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 | |||||||||||||||
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 | |||
| 05/05/2009 | 93924 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford explorer. the contact stated that the driver's seat was reclining farther than normal. when the contact entered the vehicle and sat back, the seat failed. the manufacturer stated that this was normal wear on the seat and it cannot be repaired. the current and failure mileages were 93,924. | |||
| 01/10/2002 | 50000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford explorer. while driving less than 20 mph, the upper bolt on the driver's side high back seat (that attaches the seat recliner mechanism to the seat back frame) fractured. the contact lost control of the steering wheel and foot pedals. she received a recall notice for nhtsa campaign id number 03v281000 (seats:front assembly:recliner) or recall number pe03020and. ford stated that the recall repairs would not be performed because the seat had already failed. the contact was unable to have the repairs done due to medical conditions and, upon recovery, was informed by ford that the recall repairs would not be performed because they were not completed in a timely fashion. the failure mileage was 50,000 and current mileage was 80,000. | |||
| 10/14/2003 | 1 | ||
| Consumer had already done recall 03-v-281-000 repairs. sent document to the manufacturer. and was still waiting for the reimbursement. *ak | |||
| 1 | |||
| Consumer states manufacturer designed the tether hardware for a child safety seat to tailor the front seat instead of the back. by law it is recommended children 12 and under are to be buckled in the back seat. that is the safest place. the child safety seat is not operable for back seat occupants. *jg | |||
| 06/01/2002 | 1 | 10/01/1999 | |
| While sitting inside of vehicle and without prior warning driver's side seat broke. and driver went backwards toward the rear seat. dealership was aware of problem.jlg. | |||
| 02/20/2002 | 2 | 03/01/2001 | |
| Vehicle was involved in a 5 mph rear end collision, hitting a tree. driver and passenger seats collapsed backwards. *akjg | |||
| 11/05/1999 | 1 | 11/01/1999 | |
| Our 3 yr. old daughter was putting the seat up to get in to the back and when the seat came forward the tip of her finger was cut off by seat spring mecanism. the front side of the mecanism is covered in plastic, but the back side is open. a vertcle piece of flat bar that is mounted stationary to the seat mecanism has a hole drilled through it and the moving part of the seat has another piece of flat bar mounted to it that slides past the stationary piece which has the hole in it when the seat leans forward for entry into the back seat. it's at just the right height for small children to reach when putting the seat up. our daughter was using her right hand to release the seat latch and using her left hand to support herself when her index finger on her left hand went into the hole and when the seat released the flat bar attached to the seat slid past the hole, slicing her finger off. *ak | |||
| SEATS - FRONT ASSEMBLY - HEAD RESTRAINT | |||
| 11/29/2003 | 35000 | 1 | 01/01/2001 |
| The vehicle didn't come equipped with an extended head rest for the driver/passenger side seats. this caused the occupants heads to fling backwards with force when vehicle was rear ended. both occupants in the front seats sustained severe sore necks, and headaches. *ak *sc | |||
| 04/19/2001 | 1 | ||
| Seatback does not protect against whiplash. for people 6 feet or taller, vehicle does not have adjustable head rests. *ak *jb | |||
| SEATS - FRONT ASSEMBLY - POWER ADJUST | |||
| 06/06/2005 | 36000 | 1 | 04/05/2000 |
| The left front seat bracket weld broke free and caused my seat to lean to the right. i had brought the vehicle in for the seat back recall. some time later i had noticed that the seat felt loose. the fasteners broke off the end of the front drive rod which allowed the seat bracket to slip off the front drive rod..when i brought this to the dealer to evaluate the said that the whole seat track assembly would have to be replaced a cost of $586.00. after some investigation i find that this problem appears to be common with these vehicles. i notified ford and am waiting a response from them. *jb | |||
| 04/20/2005 | 60535 | 1 | 05/25/2001 |
| Left front driver's side seat bracket weld broke free and caused me to lean forward unexpetedly while making a turn. i had complained about something feeling loose during the recall of the seat leanback fastener(recal #03s04 a99).they told me they couldn't find anything wrong but they could replace the entire seat track at my expense. this was on 10-9-03. i believe the weld had broken free at the times when the seat leanback fasteners broke but didn't completely slip off the bracket. over time and use the bracket loosened up enough to pop off the seat bracket drive rod. i took the vehicle to sunset ford and the service tech and service mgr didn't even look at the problem. they just said it's too old and has 83,000 miles on the vehicle. i find it sad that they didn't even look at the problem or what might have led up to or caused it. the auto body repair shop i took it to for repairs said ford explorers and expeditions all have this problem. i don't know this to be true, but i thought someone should make others aware of this if it is. the auto body shop spot-welded the bracket back in place for $74.10. i also called ford's !-800 # but they also denied my complaint because of the mileage. | |||
