Consumer Complaint Detail

FORD / EXPLORER SPORT / 1999

Recalls
0 Injured
Investigations
0 Death
Complaints
No Fire
Components - Details
NHTSA Complaint Number: 004258496 Incident Date: Jan, 31 2004
Consumer's City: GARDENA Consumer's State: CA
Vehicle Transmission Type: AUTO Manufacturers Name: Ford Motor Company
Model Name: EXPLORER SPORT Model Year: 1999
Vehicle Involved in a Crash: No Component's Description: Seats:front assembly:recliner
Vehicle Involved in a Fire: No Persons Injured: 0
Vehicle's VIN#: 1FMYU22E2XU Date added to File: May, 25 2021
Date Complaint Received: Feb, 06 2004 Complaint Type: IVOQ
Incident Reported To Police: No Purchase Date: -
Was Original Owner: No Anti-lock Brakes: Yes
Number of Cylinders: 6 Date of Manufacturer: -
Was Vehicle Towed: - Description of the Complaints: 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)