NHTSA Campaign 03V281000
SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER
NHTSA campaign 03V281000 covers 6 year-make-model versions listed here and concerns the seats: front assembly: recliner. The repair is free.
FORD MOTOR COMPANY filed the report for 03V281000 with NHTSA on August 5, 2003; NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation influenced the recall.
For 03V281000, NHTSA lists up to 1,552,880 potentially affected vehicles, built between May 13, 1997 and December 24, 2000.
The 03V281000 report reached NHTSA 3 years after the last affected vehicle was built.
Owner notification letters for 03V281000 were scheduled from August 29, 2003, 24 days after the report.
03V281000 covers 4 models from Ford and Mercury, model years 2000–2002.
Owners of the model years 03V281000 covers have filed at least 17 complaints naming the seats, about this defect or others in the same group.
Among the 03V281000 vehicles, the 2002 Ford Explorer Sport has the most (8).
By potentially affected vehicles, 03V281000 ranks 4 of 219 FORD MOTOR COMPANY recalls on this site.
Besides 03V281000, FORD MOTOR COMPANY has 11 other recalls on the seats on this site; the one before 03V281000 was 01V108000, reported on March 28, 2001.
What this recall covers
- The defect
- ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH HIGH BACK SEATS, 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.
- The risk
- THE DRIVER COULD POTENTIALLY LOSE CONTACT WITH THE STEERING WHEEL OR FOOT PEDALS DURING SUCH AN EVENT, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
- The fix
- 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.
Reported August 5, 2003
Vehicles covered by 03V281000 (6)
Being on this list means your year, make and model fall inside campaign 03V281000, not that your own vehicle does: a campaign covers a range of VINs. A VIN check on NHTSA's lookup shows whether it is.
Newest record on this page: August 5, 2003. Data: NHTSA recall and owner-complaint files. How these figures are counted