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 | ||||||||||||||||
| 10V161000 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | from 12/11/2009 to 02/03/2010 | V (Vehicle) | 33256 | 05/03/2010 | MFR | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | 04/20/2010 | 04/20/2010 | 571 | 202 | |||||
| Defect Summary | Ford is recalling certain model year 2010 fusion, explorer, explorer sport trac, and mercury milan and mountaineer vehicles manufactured between december 15, 2009 through february 3, 2010 equipped with front seat manual recliners. these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 202, head restraint. the recliner gear plate teeth may be out of dimension specification which could result in limited pawl to gear plate tooth engagement. | |||||||||||||||
| Consequence Summary | In the event of a crash, the seatback and head restraint may move rearward, increasing the risk of injury. | |||||||||||||||
| Corrective Summary | Dealers will replace the manual recliners for both power and manual seats free of charge. the safety recall is expected to begin on or before april 30, 2010. owners may contact ford at 1-866-436-7332. | |||||||||||||||
| Notes | Owners may also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty 1-800-424-9153), or go to http://www.safercar.gov . | |||||||||||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| SEATS | |||
| 07/08/2011 | |||
| If ford ever decides to recall these forward leaning headrests please put me at the top of the list with all of these other complaints. for my safety??? they hurt! they are so uncomfortable no matter how i adjust the back of my seat. please ford send out more comfortable headrests or at least make them available for purchase at a reasonable cost. thank you! | |||
| 04/05/2011 | 20150 | ||
| The active head restraint system in the 2010 ford explorer pushes my head forward when i sit straight in the seat. i cannot find a comfortable position where the active restraint is not actively pushing my head forward. i understand the necessity of minimizing space between the head and restraint when in a rear-end collision, but car manufacturers have overcompensated, causing severe neck pain for those who sit straight in their seats. this is a problem not only because it's uncomfortable and potentially causes neck pain but also because drivers have no other safe option. the options are: 1) remove the head restraint, 2) turn the head restraint backwards, or 3) bend the bars so the restraint is not angled forward as dramatically. please offer a solution to this problem. otherwise, the restraint guidelines will create more safety issues than they were meant to remedy. | |||
| 02/15/2011 | 4000 | ||
| I have a 2010 ford explorer. the front passenger seat headrests are pitched excessively forward causing extreme head and neck discomfort. the only way to alleviate this stress is to recline the seat to the point where your head doesn't contact the headrest. this puts stress on your neck muscles causing stiffness and headaches. this is a defective design that must be corrected. when i brought the vehicle in for servicing at 4000 miles i informed the service manager who told me he gets lots of complaints about the head restraint and there was nothing he could do about it. perhaps ford can proactively cite a replacement headrest from one of its other models. i am now taking muscle relaxants every night to relieve the stress on my neck. | |||
| 12/15/2010 | 4400 | ||
| Tl - the contact owns a 2010 ford explorer. the contact stated that head rest on the vehicle causes him extreme back discomfort and pain. he stated that it was a safety issue. the dealer was contacted who agreed with the concern and was trying to find a replacement for the head rest. the manufacturer was contacted who was also looking for a resolution. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage were 4,400. pm | |||
| 12/27/2010 | 6 | ||
| The headrests lean so far forward that i have to either lean the back of the seat way back or pull the headrest out as it is so uncomfortable i get a neck ache. i have never had this problem with any other vehicle i have owned. | |||
| 08/17/2010 | 4000 | ||
| The 2010 ford explorer headrest pitches your head uncomfortably forward. forget about wearing a pony tail, your chin will touch your chest! please get ford to replace the headrest! this is not a comfort complaint, this is a safety issue! | |||
| 09/01/2010 | 9860 | ||
| I rented a 2010 ford explorer yesterday (1-sept-2010) while my car was being repaired--i immediately noticed that the front headrests are designed so they lean forward way too far, hitting the back of my head and preventing me from sitting in a comfortable driving position. totally ridiculous! glad i only will have it for a day or two; i would never buy such a vehicle, it hurts my back and neck. | |||
| 08/07/2010 | |||
| Head restraint forces head into downward tilting posture causing moderate to severe discomfort after any extended period of driving. only solution found was to remove or reverse head restraint, or to recline seat to severely reclined position. unsatisfactory design for those individuals with straight posture. very poor design. | |||
| 09/01/2010 | 9860 | ||
| I rented a 2010 ford explorer yesterday (1-sept-2010) while my car was being repaired--i immediately noticed that the front headrests are designed so they lean forward way too far, hitting the back of my head and preventing me from sitting in a comfortable driving position. totally ridiculous! glad i only will have it for a day or two; i would never buy such a vehicle, it hurts my back and neck. | |||
| 08/07/2010 | |||
| Head restraint forces head into downward tilting posture causing moderate to severe discomfort after any extended period of driving. only solution found was to remove or reverse head restraint, or to recline seat to severely reclined position. unsatisfactory design for those individuals with straight posture. very poor design. | |||
| 06/01/2010 | 1000 | ||
| The headrest in my 2010 ford explorer forces your head and neck forward in a very uncomfortable postion. there is no adjustment for the position. | |||
| 04/20/2010 | 1 | ||
| The head rest on my 2010 ford explorer leans so far forward that it forces my head down and forward. the dealer cannot adjust it so that you can sit normally. the only recourse is to remove the head rest. this is a safety issue because you can't drive with it and removing it removes any protection. *tr | |||
| 03/11/2010 | |||
| Just bought a new 2010 explorer, trading in our 2006. since this is our seventh explorer, we didn't bother with a test drive. what a mistake!!! when we were driving home, we were both very uncomfortable - the head restraints were angled so far forward that we could not get comfortable. we primarily use the vehicle for long trips, so that will be a major problem. i just spent a few hours researching the problem, and there doesn't seem to be a solution; and it's not just a ford problem. apparently they have to be that way to minimize whiplash in a rear-end collision. the ones on the 2006 weren't like these, so they must have been defective or deficient (note to all you 2006 owners - maybe you can sue ford if you get a whiplash injury) i've been driving for over 50 years, and never had a rear end collision, so i'm going to choose comfort over the unlikely chance that i'll need the head restraint and either reverse it (then it won't work) or take it out!! | |||
| 11/26/2009 | 0 | 1 | |
| The head rest on my 2010 ford explorer leans so far forward that it forces my head down and forward. the dealer cannot adjust it so that you can sit normally. the only recourse is to remove the head rest. this is a safety issue because you can't drive with it and removing it removes any protection. *tr | |||
| SEATS - FRONT ASSEMBLY - HEAD RESTRAINT | |||
| 11/27/2009 | 100 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2010 ford explorer. the headrest on the driver and passenger extends outward which forces the passenger and drivers head forward. the contact has experienced discomfort while driving even when he attempted to rest his shoulders against the back of the seat. the vehicle was purchased seven days ago without him test driving it. the dealer advised the contact that they were unable to make any repairs since all of 2010 ford explorers were designed with that type of headrest. the dealer recommended that the contact rotate the headrest; however, the driver stated that the headrest would not serve it?s purpose. the vin was unknown. the failure mileage was 100. | |||