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 | |||
| 06/15/2008 | 96500 | 1 | |
| My 4 door explorer is equipped with recliner high back seats. about a 2 months ago i was driving and the seat on the front left hand (driver side) it recline with out warning until is came in contacted with the second row seat cushion. i went to a ford dealer ship and was informed that there was no recall for such problem. i have send and made calls and send letters to ford, but they have fail to answer any of my letters. *tr | |||
| 10/18/2004 | 1 | 01/06/2001 | |
| The driver seat loose, seat track broke. replaced seat track. *bf the weld on the seat track had broken. the consumer requested reimbursement. *sc | |||
| 11/01/2004 | 5 | ||
| Driver seat recliner bolt, the seat back/recline/forward broke, replaced several times. *bf the oil filter had come with a hole too large, the driver's side seat handle broke, the tires blewout and caused an accident that totaled the vehicle. *sc | |||
| 1 | |||
| The passenger side seat back kept flying forward when the truck came to a stop. t he consumer feels very unsafe driving this truck. please describe any further details. *nlm | |||
| 1 | |||
| Vehicle is in the remedy scope for recal 03v281000 subject: high back seats. dealer does not have the parts to perform the recall repair.*ak | |||
| 08/11/2003 | 1 | ||
| While driving and with no warning driver's side seat collapsed, causing consumer to fall backwards into the rear seats. dealer has been notified.*ak | |||
| 05/26/2002 | 4 | 02/23/2002 | |
| Vehicle idles to low and causes it to cut off. took to dealer 4 times, and they could not fix the problem. *ak passenger side seat would not lock, also consumer states vehicle is experiencing poor gas mileage.. *yh | |||
| 02/23/2002 | |||
| Rear bench seat is not stationery. took vehicle to dealer, and they stated this was normal. please provide any further information.*ak | |||
| 05/10/2002 | |||
| Rear seat lifts up when brakes are applied, causing passenger in seat to almost be thrown to front of vehicle.*ak | |||
| 09/07/2001 | 1 | 08/01/2000 | |
| Driver's seat broke backwards on rear impact from a truck. *ak | |||
| 100 | 08/01/2000 | ||
| The rear seats do not lock down, causing the top of seat to move forward when someone exits the back seat. when the seat comes forward it opens a pinch point that has pinched the hands of 3 that have ridden in the back. this is a safety hazard for all ages but especially young children!*ak | |||
| When coming to a stop passenger's seat slides forward, cause unknown, also rear passenger seat belt does not release from retracting mechanism. please give any further details.*ak | |||
| 10 | 06/01/2000 | ||
| When stopping, the passenger seat track releases the lock and the seat slings forward with or without anyone in it. it has sent my step-daughter into the dash as the seat slide foward. the seat belt did not stop it since the entire seat was moving. this seems to be a daily occurrence. *ak | |||
| SEATS - FRONT ASSEMBLY - HEAD RESTRAINT | |||
| 12/10/2001 | 1 | 03/01/2001 | |
| The seat is designed wit a head restraint that is too low and caused a persons head to snap back resulting in injury. we would like to know if this has happened to opher people.*ak | |||
| 04/02/2001 | 01/01/2001 | ||
| The seats do not have a seperate head rest that is adjustable according to size. accordingly, a person of average height sitting in either the driver or passenger seat is to far from the top of the seat to get adequate protection in an accident. given today's safety standards, i expect more from a 2001 limited edition automobile. my husband was involved in a car accident and the majority of his injuries could have been mitigated if these seats were designed properly.*ak | |||
| SEATS - FRONT ASSEMBLY - RECLINER | |||
| 02/04/2004 | 1 | 11/01/2001 | |
| Dt: the front bolt that holds the drivers' seat severed off. *ak | |||
| 07/13/2004 | 49000 | 1 | |
| The consumer received a recall on the bolt under the driver's seat. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and the problem was repaired. three months later the popping noise started again. the vehicle was taken back to the dealer who indicated that the bolt was fine but that the lever failed. the manufacturer was notified but the refused any assistance because the lever was not part of the recall. *jb | |||
| 08/01/2002 | 24000 | 1 | 03/01/2001 |
| While traveling 45-50 mph the driver seat collapsed backwards without any indication. dealer was contacted and repaired seat. two months later the seat collapsed again. *ak the pin on the driver's seat where the seat back attached to the pivot with the seat bottom had snapped twice which caused it to collapsed backwards 6-8 inches. *scc *jb | |||
| 05/26/2002 | 4 | 02/23/2002 | |
| Vehicle idles to low and causes it to cut off. took to dealer 4 times, and they could not fix the problem. *ak passenger side seat would not lock, also consumer states vehicle is experiencing poor gas mileage.. *yh | |||
| 03/11/2002 | 6 | 09/01/2001 | |
| Seat does not release to let back passengers out of truck. this problem is the second set of seat problems. i owned an explorer sport in 2000 and had the same problem with the seat. ford is aware of the problem and is not dealing with the issue. i have small children who ride in the rear of the truck and if some thing happens to me up front, they are trapped in the back of the truck and unable to get out. seems to be a seat mechanism problem which they refuse to address. this is actually a life/safety issue and i feel this needs to be addressed. please contact me at your earliest convenience.*ak | |||
| 12/15/2001 | 1 | ||
| When vehicle was involved in a frontal crash at a speed of approximately 70 mph seat back latch mechanism for second row of seats failed, allowing seat to move forward. dealership has not examined vehicle for this problem. please provide any additional information / documentation.*ak | |||
| SEATS - MID/REAR ASSEMBLY | |||
| 06/01/2001 | |||
| The rear seats in the explorer flip forward with my children in them when stopping fast. the seats do not lock down in any way. this is how they are built. tried to return the explorer 1 week after the lease ford told me it's a design flaw, can't be fixed.*ak | |||