Huge Recall by Ford Motor Company: Once Again, Dangerous Defects in Ford Trucks and Ford SUVs
Sep 26, 2019
Beware: Risk of Deadly Crash in a Ford Pickup or SUV with Defective Seat Back
The Ford Motor Company has issued a North America recall of over 550,000 motor vehicles (both pickup trucks and SUVs) because they are dangerous to drive. Specifically, the seat backs in these Ford products are recognized to be defective and unsafe.
Ford warns of the risk that the seats in these Ford models can fail to restrain people, leaving them unprotected during the impact of a motor vehicle accident or crash. (Read the official August 30, 2019 Ford Motor Company news release here.)
Failures of seat backs to protect occupants in a car, truck, or SUV can cause the death of that person or result in severe and permanent bodily injury. This is a significant and serious problem for which all Ford owners need to be aware.
What’s the problem? Ford’s statement explains these Ford pickups and SUVS lack a “third pawl” which is necessary for seat strength. Ford admits the failure to include this third pawl increases the risk of someone being hurt in a crash.
From Ford:
“Affected vehicles may be missing the third pawl required for seatback strength. A seatback with an improperly assembled recliner mechanism may have reduced strength and may not adequately restrain an occupant in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.”
2019 List of Ford Trucks and Ford SUVs Recalled for Seat Back Defects:
Here is the list of Ford trucks and Ford SUVs that have been recalled for dangerous defects in their seat backs, as detailed in the Ford recall:
Ford F-150 Pickup Truck
- 2018-20 Ford F-150 vehicles built at Dearborn Assembly Plant from Sept. 14, 2018, to Aug. 7, 2019, and
- 2018-20 Ford F-150 vehicles built at Kansas City Assembly Plant from Sept. 11, 2018, through Aug. 2, 2019.
Ford F-Series Super Duty (aka Ford Super Duty) Pickup Truck
- 2019-20 Ford F-Series Super Duty vehicles built at Kentucky Assembly Plant from Sept. 9, 2018, through July 22, 2019, and
- 2019-20 Ford F-Series Super Duty vehicles built at Ohio Assembly Plant from Sept. 11, 2018, through July 17, 2019.
Ford Explorer Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV)
- 2018-19 Ford Explorer vehicles built at Chicago Assembly Plant from Sept. 9, 2018, through March 3, 2019, and
- 2020 Ford Explorer vehicles built at Chicago Assembly Plant from Nov. 21, 2018, through Aug. 21, 2019.
Ford Expedition Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV)
- 2019-20 Ford Expedition vehicles built at Kentucky Assembly Plant from Oct. 16, 2018, through July 24, 2019
Lincoln Aviator Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV)
- 2020 Lincoln Aviator vehicles built at Chicago Assembly Plant from April 12, 2019, through July 16, 2019.
Ford Motor Company Has a History of Allowing Dangerous Defects into the Marketplace
Consumer Reports has a shocking compilation of dangerous defects in products manufactured and sold by the Ford Motor Company subjected to recall. The Consumer Reports’ list goes back to 1999 and lists literally millions of Ford models offered for sale to the public with serious defects, many of them life-threatening. Even more deplorable is when the Ford defect is reportedly intentional, as for example the July 2019 expose of Ford allowing Focus and Fiesta models to be sold with defective transmissions.
Our firm has a clear understanding of how Ford Motor Company has chosen to put profits over people time and again, allowing defective products to be sold with deadly results.
We know how aggressively Ford can try to avoid responsibility for these fatalities, both in protracted settlement negotiations of personal injury and wrongful death claims as well as in trials seeking justice for Ford crash victims.
- Review our $225,000,000.00 jury verdict against Ford Motor Company involving a door latch failure as well as
- some case summaries of other firm representations involving defective auto products, including
- the confidential settlement of a tragic Ford defective design case where a failure in a Ford Expedition center rear seatbelt buckle resulted in a small boy being fatally injured in a crash in Tom Green County.
As advocates for accident victims suffering permanent harm or death as the result of defective automotive products, we are outraged to find that once more, countless people are driving their Ford vehicles with an unacceptable risk of injury because of a known flaw in their truck or SUV.
Our concern is understandable, since we know firsthand how intransigent these car makers can be when the time comes to take responsibility for their actions. All too often, Ford Motor Company and its competitors will antagonistically defend and defiantly deny liability for what has happened.
- Firm co-founders Jeff Wigington and David Rumley obtained a $225,000,000 verdict against Ford Motor Company, which was reported as one of the largest awards of actual damages in Texas history and the largest award of compensatory damages against Ford Motor Company.
- Jeff Wigington with partner Joe Dunn obtained a $125,000,000 verdict against Volkswagen/Audi, considered to be the largest automobile product liability verdict in the history of Bexar County, Texas, and one of the largest against Audi.
Please note: those owning or operating one of these recalled Ford pickup trucks or Ford SUVs should contact their local Ford dealership, where the dealer will replace the faulty seat for free.