NHTSA Campaign Number
97V051000
CHILD SEAT
Reported to NHTSA: April 1, 1997
Key Takeaways
- Recall 97V051000 currently maps to 1 tracked vehicle-year page across 1 make.
- This page summarizes the official defect description, safety consequence, and remedy text published by NHTSA for this campaign.
- This is a campaign-level lookup, not a VIN-level clearance result. Use a VIN lookup before assuming your specific vehicle is still open.
Defect Description
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MINIVAN EQUIPPED WITH SECOND ROW BENCH SEATS WITH OPTIONAL INTEGRATED CHILD SEAT (ICS). THE HEADREST LOCKOUT MECHANISM ON THE SEATS MAY NOT ENGAGE AND LOCK THE HEADRESTS IN THE "DOWN" POSITION, AS INTENDED, WHEN THE ICS IS DEPLOYED. A VEHICLE OCCUPANT COULD MOVE THE HEADREST TO THE "UP" POSITION.
Safety Consequence
AS A RESULT OF THE HEADREST BEING IN THE "UP" POSITION, A CHILD SEATED IN THE ICS WOULD RECEIVE LESS THAN THE INTENDED PROTECTION IN THE CHILD HEAD AREA IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH.
Remedy
THE SECOND ROW BENCH SEATS HAVE BEEN REPLACED WITH SEATS BUILT WITH REVISED HEADREST LOCKOUT MECHANISMS.
What This Recall Page Shows
This page summarizes a single NHTSA recall campaign, including the defect description, safety consequence, and manufacturer's remedy. The affected vehicles listed below are the make/model/year combinations tracked in our database — this is not a VIN-specific result. To check whether your individual vehicle is covered by this recall, enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Click any vehicle below to view its full safety profile.
Affected Vehicles (1)
| Year | Make | Model |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Ford | Windstar |
Browse Affected Vehicles
Related Seat Belts & Restraints Campaigns
These campaigns share the same broad recall component family, so they are useful if you want to compare how similar issue types appeared across other vehicles and time periods.
This recall information is from NHTSA campaign 97V051000. This site is not affiliated with NHTSA. Contact your dealer or call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 for more information.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026