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 | |||
| 06/10/2012 | 65000 | 1 | |
| My drivers seat features all power controls. the incident is that my drivers seat lost control of the up and down motion. when you press the button on the seat to move the lower section of the seat up or down, it makes noise (like the motor is operating) but the seat does nothing. after careful inspection, i found out that ford uses plastic gears under the seat and one of the plastic gears has a broken tooth. this causes the seat motor to run but not actually turn the gear to move the seat in either direction. this gear set is not replaceable or serviceable and the owner must either replace the bottom rails of the seat or purchase an entirely new seat - both are costly repairs for not even having 70,000 miles on the vehicle at that time. *tr | |||
| 06/10/2012 | 65000 | ||
| My drivers seat features all power controls. the incident is that my drivers seat lost control of the up and down motion. when you press the button on the seat to move the lower section of the seat up or down, it makes noise (like the motor is operating) but the seat does nothing. after careful inspection, i found out that ford uses plastic gears under the seat and one of the plastic gears has a broken tooth. this causes the seat motor to run but not actually turn the gear to move the seat in either direction. this gear set is not replaceable or serviceable and the owner must either replace the bottom rails of the seat or purchase an entirely new seat - both are costly repairs for not even having 70,000 miles on the vehicle at that time. | |||
| 04/21/2012 | 80600 | ||
| We were sitting stopped at a traffic light when a truck struck us from the rear traveling approximately 50mph. the front seats reclined toward the back seats. i noted that there is a current recall posted on your site. i was never made aware of this from ford. i received the car the same month the recall was issued. i am upset that my car has been to ford several times for repairs and another recall but i was not made aware that my car needed this repair. the car was totaled, but fortunately our injuries were limited to bruises. | |||
| 03/22/2012 | |||
| Head restraint design has the head pushed foward to the point of pain. the head is not in line with with the spine. | |||
| 07/30/2009 | 10 | ||
| I fully agree with the following previous complaint: 2010 ford fusion hybrid front seat headrest/restraint. the front seat headrests protrude forward well past the preferred alignment of the spine. the driver is compelled to operate the vehicle with head pushed forward. this poor ergonomics has resulted in neck and back pain, headaches, and general discomfort. the manufacturer should consider a redesign and make such redesign available to consumers. this situation is so bad that i have reversed the position of the head rests, thus rendering them totally ineffective. i am unable to drive or ride in this car with the head rests in the normal position. | |||
| 12/31/2010 | |||
| 2010 ford fusion hybrid front seat headrest/restraint. the front seat headrests protrude forward well past the preferred alignment of the spine. the driver is compelled to operate the vehicle with head pushed forward. this poor ergonomics has resulted in neck and back pain, headaches, and general discomfort. the manufacturer should consider a redesign and make such redesign available to consumers. | |||
| 03/01/2010 | 0 | ||
| I have a 2010 ford fusion sel and the headrest is too far forward as not to be comfortable. i have back and neck problems as it is and this only makes it worse! i have to put the seat back back back so far to not have my head crunched forward. | |||
| 12/09/2009 | 0 | 1 | |
| Iinformation redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6) have recently purchased a 2010 ford fusion hybrid, vin [xxx]. i love everything about the car except the front seat head restraints. they are angled too far forward and are not adjustable except for height. they force the head to bend forward, chin down, so that to look out the windshield one has to have the eyes in a looking up position, causing eye muscle strain. my wife has back problems and this non-adjustable design exacerbates the situation in her opinion and in her chiropractor's opinion. we think ford should provide replacement headrests that allow the upper cervical vertebrae to be aligned with the lower spine when the rider's back is in full contact with the seat back. i have enjoyed having cars in which the headrest can be pivoted to allow drivers of different builds to find a comfortable head and neck position without compromising the goal of protection against whiplash injury. please get ford motor company to replace these uncomfortable, intrusive headrests with redesigned ones! *tr | |||
| 03/24/2009 | 0 | 1 | |
| Since buying a new 2010 ford fusion hybrid, the head rest/restraints for both front seat passengers are made too far forward and touch the back of the head while driving. although we are told they are made this way for our safety, they are very annoying . the angle can not even be changed and we are still looking to replace them if we could just find ones that are just 1 further back. i have gone on-line on the internet and see lots of people complaining about the same issue and wonder why the nhtsa has not issued a recall or even required ford to provide a replacement for a small fee? they bother my wife so much that she has removed them from the seats. now we do not have any protection from a rear end collision. *tr | |||
| 11/24/2009 | 1 | ||
| My complaint is not specific to any particular automobile, but instead concerns the front seat headrests in many late-model vehicles. these headrests are angled too far forward and are causing drivers and front seat passengers to experience significant neck, back, and shoulder discomfort. this change in headrest design is too extreme. on the internet, i have read that many car owners are removing the headrests and replacing them with the forward surface facing rearward. others are removing these headrests altogether. it is understood that whiplash injuries may occur less frequently with the new standards, however the discomfort experienced while driving for even a short period of time is causing people to have headaches and neck and back symptoms that may eventually lead to related chronic conditions. *tr | |||
| 08/08/2009 | 50 | 1 | |
| The head rest on my new 2010 ford focus (not a fusion as noted) protrudes forward beyond the top of the seat causing my head and neck to be pushed forward into an unnatural position with my spine. this, in turn, is a very unsafe driving position to be in due to misalignment of my head, neck and spine and causes unnecessary fatigue, neck pain and headache . it is especially awkward and difficult to drive and look toward the right rear of the vehicle while being forced into a crook neck position by the forward protruding head rest. i purchased to vehicle new under the cash for clunkers program and without driving it. this was a big mistake as i got myself into an apparent unsafe vehicle. after driving it for only 40 miles, i experienced neck pain. my investigation revealed that the forward protruding head rest was the problem. i promptly notified the dealer where i bought it and was advised by my sales person that several other people have also complained about these head rests. i then notified ford motor company customer services of the problem and was advised, the head rests are made to our specifications. i indicated that this is a safety issue and suggested that they do something about it before they have another firestone tire type of problem to deal with. the company rep. then proceeded to hang up on me. as a remedy to my complaint. the dealer (service manager) removed the head rests from the front seats of my new car and suggested that i, go to a salvage (junk) yard and try to get replacement head rests that do not cause the problem. i reminded him that i had just turned in a '93 aerostar that did not have the problem and he replied, we just sell the cars - we don't build them. with the head rests removed, i now have no protection from whiplash which is another safety problem. i respectfully request that the nhtsa investigate these head rests (asap) to prevent injury, death or property damage. a recall is needed here. thank you *tr | |||