1999 Ford Explorer Seats

THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT RECLINER MECHANISM BROKE. THERE WAS A RECALL FOR SOMETHING SIMILAR TO THIS A YEAR AGO CONCERNING THE HIGH BACK DRIVER SEAT. *MR *LA

DRIVER SEAT FELL INTO THE BACK SEAT. THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE SEAT. VEHICLE WAS PICKED UP AND THE SEAT FELL AGAIN. DEALER STATED THAT THE SEAT WAS WORN OUT. *AK

WHILE DRIVING IN REVERSE AND APPLYING THE BRAKES TO STOP VEHICLE SUDDENLY DRIVER'S SEAT BACK RECLINER BROKE. AS RESULT, THE CONSUMER LOST CONTROL. *AK *SC

VEHICLE 1999 FORD EXPLORER SPORT (2DR) VIN [XXX] THIS INVOLVES A SAFETY ISSUE WITH THE FRONT SEAT RECLINER HANDLES ON THE SIDE OF THE SEATS. FORD HAS ISSUED A RECALL (03S04) TO REPLACE THE "DRIVER SEAT RECLINER BOLT." HOWEVER, MY COMPLAINT INVOLVES THE RECLINER HANDLES WHICH FELL APART ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT OF OUR VEHICLE. ON BELOW DATE, MY WIFE EXITED THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT AND USED THE HANDLE TO MOVE THE SEAT FORWARD SO OUR DAUGHTER COULD EXIT THE REAR SEAT AREA. THE HANDLE FELL APART IN TWO PIECES AND THE BACK PART OF THE SEAT FLEW FORWARD TO THE DASH. THE BACK PART OF THE SEAT WILL NOT HOLD A POSITION AND FREELY MOVES BACK AND FORTH INTO THE REAR SEAT AND FORWARD TO THE DASH RENDERING THE SEAT UNSAFE AND USELESS. ON 2/6/04, I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO SOUTH BAY FORD, 13900 HAWTHORNE BLVD, HAWTHORNE, CA 90250 PH 310 644-0211 FOR THE RECALL WORK. I ALSO ADVISED THEM THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT HAD COME FREE BECAUSE OF A FAULTY RELEASE HANDLE. I WAS CALLED LATER AND ADVISED IT WOULD COST OVER 400 DOLLARS TO REPAIR THE FAULTY RELEASE HANDLES ON BOTH THE DRIVERS AND PASSENGERS SEATS. THE SERVICEMAN INFORMED ME THE DRIVERS SEAT RELEASE MECHANISM WAS ALSO ABOUT TO FAIL. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT FORD DEFINITLY HAS A SAFETY ISSUE HERE INVOLVING THEIR SEATS IN THIS VEHICLE. FORD HAS ALREADY ADDRESSED ONE SAFETY ISSURE INVOLVING THE RECLINING SEATS WITH THE RECALL INVOLVING THE FAULTY BOLT. THE BOLT WAS REPLACED IN ORDER TO PREVENT EXACTLY WHAT IS OCCURRING WITH THEIR FAULTY RECLINER RELEASE MECHANISM. THE RECLINER HANDLE FELL APART WHEN MY WIFE SIMPLY TOUCHED IT AND THE OTHER, ACCORDING TO THE SERVICEPERSON, IS ABOUT TO FALL APART. I WOULD HATE TO IMAGINE IF THIS WERE TO HAPPEN WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE. I BELIEVE THIS IS A MATTER THE NHTSA SHOULD INVESTIGATE. *AK UPDATED 07/27/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

WHILE CONSUMER WAS DRIVING THE FRAME AT THE BASE OF THE SEAT BROKE IN TWO. *AK THE METAL BRACKET CONNECTED TO THE SIDE OF THE SIDE ADJUSTMENT BROKE AND CAUSED THE SEAT TO FALL BACK. *NM

WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, CONSUMER FELT LOOSENESS AND A "BREAKING" SOUND WHICH LEFT HIS SEAT IN A RECLINED POSITION. *PH RECALLS 03S04 AND 03S03 WERE REPAIRED ON THE VEHICLE, BUT THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT THE SEAT WAS NOT REMEDIED BECAUSE IT WAS NOT APART OF THE RECALL. THE CONSUMER WAS ALSO NOT ELIGIBLE FOR REIMBURSEMENT. RECALL# 1552880. *SC *JB

WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNDETERMINED SPEED, THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT COLLAPSED WITHOUT WARNING. THIS CAUSED THE PASSENGER TO FALL BACKWARDS INTO THE REAR SEAT. THE CONSUMER WILL CONTACT THE DEALERSHIP. *AK *NM

