NHTSA Complaint #11316215 — 2019 FORD EXPEDITION

VEHICLE WAS BOUGHT NEW FROM A DEALERSHIP MID DECEMBER, DUE TO SECOND SET OF TWINS DUE MID MARCH. ATTEMPTED TO HAVE GRACO 4EVER CHILD CAR SEATS INSTALLED BY SAFE KIDS (ORGANIZATION TO KEEP KIDS SAFE) BUT INSPECTION FAILED DUE TO 3RD ROW SEATING HEADREST ENGINEERING DESIGN MAJOR DEFECT. 3RD ROW ELECTRIC FOLD DOWN SEATS DO NOT ALLOW FOR HEADREST REMOVAL EXCEPT FOR THE MIDDLE SEAT LEAVING EXCESSIVE SPACE BETWEEN SEAT AND BACK OF FORWARD FACING CAR SEAT MAKING IT UNSAFE AS THERE IS NO CONTACT BETWEEN SEAT AND CAR SEAT. CORPORATE FORD WAS CONTACTED BY PHONE 5X REGARDING THIS ISSUE AND THEY ARE UNABLE TO HELP IN THIS SITUATION AS SEATS ARE "FUNCTIONING NORMALLY" PER MANUFACTURER SPECIFICATIONS. WITH LESS THAN 3 WKS BEFORE THE DUE DATE APPROACHING, WE SCRAMBLED AND BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP IN WHICH THEY INDICATED IT IS ILLEGAL FOR AN ADULT TO RIDE IN A VEHICLE WITHOUT A HEADREST AND THEY WERE SHOCKED IN THE POOR DESIGN. FORD NEEDS THEIR ENGINEERING TEAM TO IMMEDIATELY RESOLVE THIS ISSUE, AS ANOTHER COMPLAINT WAS FILED WITH NHTSA IN JANUARY REGARDING THIS SAME ISSUE. THEY NEED TO COVER THE COST TO HAVE DEALERSHIP REMOVE THE HEADRESTS MANUALLY ($600 ESTIMATE) BY TEARING APART THE SEATS OR HAVE A LIST OF FORWARD FACING CAR SEATS THAT ACTUALLY WORK FOR THE 3RD ROW IN WHICH THE COST TO US WOULD PROBABLY BE A WASH FOR NEW SEATS IF THERE ARE ANY THAT WORK FOR IT! THIS IS NOT A FAMILY VEHICLE FOR ANYONE STILL IN CAR SEATS OR BOOSTERS AND THERE IS NO WAY I WOULD HAVE PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE KNOWING THIS AHEAD OF TIME BY READING A PREVIOUS COMPLAINT ON THE MATTER. $80K VEHICLE THAT SEATS A FAMILY OF 5 WITH TODDLERS NOT 6 OR GREATER.