Ford has issued a recall for 33,256 Ford and Mercury vehicles, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The models include the Ford Explorer, Ford Explorer Sport Trac, Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan and Mercury Mountaineer from the 2010 model year.
The recall affects vehicles manufactured between Dec. 15, 2009, and Feb. 3, 2010, and equipped with front seat manual recliners. The recliner gear plate teeth for the head restraint may have improper dimensions and could result in “limited pawl to gear plate tooth engagement.” This means during a crash the seatback and head restraint may slip backward, which could increase the risk of injury.
Dealers will replace the manual recliners for power or manual seats. The fix will be free of charge.
Owners may contact Ford at 866-436-7332 or NHTSA’s hot line at 888-327-4236.