NHTSA Investigation
PE03020
FRONT SEAT BACK RECLINER ATTACHMENT
Key Takeaways
- Investigation PE03020 currently maps to 8 tracked vehicle-year pages across 1 make.
- This page summarizes the public investigation subject, status, timing, and affected tracked vehicles linked from NHTSA source data.
- The linked component on this record is seats:front assembly:recliner.
- This investigation record also references recall campaign 03V281000.
What This Investigation Page Shows
This page summarizes a public NHTSA investigation record tied to one or more tracked vehicle-year pages in our database. Investigation records sit between owner complaints and recall campaigns: they can remain open, close without a recall, or connect to a later remedy action. Use this page to see which tracked vehicles are linked to the record, then open the individual vehicle pages for complaints, recalls, and crash test context.
Investigation Summary
BY LETTER DATED AUGUST 4, 2003, FORD NOTIFIED THE AGENCY THAT IT IS CONDUCTING A VOLUNTARY SAFETY RECALL (NHTSA RECALL NO. 03V281) INVOLVING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR (MY) 1998-2001 FORD EXPLORER / MERCURY MOUNTAINEER 4-DOOR, MY 1998-2000 FORD EXPLORER 2-DOOR AND MY 2001-2002 FORD EXPLORER SPORT AND SPORT TRAC VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH HIGH BACK SEATS.COMPLAINTS ALLEGE THAT THE DRIVER'S SEAT BACK RECLINED WITHOUT WARNING.A BOLT BETWEEN THE UPPER SEAT RECLINER ATTACHMENT AND THE SEAT BACK FRAME MAY FRACTURE.FORD WILL REPLACE THE BOLT THAT ATTACHES THE SEAT RECLINER MECHANISM TO THE SEAT BACK FRAME ON THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT.BASED ON FORD'S SAFETY RECALL ACTION, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.
Manufacturer listed on the source record: Ford Motor Company
Component listed on the source record: SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER
Affected Vehicles (8)
| Year | Make | Model |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Ford | Explorer |
| 1999 | Ford | Explorer |
| 2000 | Ford | Explorer |
| 2001 | Ford | Explorer |
| 2001 | Ford | Explorer Sport |
| 2002 | Ford | Explorer Sport |
| 2001 | Ford | Explorer Sport Trac |
| 2002 | Ford | Explorer Sport Trac |
Browse Affected Vehicles
Affected Models
All data is sourced from NHTSA public records. This site is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration or any government agency. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and may not reflect confirmed defects. For official information, visit nhtsa.gov.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026