| SEATS - FRONT ASSEMBLY - RECLINER | |||
| 01/01/1901 | 1 | ||
| Ltr re numerous recalls on his 2000 ford suv explorer. *kb | |||
| 08/01/2007 | 90000 | 40 | 04/01/2000 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford explorer. the contact stated that the driver side seat would move back and forth and failed to lock in place. the dealer stated that the recliner bolt failed. the contact received nhtsa campaign id notice number 03v281000 (seats:front assembly:recliner) in 2004. the manufacturer refused to perform the recall repair because of the time frame. the failure mileage was 90,000 and current mileage was 94,848. updated 10/03/07 *tr | |||
| 01/04/2007 | 91000 | 1 | 03/31/2000 |
| We took our 2000 ford explorer into santa margarita ford for maintenance. we were told that the vehicle was subject to recall 03s04, replacement of a seat bolt. the dealer requested authorization from ford to do the repairs. ford said that they would not pay for repairs. the dealer said that there was apparently somee damage to the driver's seat. i contacted ford customer service and all they offered was to pay $100. i was unable to speak with any individual who made the decision to not completely pay for the needed repairs. $100 is unacceptable; i expect ford to pay for any and all repairs. *jb | |||
| 08/15/2006 | 112579 | 1 | 07/24/2004 |
| (1) backing up. we accidentally hit a pole in a parking lot. (2) drivers seat back slipped backwards and will not stay in position now...keeps slipping backwards with minimal pressure on it...cannot lean on it fully (3)will have to be disassembled and repaired..not sure what yet. *nm | |||
| 11/15/2004 | 3 | 06/24/2000 | |
| 1) inadequate driver's seat latch - driver cannot position seat back properly; 2) running boards rusting without cause; 3) roof rack peeling without cause, and nothing has been done to correct these problems; ford dealerships cannot explain why the running board is rusting or the reason for the roof rack peeling. *ak | |||
| 06/29/2004 | 1 | ||
| While driving the consumer swerved onto the shoulder and hit a guardrail while attempting to avoid hitting a vehicle which had pulled out in front of her. the driver's seat collapsed during the collision which resulted in loss of control. as a result the vehicle flipped over three times. the driver sustained injuries to her neck, head and hip. the vehicle recliner bolt was recall and replaced prior to the accident (recall # 03s04). *ak *nm | |||
| 06/10/2004 | 1 | ||
| The front driver's side seat failed to stay in the upright position. seven months earlier, dealership performed high back seat recall 03v281000 repairs. dealership inspected the seat, and indicated that this failure was related to the recall bolt that was replaced. it may be the racket assembly or one of the seat frames. *ak | |||
| 09/01/2003 | 1 | ||
| Ford recalls (03s03 / 03s04).*mr the driver seat back may recline while driving posing a safety hazard. also, the speed control on the vehicle may not disengage due to a binding condition between the speed control strand cover and the cable conduit. the consumer received a safety recall pertaining to the above mentioned, however she was unable to get the work performed in a timely manner as a result of the dealer not having the recalled parts. *ph *jb *sc | |||
| 09/01/2003 | 40000 | 1 | |
| Driver's seat bolt snapped and causing the seat to recline without warning. the dealer told the consumer that there would not be any parts for recall#03v281000 repairs of high back seat. the driver's seat was bolted until march 2004. *ak ford refused to fix the warranted parts. *scc *nlm | |||
| 08/03/2003 | 28500 | 1 | |
| Went to sit in driver's seat and back support collapsed without warning. subsequently, back support could not be locked in an upright position. back support could have collapsed while moving at high speeds or collapsed upon a child in the backseat.*ak | |||
| 06/05/2003 | 1 | 11/18/2000 | |
| We have a 2000 ford explorer. the back portion (recliner) of the front seats were very loose. i had them inspected and found that the pivot bolt (recliner bolt) on both sides were broke off. the service department says they had never seen anything like this before and that this was very unusual. i looked under your website and found that an investigation is open as of 5/21/03 regarding similar situations. if it wouldn't have been for me being concerned about us falling to the backseat someday due to their looseness, a severe injury could maybe have occurred just like ones filed in the complaints you have on file.. i got the situation repaired (costing me $77.13). the servie department even gave me the bolts to show what had happened. i feel this should be investigated also and maybe i should be compensated for repairing this before a sever injury did occur. *ak | |||