PASSENGER SIDE SEAT RECENTLY FLUNG FORWARD AS A RESULT OF A BROKEN BOLT. THE DEALER REFUSED TO REPLACE BOLT/LATCH INDICATING IT IS NOT COVERED UNDER THE RECALL. *BF THE DEALER REPLACED THE DRIVER'S SIDE BOLT UNDER RECALL 03V281000 BUT NOT THE PASSENGER SIDE BOLT. *NM

RECALL# 03V281000 SUBJECT: HIGH BACK SEATS. THE DEALER INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE RECALL REPAIR COULD NOT BE DONE BECAUSE THEY WAITED TOO LONG TO BRING THE VEHICLE IN FOR REPAIR/REPLACEMENT. *JB

ON MY 1999 FORD EXPLORER, THE DRIVERS SEAT FRAME BROKE. SOMETIME PRIOR TO THE 2003 RECALL FOR THE BOLT FAILURE OF THE SEAT RECLINER ASSEMBLY, THE FRAME ALSO FAILED CAUSING THE SEAT TO RECLINE PARTIALLY EVEN THOU THE SETTING IS IN THE TOP POSITION. THE SEAT ALSO MOVES BACK AND FORTH WHEN HOLDING THE BACK REST, AND PUSHING ON IT. THE RECLINER RELEASE IS BENT, AND THE PLASTIC COVER ON THE BOTTOM OF THE SEAT IS NOW BROKEN ALSO BECAUSE THE SEAT IS SO BAD OUT OF POSITION. BUT THE RECALL BOLT WAS REPLACED AT THE DEALER, HOWEVER THEY WOULD NOT REPAIR THE BROKEN SEAT FRAME.*AK

THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THE DRIVER'S SEAT RECLINER BOLT. AFTER TAKING VEHICLE IN 3 DIFFERENT TIMES TO GET RECALL WORK DONE, AFTER IT WAS COMPLETED, THE SEAT IS STILL MALFUNCTIONING DUE TO DAMAGE DONE IN THE INTERIM BETWEEN THE MALFUNCTION AND A YEAR LATER GETTING THE RECALL BOLT FIXED. THE DIFFERENT BRACKETS AND BOLTS THAT SUPPORT THE SEAT BROKEN. DRIVER IS RELYING ON STEERING COLUMN FOR SUPPORT WHILE DRIVING, AND ALSO HAS BACK PAIN DUE TO LACK OF SUPPORT. THE SEAT RECLINER LEVER IS BENT AND EXPOSED, WHICH IS TEARING THE FABRIC OF THE SEAT AND ALSO SCRAPES AGAINST THE DRIVER WHEN ENTERING AND EXITING THE VEHICLE, CAUSING BRUISES AND PAIN ON THE BACK OF THE DRIVER'S LEG. ATTEMPTS TO WORK WITH FORD MOTOR COMPANY, THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU, AND THE DEALER HAVE PROVED FUTILE.*AK

VEHICLE'S SEAT BOLT RECALLED, AND THE SEAT BACK COLLAPSED UNEXPECTEDLY. *LA THE DEALERSHIP INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE PROBLEM HE EXPERIENCED WITH THE SEAT WAS NOT THE RECALLED PART, BUT INSTEAD A SAT BACK FRAME THAT BROKE. *JB

THE DRIVER'S SEAT BACK RECLINED WHILE DRIVING. THE DEALER REPLACED THE BOLT. THE CONSUMER STATED AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS PICKED UP, THE SEAT BACK CONTINUED TO RECLINE. *JB

THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SEAT BOLT FAILED. THIS CAUSED THE SEAT TO COLLAPSE INTO THE REAR SEATS. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK WHEN GETTING IN AND OUT OF THE VEHICLE THE HANDLE THAT RECLINED THE SEAT BROKE. *TS *NLM

OWNER RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE, AND TOOK THE VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP. TO INSTALL BOLTS FOR THE RECLINING SEAT MECHANISM, WHICH WAS PART OF THE RECALL. HOWEVER, DEALER DECLINED TO DO REPAIRS BECAUSE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH A BROKEN SEAT FRAME. OWNER WAS TOLD HE WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR BROKEN SEAT FRAME REPAIRS. *AK

MANUFACTURER'S RECALL 03504 CONCERNING SEAT RECLINER BOLT: THIS VEHICLE IS A PART OF A RECALL, BUT THE DEALER REFUSES TO REPAIR THE PROBLEM. THE DEALER FOUND THAT THE RECLINER MECHANISM IS DAMAGED AND WANTS THE CONSUMER TO PAY FOR REPAIRING THE MECHANISM. CONSUMER FEELS THAT BECAUSE THE BOLT BREAKING IS THE REASON THAT THE MECHANISM IS DAMAGED IN THE FIRST PLACE, AND REFUSES TO PAY FOR REPAIRS. *AK

