2000 Ford Ranger

WHILE DRIVING, DRIVERS SEAT BACK RECLINER BOLTS FAILED CAUSING SEAT TO FALL BACK UNTIL STOPPED BY REAR WALL OF VEHICLE. SINCE THIS WAS A SUPER CAB XLT, THE FALL BACKWARDS WAS SIGNIFICANT CAUSING TEMPORARY LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. UPON INSPECTION FOUND THAT ONE OF THE TWO BOLTS HAD FAILED QUITE AWHILE AGO SINCE THE HEAD SHOWED SIGNS OF RUST.

SAT DOWN IN TRUCK, SEAT BROKE AWAY AND I FELL BACKWARD, NOTED 2 BROKEN BOLTS IN FLOOR, ONE LEFT SIDE ONE RIGHT SIDE,BOTH BOLTS APPEAR TO HAVE FRESHLY BROKEN. REMOVED SEAT TO SEE THE BOLTS WERE FROM THE RECLINER ASSEMBLY, REMOVED THE THREADED PART FROM THE FRAME, THE THREADS APPEARED TO BE APPROXIMATELY 1/4 INCH, ORDERED BOLTS FROM FORD AND REPLACED THE BOLTS FORD PART NUMBER F87Z-1060108-BB, PRICE APPROXIMATELY $40.00, UPON PICKING UP BOLTS ADVISED NO CHARGE. I HAVE MILD BACK STRAIN FROM THE INITIAL FALL BACKWARD. PLEASE NOTE: I AM NOT CONCERNED ABOUT MY INCIDENT, MY CONCERN IS IF I HAD BEEN DRIVING WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED, AND THE NUMBER OF VEHICLES WHICH HAVE THE EXACT SEAT AND POSSIBLE DEFECTIVE BOLTS, IT APPEARS TO BE A DESIGN FLAW, SUCH SMALL BOLTS, I WILL GLADLY FORWARD THE BOLTS REMOVED UPON REQUEST

DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT RECLINER RETENTION BOLT HEADS SHEARED OFF WHILE DRIVING, CAUSING DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT TO FALL BACK AGAINST BACK WALL OF TRUCK CAB. ACCIDENT NARROWLY AVOIDED AS HANDS MOMENTARILY CAME OFF OF STEERING WHEEL; FORTUNATELY, TRUCK WAS NOT AN EXTENDED CAB VERSION SO CONTROL WAS REGAINED QUICKLY. 1ST BOLT PROBABLY HAD BROKEN OFF SOME TIME IN THE PAST, (DATE UNKNOWN); 2ND BOLT HEAD BROKE ON DATE INDICATED. FORD ISSUED RECALL 03S04S1 IN 2006 FOR THIS SAME PROBLEM IN THE 1998 - 2001 EXPLORER; HOWEVER, FORD STATES RECALL 03S04S1 DOES NOT COVER RANGER EVEN THOUGH THERE IS EVIDENCE THE SAME SEAT DESIGN AND BOLTS ARE USED IN BOTH MODELS. OTHER RECALLS HAVE ALSO BEEN ISSUED FOR RECLINER PROBLEMS IN FORD SUV'S (SEE RECALL 03V281000) IN THIS SAME MODEL YEAR 2000 TIMEFRAME. *TR