| 12/23/2002 | 85000 | 1 | |
| While backing up seat reclined without warning. dealer notified. *ak | |||
| 05/13/2003 | 52969 | 1 | 12/27/1999 |
| 2000 ford explorer 4dr awd - the driver's seat unexpectedly went into the fully reclined position without warning while sitting in the seat. a ford dealership identified the problem as a broken bolt. repairs cost $240.22 *ak | |||
| 05/29/2003 | 0 | ||
| The drivers seatback in my wifes 2000 explorer appears to be loose,it rocks fore and aft about one quarter of an inch.i am concerned that it will get progressively worse and possibily collaspe while driving. | |||
| 05/22/2003 | 33350 | 1 | |
| The seat fell into a reclining position. *tt | |||
| 08/19/2002 | |||
| While driving driver's side seatback bolt broke, and back went all the way back to the floor of vehicle.*ak | |||
| 06/25/2002 | 09/01/2000 | ||
| I was lucky. i just came home, parked car. when i went into the back seat and touched the back of the driver seat it collapsed. if i were still driving i could have caused and accident and been possibly killed with my children in the vehicle. the back of the seat just collapsed*ak | |||
| 04/12/2002 | 05/25/2001 | ||
| After takeoff driver's seatback fell back, bolt had snapped.*ak *mr | |||
| 04/19/2001 | 1 | ||
| Seatback does not protect against whiplash. for people 6 feet or taller, vehicle does not have adjustable head rests. *ak *jb | |||
| SEATS - FRONT ASSEMBLY - SEAT HEATER/COOLER | |||
| 11/10/2008 | 140000 | 1 | 11/01/1999 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford explorer. while driving at an unknown speed with the driver's side heated seat activated, an unexpected voltage of heat penetrated through the bottom of the seat. there were no prior warnings or injuries. the vehicle was not taken to an authorized dealer. the contact inspected the seat and stated that the cause of the failure was related to a wiring short circuit, which burned the foam padding of the seat. the heating unit was replaced and the seat operated normally. the contact was concerned of the safety risk involved. the failure and current mileages were 140,000. updated 12/30/08. *lj updated 01/05/09. *jb | |||
| 09/20/2004 | 1 | 03/11/2002 | |
| Front seat heater burned padding material and leather seat liner. the burn hole was 2 in length and about 1/2 deep into the cushion padding. *jb | |||
| 11/20/2004 | 1 | 02/18/2000 | |
| For approximately two weeks prior to december 5th, 2004, the heat element in my 2000 ford explorer driver seat would become painfully hot under the left leg near the torso to the point where it needed to be manually turned off each time. it was turned off as it became painful, and we were concerned we would become burned and would the seat catch on fire. my other concern for this is someone, such as a diabetic, with neuropathy wouldn't feel the intensity of the heat and become burned. 2) approx 2 weeks after the initial event the seat light will come on but no heat is produced. why did it take 2 weeks for the element (assumed) to burn out? 3) the car is scheduled to go to an independant mechanic as i do not trust ford to do the right thing. the dealer is not concerned that my driver airbag light goes on and off at will for days or weeks at a time. they recalled the 98 and 99 models for a tensioner pulley problem and issued a service bulletin for the '00 but the dealer wants to charge $500 for the repair......most defects i took in for warranty repair remain unfixed, (mostly electrical in nature) including a rear wiper that rarely goes on, radio stations and clock display that occasionally can be seen and a rear passenger door handle that after 5 attempts (ford went against their engineer recommendations to do a recall) will unlock with power lock but the unsuspecting or in a hurry will just about rip a hand off to get it open.*ak | |||
| 01/15/2003 | 4300 | 1 | |
| While driving the consumer noticed that the driver side heated seat wire was overheating and eventually burned, the dealer is aware of the problem. please provide any additional information. nlm | |||
| SEATS - MID/REAR ASSEMBLY | |||
| 1 | |||
| When the rear seats were folded down, the buttons failed to lock the seat in place to enlarge the trunk area. this caused the seat to be at least 7 inches off the floor. the consumer took the vehicle to several dealerships and was finally told the seat was not designed to lock securely into place. *jb | |||
| 11/17/2000 | 1 | 11/01/2000 | |
| Rear seat loose not acceptable for installation of a child safety seat. dealer refused to fix said it was not a defect or safety issue because the child would be secured to the floor. the seat being loose would not effect their safety. | |||