03-V-281-000:THE UPPER BOLT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE HIGH BACK SEAT, THAT ATTACHES THE SEAT RECLINER MECHANISM TO THE SEAT BACK FRAME, COULD FRACTURE. IF THE BOLT FRACTURES AND DOES NOT JAM IN THE SEAT BACK FRAME, THE SEAT BACK MAY RECLINE UNTIL IT MAKES CONTACT WITH AN OBJECT BEHIND THE SEAT, SUCH AS THE SECOND ROW SEAT CUSHION. CONSUMER HAS THE SAME PROBLEM.

DRIVER'S SEAT SUDDENLY RECLINED AND COULD NOT RETURN BACK TO THE UPRIGHT POSITION.*MR DEALER NOTIFIED. *CB

RECALL REPAIRS CANNOT BE PERFORMED UNLESS THE RECLINING SEAT HANDLE CAN BE FIXED. ALTHOUGH THE INITIAL RECALL PROBLEM CAUSED THE HANDLE TO BE BENT, THE DEALER WANTS THE CONSUMER TO PAY FOR IT. CONSUMER FEELS HE IS BEING GIVEN THE RUN AROUND TO GET THE VEHICLE FIXED. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED.*AK

DRIVERS SEAT HAS STARTED TO RECLINE. THE LATEST RECALL REPLACES A COUPLE OF BOLTS BUT THE DEALER SAYS THAT WILL NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. THE SEAT LEANS EXTREMELY BACK MAKING IT HARD TO DRIVE. I HAVE TO HANG ON TO THE STEERING WHEEL TO KEEP MYSELF UPRIGHT. THIS HAS CAUSED MY WRIST TO BECOME EXTREMELY PAINFUL NOW. I CAN BARELY HOLD MORE THAN 2 POUNDS BEFORE THE HAND LETS GO.*AK

CROSSBAR UNDER FRONT OF POWER SEAT BROKE I WAS TOLD THE WHOLE ASSEMBLY INCLUDING MOTOR NEEDS REPLACED NOT JUST THE BAR. IT IS LIKE DRIVING ON WATER(FLOATING AROUND). THE WARRANTY WOULD COVER IF THE MOTOR FAILED OR IF IT WAS A NONPOWERED SEAT. THIS IS HAZARDOUS AND SHOULD BE FIXED AS A SAFETY ISSUE.*AK

ON JULY 13, 2003, I WAS DRIVING MY 1999 EXPLORER AND THE BOLT HOLDING THE SEATBACK UP SNAPPED AND THE SEAT FLOPPED BACK. I HAD MY FAMILY IN THE CAR. I SPOKE WITH FORD WHO TOLD ME TO TAKE THE CAR TO THE DEALER TO LOOK AT THE SEAT.*AK ALSO, THE CAR HAS A HISTORY OF STALLING WHILE MOVING. IT HAS HAPPENED ON THE HIGHWAY SEVERAL TMES AND LUCKILY HAS NOT LED TO AN ACCIDENT. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO FORD SEVERAL TIMES TO DISCUSS THE PROBLEM AND I HAVE BEEN TOLD THERE IS NOTHING THAT CAN BE DONE UNTIL THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT COMES ON. THEY APPARENTLY CAN NOT DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM UNTIL THE CAR'S COMPUTER SENSES A PROBLEM.

IN RE TO THE DRIVER'S SEAT: THE CONSUMER'S DAUGHTER WAS IN THE BACK SEAT WHEN SHE ASKED TO PLACE THE SEAT IN AN UPRIGHT POSITION AS IT WAS LYING AGAINST HER KNEES. THE CONSUMER FOUND A SINGLE BOLT WHICH HAD SNAPPED OFF AND CAUSED THE SEAT TO REMAIN IN THE DOWN POSITION. (THE METAL LOOKED AS IF IT WERE DEFECTIVE) *AK *SCC *JB

MY DRIVER'S SEAT MADE A LOUD "POP" AND PROCEEDED TO RECLINE. THE PLASTIC SHIELD LATER FELL OFF THE RECLINING MECHANISM, REVEALING THAT THE FRAME FOR THE SEAT HAD FAILED AT THE WELD AND BUCKLED. THE SEAT WILL NOT SIT UPRIGHT. *JB

WHEN I WAS DRIVING ALONG, MY SEAT RECLINED. I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO MAKE IT RECLINE TO THE UPRIGHT POSITION FOR SAFE DRIVING. *NLM