NHTSA Complaint #10566399 — 2012 FORD MUSTANG

ON 02-25-2014 AT APPROXIMATELY 0800 MY WIFE ([XXX]) WAS DRIVING OUR 2012 FORD MUSTANG GT, SHE TURNED ON THE HEATED SEATS AND WAS TRAVELING NORTH BOUND ON GA HWY 49 WHEN THE SEAT WARMER MALFUNCTIONED OVERHEATING AND BURNING A HOLE THROUGH THE LEATHER SEAT BACK, CAUSING A FIRST DEGREE BURN TO THE BOTTOM LEFT FLANK OF HER BACK. ON 02-27-2014 WE TOOK OUR 2012 FORD MUSTANG GT TO RIVERSIDE FORD/LINCOLN IN MACON, GA WE ADVISED THEM OF THE INCIDENT, THEY CHARGED US $95.00 TO INSPECT THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM AND DETERMINE WHAT CAUSED THE SEAT WARMER TO MALFUNCTION AND BURN A HOLE THROUGH THE SEAT BACK AND CAUSE A FIRST DEGREE BURN TO MY WIFE'S BACK. RIVERSIDE FORD STATED THE CIRCUIT FOR THE SEAT MALFUNCTIONED/FAILED CAUSING THE SEAT WARMER TO OVERHEAT AND BURN A HOLE THROUGH THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BACK. RIVERSIDE FORD STATED OUR MUSTANG WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND WE WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR REPAIRING/REPLACE THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT OF OUR MUSTANG AT A COST TO US OF $1,142.36 (PARTS $715.76, LABOR $350.00, MISC. $26.50, AND TAX $50.10). I CALLED THE FORD CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP CENTER (1-800-392-3673) SPOKE WITH A REPRESENTATIVE AND OPENED A CASE (CASE #: [XXX]) THEY STATED THERE WERE NO RECALLS CONCERNING THE SEAT WARMERS IN THE FORD MUSTANG'S AND THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO FOR US CONCERNING REPLACING/REPAIRING THE DRIVERS SEAT IN OUR VEHICLE BUT THEY WOULD BE LOOKING INTO THE PROBLEM. THEY DID ADVISE US TO SAVE OUR SEAT WHEN WE PAY TO HAVE IT REPLACED IN CASE THERE IS A RECALL AT A LATER DATE. I AM GLAD MY WIFE WAS NOT MORE SERIOUSLY HURT THAN SHE WAS AND THAT SHE TURNED THE SEAT WARMER OFF BEFORE THE VEHICLE COULD HAVE CAUGHT ON FIRE WHILE SHE WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND POSSIBLE CAUSING AN ACCIDENT OR HARMING OTHER MOTORIST AROUND HER. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR