Seat Back Failure

Posted by John Sedgewick - 04/06/10 at 10:06 am

Automobile seat back failure has been known to create a danger of catastrophic injury for many years. Especially in rear-end collisions, poorly designed or defective seats can collapse backwards upon impact. This happens because manufacturers seek to save money by using old seat designs (which are lightweight and flimsy) and by including recliner hardware on only one seat back hinge rather than on both the left and right hinges. 

Risks to front seat passengers from seat back collapse include permanent brain damage or other head injuries and neck injuries. These occur because the occupants fall backwards as the seat collapses and they strike someone or something in the area of the back seat. Rear seat passengers, particularly children and older adults, are also at risk of serious injury and death as a result of being struck by the collapsing seat or by a front seat passenger.

The New York Times reported on April 23, 2010 that Ford is recalling about 33,000 of its 2010 cars and sport utility vehicles because the front seats may collapse rearward, the automaker told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The models are the 2010 Explorer, Explorer Sport Trac and Mercury Mountaineer as well as the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan.

Ford said the problem is that the “gear plate teeth” on the manual recliner mechanism may have been built “out of dimensional specification” and the seat will not pass the federal safety standards for strength. 

Ford, which said it had no reports of accidents or injuries, said the problem was noticed by a worker at an assembly plant who felt the seat move back. In its report, the automaker told the safety agency that it would immediately begin notifying dealers and owners but that it did not plan a press release on the seat problem. A Ford spokesman, Wes Sherwood, said later that the company did not ordinarily issue news releases on safety recalls.

In other recent automotive recall news:  

 • Porsche has recalled approximately 3,200 2010 Panameras because “the restraint function of the safety belts can no longer be guaranteed. ” Porsche told N.H.T.S.A. that when the front seats are moved forward “ … to an extreme position” it is possible that the seat-belt mount “could detach from the anchoring system.”

  • BMW recalled about 735 of its 2010 X5 Ms because power cables were not connected to power the side-marker lights.

   • Volvo is recalling almost 2,500 of its 2010 XC90s due to a risk of leaks in a pressurized fuel line.

  • Braun is recalling certain Dodge Caravans and Chrysler Town and Country “Entervan” minivans with wheelchair access due to a fire hazard. Braun told N.H.T.S.A. that the fuel filler pipe may rub against the left rear tire and cause a leak.

Previously, Braun recalled about 5,000 vans after discovering that a defective weld could allow the rear axle to loosen.  To make those vans wheelchair-accessible,  conversions were performed on the 2005–8 Buick Terraza Entervan, Chevrolet Uplander Entervan and Pontiac Montana Entervan. 

For more information or to report a safety problem go to the government Web site.  

For more information, please visit the Berman & Simmons website on our products liability page.




































This entry was posted on Friday, June 4th, 2010 at 10:35 am and is filed under Auto. The entry is tagged under You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

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