NHTSA Complaint #736972 — 2001 FORD F-150

I ORDERED MY F-150 SUPERCREW IN AUGUST 2000. THE TRUCK WAS BUILT IN LATE SEPTEMBER AND I TOOK DELIVERY IN THE FIRST WEEK OF OCTOBER 2000. ALTHOUGH MY TRUCK WAS SOLD AS A 2001 MODEL, FORD HAS SUBSEQUENTLY MADE TWO CRITICAL SAFETY MODIFICATIONS IN THE 2001 SUPERCREWS THAT WERE PRODUCED AFTER MY BUILD DATE. THE "LATEST" 2001 MODEL INCLUDES REAR SEAT HEADRESTS AND CHILD SEAT ANCHORS IN THE REAR SEATS. AS NOTED IN MY REPORT, I WAS RECENTLY DRIVING IN THE CITY AT APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH WHEN I WAS FORCED TO MAKE A PANIC STOP. MY WIFE, WHO WAS RIDING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE REAR SEAT (TWO-POINT SEAT BELT), WAS INITIALLY PUSHED FORWARD BY THE FORCE OF THE BRAKING THEN HIT HER HEAD ON THE REAR WINDOW UPON RECOIL. FORTUNATELY, SHE SUFFERED NO INJURIES. AT THE SAME TIME, MY 3 YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER (SITTING IN A PROPERLY INSTALLED, DOUBLE SHOULDER HARNESS CHILD SEAT) WAS ALSO PUSHED FORWARD AND BACK BY THE FORCE OF THE STOP. DESPITE THE FACT THAT SHE WAS WELL SECURED IN THE SEAT, THE FORWARD AND BACK MOTION WAS INTENSIFIED BY THE LACK OF A CHILD SEAT ANCHOR. IN MY OPINION, FORD'S RECOGNITION OF THESE SAFETY "DEFECTS" IS CLEARLY DEMONSTRATED IN THE MODIFICATIONS THAT WERE MADE TO TRUCKS PRODUCED AFTER NOVEMBER 2000. I ALSO BELIEVE THAT GIVEN THE POTENTIAL FOR SERIOUS INJURY AS A RESULT OF THESE SAFETY DEFECTS, ALL 2001 SUPERCREWS PRODUCED PRIOR TO THE MODIFICATION DATE SHOULD BE RECALLED FOR RETROFITTING. *AK