NHTSA Complaint #10678682 — 2010 FORD F-150

DRIVER HEATED SEAT FUNCTION WAS ON WHILE DRIVING, SUDDENLY THERE WAS A VERY HOT SPOT FELT UNDER DRIVER'S LEFT LEG, THEN HEATED SEAT FUNCTION THEN WENT OFF. FURTHER ATTEMPTS TO OPERATE THE HEATED SEAT FUNCTION RESULTED IN A TEMPORARY ILLUMINATION OF THE DRIVER HEATED SEAT INDICATOR, FOLLOWED BY AN EXTINGUISHING OF SAME INDICATOR AFTER ABOUT 1 SECOND. THE VEHICLE IN QUESTION IS NO LONGER ELIGIBLE FOR COVERAGE UNDER THE 3/36,000 BUMPER TO BUMPER PORTION OF THE FORD 2010 NEW VEHICLE LIMITED WARRANTY; THEREFORE, THE VEHICLE OWNER ELECTED TO PERFORM HIS OWN INVESTIGATION INTO THE PROBLEM. THE OWNER DISMANTLED THE DRIVER SEAT AND FOUND BURNT COMPONENTS IN THE VICINITY OF A FAILED WIRE THAT WAS PART OF THE SEAT HEATER SUBSYSTEM, ALL OF THIS UNDER THE SEAT COVER IN AN AREA THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN UNDERNEATH THE LEFT LEG OF THE DRIVER. THE FAILURE WAS IDENTIFIED AS A BURNT/CHARRED WIRE THAT OPENED THE CIRCUIT OF THE HEATED SEAT FUNCTION. PHOTOS OF THE DISMANTLED SEAT SHOWING THE BURNT/CHARRED COMPONENTS ARE AVAILABLE AT: HTTP://WWW.F150FORUM.COM/F38/2010-DRIVER-BUCKET-SEAT-HEAT-REPAIR-286693/. OTHER POSTINGS AT WWW.F150FORUM.COM SUGGEST THAT THIS PROBLEM IS NOT NECESSARILY AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE OWNER SUBSEQUENTLY AFFECTED HIS OWN REPAIR TO THE HEATED SEAT SUBSYSTEM, RETURNING THE SUBSYSTEM TO FULL FUNCTIONALITY. THE VEHICLE OWNER IS CONCERNED THAT AN AS-ASSEMBLED-BY-THE-MANUFACTURER SUBSYSTEM FAILURE OF THIS TYPE HAS THE POTENTIAL TO INDUCE A CONDITION OF THERMAL RUNAWAY WHICH COULD POTENTIALLY LEAD TO A VEHICLE FIRE. THE VEHICLE OWNER HAS YET TO INFORM THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY OF THIS INCIDENT AT THE TIME OF THIS WRITING ON 24-JAN-2015. *TR