Ford Motor Company: Child Seat
Ford Motor Company reported this defect to federal regulators on Apr 1, 1997 and put the number of vehicles at risk at 202. The repair is free for as long as the recall stands.
The defect
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.
The risk
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.
The remedy
THE SECOND ROW BENCH SEATS HAVE BEEN REPLACED WITH SEATS BUILT WITH REVISED HEADREST LOCKOUT MECHANISMS.
1 model year covered
Newest first| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 Ford Windstar | 1,433 | 14 | 65 | 54 |
What this page is, and what to do next
A recall is not an opinion. It is a Part 573 report a manufacturer is required by federal law to file once it decides a defect poses an unreasonable risk to safety, and it commits them to repairing the vehicle at no cost to the owner. The three passages above are the manufacturer’s own wording as published by NHTSA.
This page describes the campaign. It cannot tell you whether one particular car has already been through the shop — that is tracked by VIN, and only the manufacturer knows it. Check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with a franchised dealer, quoting campaign number 97V051000.
Full record for the 1998 Ford Windstar → · Recalls carrying a do-not-drive advisory → · Where this data comes from →