NHTSA Complaint #711861 — 1998 FORD ECONOLINE

PLASTIC "THUMB TACKS" ON DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT THAT HOLD THE SEAT CONTROL BUTTONS BROKE OFF. DEALER SAID THEY DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE TO TAKE MY VAN OUT TO THE CONVERSION COM. TO GET IT FIXED. WANTED ME TO DRIVE IT 55 MILES AWAY MYSELF AND GET IT FIXED. THIS WAS ALREADY BROKEN WHEN I BOUGHT THE VAN FROM THE DEALER. ALTHOUGH I FOUND THAT MY KIDS LIKED TO USE IT AS A STEP-LADDER TO GET INTO DRIVER SEAT. THEY WOULD MOVE THE SEAT AROUND TO EASILY WITH THE SEAT BUTTONS STICKING OUT ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE DRIVERS SEAT. I FOUND THIS DANGEROUS. (THIS WAS BEFORE IT BROKE OFF.) I HAVEN'T FIXED THIS MYSELF, I FOUND IT HARD TO SWALLOW THAT THE DEALER COULDN'T GET IT FIXED. THE RADIO/CD PLAYER HOOKED UP IN THE BACK CANNOT BE LISTENED TO BY MORE THEN ONE PERSON DUE TO SURGES FROM THE HEADPHONES PLUGGED INTO THEIR OWN STATIONS. THE DEALER SAID I WOULD HAVE TO TAKE THAT TO THE CONVER. COM. TOO, TO GET FIXED.