NHTSA Complaint #11352397 — 2020 FORD EXPLORER

MIDDLE CAPTAIN SEATS FREE SLIDING DURING OPERATION WITHOUT WARNING TO DRIVER. CAUSED CHILD IN BOOSTER TO BE SLID FROM REAR MOST POSITION TO CONTACTING BACK OF PASSENGER SEAT DURING A HARD STOP. FINDING WAS THAT THE ELECTRONIC SEAT FOLDING BUTTON ON THE TOPS OF BUCKET SEAT WERE PHYSICALLY STICKING CAUSING THE SEAT TO BE LOSE ON TRACKS BUT NOT FOLDING BECAUSE OF CAR SEAT. DEALER EXPLAINED ROOT CAUSE AS BAD INSTALLATION FROM FACTORY ON PLASTIC HOUSING WHICH CAUSED A TAB TO BE BROKEN AND OPENING NOT CENTERED WITH BUTTON THEREFORE CAUSING FRICTION AND STICKING. THERE WAS NO INDICATION TO THE DRIVER THAN THE CHILD IN THE SEAT WAS IN AN UNSAFE CONDITION EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE BUCKLED AND IDENTIFIED VIA DISPLAY AS IN SEAT. SINCE THIS BUTTON IS ELECTRONIC AND PRONE TO MALFUNCTION AND THE VEHICLE KNOWS WHEN AN OCCUPANT IS IN A SEAT THE DRIVER SHOULD BE NOTIFIED WHEN THERE IS AN OCCUPANT IN THE SEAT AND THE SEAT IS BEING RELEASED.