to the seat back frame. the vehicle seat never exhibited any symptoms of the recall prior to the vehicle being taken to the dealer. after the recall was performed the consumer noticed instability in the driver's seat. the vehicle was taken back to the dealer. the dealer indicated that the repairs they performed did not cause the instability and that it may be the wearing of the truck that caused it. the manufacturer was contacted and stated that it sounded like the recall remedy failed and that they would send a complaint for. the consumer has not received the form. the warranty on the vehicle expired. dealer stated nothing could be done. *ak *nlm | |||
| 09/16/2003 | 2 | ||
| Vehicle was taken to the dealer for recall# 03v281000 repairs concerning high back seat failure. after the repairs were done, driver's seat back broke and fell all the way back. dealer was refusing to do anymore repairs to the vehicle.*ak | |||
| 1 | |||
| Dealership was not honoring the recall that has been extended to this year/ make and model vehicle. vehicle had a broken seat. dealership repaired the top bolt only. however, the bottom bolt needed repairs. however, the seat was still defective. *ak | |||
| 10/07/2003 | 1 | ||
| While driving 60 mph on the highway and without warning driver's reclining seat broke in half. driver was not hurt, but was concerned because the mechanic at the dealer was aware of the problem but would not fix it.*ak | |||
| 09/29/2003 | 1 | ||
| While driving seat reclined without warning. *ak | |||
| 05/20/2003 | 53000 | 3 | |
| The bolt of my drivers seat broke on my way form vacation in navada, almost causing an accident. i fell into the back seat trying to maintain my balance i grabbed the arm rest which broke, and the bottom frame broke also. i took my car to southbay ford in torrance ca. to make the recall ' repairs but they refused to fix or repair my seat. stating, the broken seat was not part of the recall. i onformed the service rep., that the damage was due to the seat dropping backward. i called the number provided on the recall notice and made a complaint but was told the dealership had made a final decision. all i could do was to buy another seat and wait to see if another recall comes out and to try to get reinbursted . i had my family in my suv with me when this bolt broke and we all could have been killed if traffic would have been heavier. also i use my vehicle daily on my job as a mileage vehicle , having it propped up so i can drive is an hazard in itself. this vehicle is the fourth new ford product i have purchase, and the only time i have ever had a problem will make this the last one for me | |||
| 09/15/2003 | 75000 | 1 | 10/04/1999 |
| While driving 20 mph on a curve the reclining seat back lurched forward. this abrupt forward motion caused the recliner handle to break off. *ak *scc *jb | |||
| 09/16/2003 | 1 | ||
| Consumer received a recall letter concerning front assembly seat recliner from the manufacturer, but dealer indicated they did not have yet recall parts.*ak | |||
| 09/01/2003 | 1 | ||
| While driving driver's side seat reclined without warning.*ak | |||
| 1 | |||
| Consumer received recall#03v281000 concerning front seat assembly recliner. passenger's seat recliner lever broke. passenger's seat had to be supported by two tennis rackets in order for the seat back to stay in the upright position. *ak | |||
| 08/01/2003 | 62000 | 1 | 08/01/1998 |
| The consumer received recall # 03v281000 concerning the high back seats. the lever to recline the seats broke off before receiving this recall notice. according to the dealer, the lever was not included in the recall repair instructions. *ak. *jb | |||
| 1 | |||
| Driver's side seat wobbles and is not sturdy. dealer will fix the seat at owner's expense. *ak | |||
| 11/15/2002 | 55910 | 1 | 11/27/1998 |
| Driver's seat reclined without warning while driving down the road (heard a snap and then the seat fell back). talked with the dealership - ended up having to replace the upper recline bracket bolt. the replacement of this bolt was not covered by extended warranty or safety. *ak | |||
| 09/01/2002 | 1 | 08/01/2098 | |
| I was sitting in my car prior to starting the engine when the seatback suddenly collapsed without warning. the dealer stated they have seen this type of failure before. i am conncerned that my seat could fail again while driving. the part that failed is 1/4 inch bolt that was inside the seat back and not subject to any water or rust damage. i see where a number of complaints have been filed regarding the same area.*ak | |||
| 01/13/2002 | 07/01/2001 | ||
| When driving on highway i went to adjust the drivers seat recliner. the recliner metal latch broke off and in the process the drivers seat went backwards and almost cause me to get into an accident. i was able to get the seat back into position. i understand that ford has changed the metal thickness on the recliner metal latch assembly but won't replace it at no charge. cost can be $50- $70 plus service charge. i consider this a defect and should replace at no charge to me.*ak | |||
| 6 | 05/01/1999 | ||
| Electrical problems with the electric door locks on drivers side has broke 3 times. gas pedal sheared off while driving down the road. heater went out; mechanic said there was a 1997 ford part on the 1998 truck. face plate for the radio, time is out. lever for the passenger seat broke off. all of this happened at 25,000 miles. this is the first ford i ever owned and unfortunately the last!*ak | |||
| 09/13/2001 | 1 | 11/01/1998 | |
| The seat lever broke, where do i complain to. *ak | |||
| 08/09/2001 | |||
| Driver's seat latch broke due to metal fatigue and rust, and passenger's side latch is cracked. dealer has been notified. please provide additional information.*ak | |||
| 02/15/2001 | 1 | 12/01/1999 | |
| Driver's seat back broke while driving 55 mph. *ak | |||
| 01/10/1999 | 10 | 11/01/1998 | |
| Rear seats, 2 door model does not lock in place. anyone exiting the vehicle is vurtually ejected out of the car. entering the car the person could be on the floor if they use the seat for leverage.i notified ford in the beginning but got no response.*ak | |||
| 04/25/2000 | 1 | 11/01/1997 | |
| Hit from rear and pushed into car in front of me driver's seatback did not stay upright - it reclined all the way back upon impact. *ak | |||
| 12/01/1998 | |||
| I wrote to ford motor co. to inform them that the rear seat bottom on the 2 door explorer does not lock into position. everytime you apply the brakes or stop if someone is sitting in the rear the seat moves forward. it also happens when you are getting out of the car. i understand all 2 door models have the same problem. ford had no comment to my letter. thank you. *ak | |||
| 03/01/2000 | 06/01/1998 | ||
| We were stopped and another car hit us in the rear. passenger front seat slid forward on impact although prior to being hit it was locked in place. the driver side back seat fell back (lounged back) on impact.*ak | |||
| 09/01/1999 | |||
| When getting into vehicle and starting it up, throttle sticks. consumer has to press the gas pedal real hard to stop the throttle from sticking. also, passenger's side seat belt won't come out, and front passenger's seat keeps sliding forward whenever consumer is driving. *ak | |||
| 1 | |||
| While making a left at 10 mph vehicle was struck in the rear by another vehicle traveling 50 mph, causing both driver's and passenger's seatbacks to recline. cause unknown. *ak | |||
| 04/18/1998 | 1 | 01/28/1998 | |
| Vehicle struck in rear by another vehicle traveling at low speed. driver's seat failed, and rear portion of the seat collapsed. the back of the seat landed in rear seat, causing major injury to driver. | |||