NHTSA Complaint #10031209 — 2003 FORD EXPLORER

RE: SECOND (MID-SECTION) SEAT - DRIVER'S SIDE 1. SEAT BELT BECAME LODGED BEHIND SEAT RELEASE CAUSING BACK OF SEAT TO JERK FORWARD AND STRIKE MY CHILD IN BACK OF NECK. 2. FACTS: A) WHEN MY DAUGHTER (12 YEARS; 89 LBS.) LEANED FORWARD IN HER SEAT, PRESSURE WAS PLACED ON SEAT BELT CAUSING RELEASE TO ENGAGE AND JERK FORWARD; B) MY DAUGHTER WAS STILL IN SEAT BELT WHEN I PULLED OFF THE SIDE OF ROAD TO CHECK ON HER; C) I WAS REPEATEDLY UNABLE TO GET THE BACK OF HER SEAT TO "LOCK IN" PLACE; D) UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION, I FOUND SEAT BELT TO BE LODGED SECURELY BEHIND SEAT RELEASE AND EACH TIME MY DAUGHTER MOVED FORWARD AND PLACED PRESSURE ON SEAT BELT, THE RELEASE WAS ENGAGED; E) THIS INCIDENT WASN'T THE RESULT OF AN ACCIDENT; E) BRAKES WEREN'T BEING USED AT TIME; F) SHE WAS SEEN IN EMERGENCY ROOM DUE TO PAIN IN HER NECK. BACK AND HEAD; SHE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH A CERVICAL STRAIN AND HAD TO WEAR A NECK COLLAR FOR FIVE DAYS. 3. CONTRIBUTING REASONS FOR OCCURRENCE: A) SEAT BELT IS SECURED TO SIDE OF VEHICLE; B) WHEN A PERSON GETS INTO THIRD ROW SEAT, IT'S EASY TO GET CAUGHT ON THE SEAT BELT CAUSING IT TO HANG BEHIND SEAT RELEASE; (C) IF SEAT BELT DOESN'T RETRACT PROPERLY, IT CATCHES BEHIND SEAT RELEASE; D) IT CAN ALSO CATCH ON FRONT OF RELEASE. 4. ADDITIONAL CONCERNS: A) SECOND SEAT RELEASE IS A TWO STEP RELEASE: IF THIS WAS A SITUATION WHERE THE BRAKES HAD TO BE APPLIED QUICKLY AND FIRMLY, SECOND PART OF RELEASE COULD HAVE POTENTIALLY ENGAGED CAUSING MY DAUGHTER TO BE STRUCK FROM BEHIND AND THROWING HER FORWARD CAUSING HER TO STRIKE THE FRONT OF HER HEAD ON THE BACK OF THE DRIVER'S SEAT WHICH IMPACT COULD HAVE QUITE LIKELY CAUSED ME TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. 5. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS SITUATION WHICH COULD CAUSE CATASTROPHIC RESULTS IF NOT CORRECTED IN ALL EXPLORERS EQUIPPED WITH THIS TYPE OF SEAT BELT AND SEATING ARRANGEMENT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER. I LOOK FORWARD TO A RESPONSE IN THIS REGARD. *NLM