NHTSA Complaint #11406149 — 2016 FORD FUSION

RECENTLY, BOTH OF THE FRONT HEATED AND COOLED SEATS ON MY FORD FUSION STOPPED WORKING. I WENT TO MY LOCAL FORD DEALER, WHERE I PURCHASED THE CAR, TO HAVE THEM LOOK AT IT. THEY EXPLAINED TO ME THAT THE BURNT CONNECTOR IS DUE TO A FAILURE OF THE SCME MODULE AND THAT BOTH THE CONNECTOR AND SCME WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED AT A COST OF $596.11. I EXPLAINED TO THEM THAT I DON'T BELIEVE THE MODULE IS FAILED, AND THAT REGARDLESS, A MODULE FAILURE SHOULD NEVER RESULT IN A CONNECTOR BURNING AS ALL THIS CIRCUITRY SHOULD BE FUSE PROTECTED AGAINST OVERCURRENT WITHOUT BURNING. I TOLD THEM THAT I BELIEVED THE MODULE APPEARS TO BE FAILED ON THEIR DIAGNOSTICS SYSTEM BECAUSE THE GROUND TO THE MODULE HAS MELTED AND HAS THUS BECOME DISCONNECTED. I COMPLETED SOME INVESTIGATION AND THE FAILURE APPEARS TO BE RELATED TO INSUFFICIENT GROUNDING TO THE SCME MODULE (SEAT CLIMATE CONTROL MODULE) UNDER THE PASSENGER SEAT THAT RESULTS IN OVERCURRENT TO A GROUND PIN TO THE SCME, WHICH RESULTS IN THE CONNECTOR MELTING AND BECOMING DISCONNECTED FROM THE SCME. I AM CONCERNED DUE TO FIRE RISK IN THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT AS WELL AS ANY IMPACT THIS FAILURE MAY HAVE ON THE SEAT AIRBAGS. I WAS ABLE TO FIX THE PROBLEM MYSELF BY REPLACING THE CONNECTOR AND ADDING A SECOND GROUND WIRE TO THE SCME TO PROVIDE PROPER GROUNDING. ATTACHED IS A PICTURE OF THE MELTED WIRE HARNESS CONNECTOR ON MY CAR.