NHTSA Complaint #10364191 — 2002 FORD EXPLORER

ON 8/15/09, [XXX]WAS OPERATING HIS 2002 FORD EXPLORER IN HOUSTON, TX WHEN THE EXPLORER WAS STRUCK FROM THE REAR BY A PICKUP TRUCK. DURING THE COLLISION, [XXX]SEAT BACK COLLAPSED AND, ALTHOUGH HE HAD BEEN WEARING HIS SEAT BELT, HE WAS EJECTED THROUGH BROKEN-OUT REAR WINDOW GLAZING. [XXX] SUSTAINED MULTIPLE BLUNT FORCE INJURIES FROM WHICH HE DIED. THE SEAT BACK IN THE 2002 EXPLORER IS ATTACHED TO A RECLINER MECHANISM ON EACH SIDE OF THE SEAT. THE RECLINER MECHANISMS ARE ATTACHED TO THE SEAT CUSHION FRAME BY SPIRAL COIL PINS. WHEN THE EXPLORER WAS STRUCK FROM THE REAR, THE VEHICLE MOVED FORWARD IN RELATION TO [XXX] BODY, CAUSING HIS BODY TO LOAD THE DRIVER'S SEAT BACK. AS THIS OCCURRED, THE FORCE OF THE SEAT BACK BEING MOVED REARWARD BY [XXX] BODY CAUSED THE RECLINER MECHANISMS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE SEATS TO MOVE FORWARD; AS THEY DID SO, THEY CONTACTED THE SPIRAL COIL PINS, AND FRACTURED THOSE PINS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE SEAT. WHEN THE SPIRAL COIL PINS FAILED, THE SEAT BACK COLLAPSED ONTO THE REAR SEAT CUSHION, AND [XXX] WAS EJECTED INTO THE CARGO AREA OF THE EXPLORER AND THEN OUT OF THE REAR WINDOW GLAZING. [XXX] SUFFERED MUTLIPLE BLUNT FORCE TRAUMA INJURIES, WHICH TOOK HIS LIFE. UPON INVESTIGATION, INCLUDING COMPARISON OF A NUMBER OF OTHER, EXEMPLAR DRIIVER'S SEATS FROM 2002 EXPLORERS, IT HAS BECOME CLEAR THAT THE SPIRAL COIL PINS ARE DEFECTIVELY INSTALLED IN MANY EXPLORER SEATS. THIS MANUFACTURING DEFECT IS MANIFESTED BY THE SPIRAL COIL PINS BEING INSERTED THROUGH MATING HOLES ON THE SEAT CUSHION FRAME TO INCONSISTENT DEPTHS, WHICH CAN CAUSE THE PINS NOT TO SEAT PROPERLY IN THOSE HOLES. IN THE CASE OF [XXX], BECAUSE THE SPIRAL COIL PINS WERE NOT INSERTED FAR ENOUGH INTO THE MATING HOLES WHEN MANUFACTURED, THE PINS ON HIS SEAT WERE FRACTURED BY THE RECLINER MECHANISMS AND FAILED TO HOLD HIS SEAT BACK UPRIGHT IN THE COLLISION. THIS FAILURE MECHANISM IN THE PINS ALLOWED FOR [XXX]EJECTION. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR