NHTSA Complaint #736893 — 2001 FORD F-150

MY FORD F-150 SUPERCREW 4-DOOR PICKUP TRUCK DOES NOT HAVE HEAD RESTRAINTS IN THE FRONT, OR REAR, 60/40 SPLIT BENCH SEATS. THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN AS REAR SEAT PASSENGERS WILL HIT THEIR HEADS ON THE REAR GLASS IN A CRASH. NEW TRUCKS OF THIS MODEL ARE NOW REDESIGNED AND HAVE REAR HEAD RESTRAINTS. MODELS MANUFACTURED EARLIER DO NOT. I CALLED FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE TO COMPLAIN OF THE SAFETY CONCERN, OF HAVING NO FRONT OR REAR HEAD RESTRAINTS, AND TO ASK FOR THE NEW REDESIGNED SEATS, THEY SAID THEY WOULD NOT REPLACE THE SEATS IN EARLY PRODUCTION VEHICLES. THEY ARE IGNORING OWNERS WITH MODELS MANUFACTURED BEFORE THE NEWLY REDESIGNED REAR SEATS. FORD ALSO REDESIGNED THE FRONT SEATS TO NOW INCLUDE HEAD RESTRAINTS INSTEAD OF THE OLD DESIGN OF TALLER INTEGRATED HEAD RESTRAINTS. I BELIEVE THIS IS ALSO A SAFETY CONCERN IN THAT I CANNOT ADJUST THE FRONT SEAT HEAD RESTRAINT TO PROPERLY PROTECT ME IN A CRASH. I ALSO WISH TO HAVE NEW FRONT SEATS FROM THE NEWLY DESIGNED MODEL'S. I INQUIRED AS TO WHY THE SEAT DESIGN WAS CHANGED, AND WAS TOLD THAT ALL AUTOMOTIVE MANUFACTURERS INSTITUTE RUNNING CHANGES DURING CURRENT MODEL PRODUCTION IN THE NAME OF PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT. PERSONALLY, I FEEL THAT THE CHANGE WAS MADE TO CORRECT A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION THAT THE MANUFACTURER WAS AWARE OF ALL ALONG. I WONDER IF THESE SAME PEOPLE WOULD LET THEIR FAMILIES RIDE IN A VEHICLE WITH THE "OLD" STYLE SEATS???