NHTSA Complaint #11252504 — 2014 FORD TRANSIT CONNECT

THE MIDDLE ROW SEATS ARE DEFECTIVE. THEY FOLD DOWN BUT WILL NOT COME BACK UP. THEY ARE STUCK IN THE DOWN POSITION. I BROUGHT THE CAR IN TO A FORD DEALER'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT, AND THEY'VE NOW HAD IT FOR 3 DAYS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO FIX THE PROBLEM. AT THIS POINT THEY HAVE TOLD ME THAT THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE MANUFACTURE OF THE MECHANISM IN THE SEATBACK THAT CONTROLS THE SEAT FOLDING FUNCTION, AND THAT THE ONLY WAY THEY CAN FIX IT IS TO INSTALL A NEW SEAT. THE DEALERSHIP'S SERVICE DEPT HAS QUOTED $2000 FOR IT AS AN OUT-OF-WARRANTY REPAIR. IN SEARCHING ONLINE, I SEE THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE MODEL. I'VE SEEN THAT THERE ARE TSBS ISSUED FOR THIS PROBLEM. BUT WHEN THE DEALER PUTS MY VIN INTO THEIR SYSTEM, MY VEHICLE DOESN'T SHOW UP AS PART OF THE RECALL. I BELIEVE THIS SHOULD BE A NEW RECALL, OR AN EXPANDED RECALL, TO FIX A PROBLEM THAT FORD SEEMS TO ALREADY KNOW IT HAS -- THEY JUST HAVEN'T ACKNOWLEDGED EVERY MODEL OR YEAR THAT IT EFFECTS. ADDITIONALLY, THERE IS AN ISSUE WITH THE SOFTWARE RUNNING THE CAR'S CLOCK -- WHEN THE CAR BATTERY IS LOW, THE CLOCK STOPS WORKING, AND WILL NOT ALLOW THE USER TO RESET IT TO THE CORRECT TIME. THE DEALER SAID THAT THE ONLY WAY THEY CAN FIX IT IS TO DO A SOFTWARE UPGRADE AT A COST OF $140 - $280 EACH TIME. THIS IS ALSO A WELL-KNOWN PROBLEM ACCORDING TO MANY FORD CONSUMER MESSAGE BOARDS. I'M NOT SURE IF THIS QUALIFIES FOR A RECALL AS WELL, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE A KNOWN DEFECT THAT PUTS THE VEHICLE OWNER AT A FINANCIAL DISADVANTAGE.