16C11 – Driver Seat Backrest Frame Inspection – 2016 Ford Explorer & F-150

NHTSA

16V475

SUMMARY:

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2016 Ford Explorer and F-150 vehicles equipped with a manual recline driver’s seat.

The seat back frame may have insufficient welds which may not meet the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numbers 202, “Head Restraints” and 207, “Seating Systems.”

 

CONSEQUENCE:

The seat back may not adequately restrain the occupant during a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

 

REMEDY:

Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the seat back frame, free of charge.

The recall is expected to begin on August 15, 2016.

Owners may contact Ford at 1-800-392-3673.

Ford’s number for this recall is 16C11.

 

NOTES:

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

 

Check if your Vehicle has a Recall

 

June 28, 2016

TO: All U.S. Ford and Lincoln Dealers

SUBJECT: DEMONSTRATION / DELIVERY HOLD – Compliance Recall 16C11

Certain 2016 Model Year F-150 and Explorer Vehicles Equipped with Manual Seat Backrest Recliner
Driver Seat Backrest Frame Inspection

 

AFFECTED VEHICLES

Vehicle	Model Year	Assembly Plant	Build Dates
F-150	2016	Dearborn	February 20, 2016 through February 25, 2016
F-150	2016	Kansas City	February 17, 2016 through February 24, 2016
Explorer	2016	Chicago	February 17, 2016 through March 7, 2016

 

Affected vehicles are identified in OASIS and FSA VIN Lists.

 

REASON FOR THIS COMPLIANCE RECALL

Some of the affected vehicles may fail to conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 202:  Head Restraints and FMVSS 207:  Seating Systems.  The driver seat backrest frame may have been improperly welded and may not adequately restrain an occupant in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

 

SERVICE ACTION

Before demonstrating or delivering any of the vehicles involved in this recall, dealers are to inspect, and if necessary, replace the driver seat backrest frame.  This service must be performed on all affected vehicles at no charge to the vehicle owner.

NOTE:  It is anticipated that parts will be available in sufficient quantities to repair all vehicles by late July 2016.  Until then, dealers are only to repair vehicles that arrive at your dealership with a broken driver seat backrest frame.

 

OWNER NOTIFICATION MAILING SCHEDULE

Owner letters are expected to be mailed the week of August 15, 2016.  Until parts are available in sufficient quantities, dealers should only repair vehicles that arrive at your dealership with a broken driver seat backrest frame.

 

PLEASE NOTE:

Federal law requires dealers to complete this recall service before a new vehicle is delivered to the buyer or lessee.  Violation of this requirement by a dealer could result in a civil penalty of up to $21,000 per vehicle.  Correct all vehicles in your new vehicle inventory before delivery.

 

ATTACHMENTS  

Attachment I: Administrative Information
Attachment II: Labor Allowances and Parts Ordering Information
Attachment III: Technical Information
Owner Notification Letter

 

QUESTIONS & ASSISTANCE

For questions and assistance, contact the Special Service Support Center (SSSC) via the SSSC Web

Contact Site.  The SSSC Web Contact Site can be accessed through the Professional Technician Society (PTS) website using the SSSC link listed at the bottom of the OASIS VIN report screen or listed under the SSSC tab.

Sincerely,

 

Michael A. Berardi

 

ATTACHMENT I

DEMONSTRATION / DELIVERY HOLD – Compliance Recall 16C11
Certain 2016 Model Year F-150 and Explorer Vehicles Equipped with Manual Seat Backrest Recliner
Driver Seat Backrest Frame Inspection

 

OASIS ACTIVATION

OASIS will be activated on June 28, 2016.

 

FSA VIN LISTS ACTIVATION

FSA VIN Lists will be available through https://web.fsavinlists.dealerconnection.com on June 28, 2016.  Owner names and addresses will be available by August 26, 2016.

NOTE:  Your FSA VIN Lists may contain owner names and addresses obtained from motor vehicle registration records.  The use of such motor vehicle registration data for any purpose other than in connection with this recall is a violation of law in several states, provinces, and countries.

Accordingly, you must limit the use of this listing to the follow-up necessary to complete this recall.

 

STOCK VEHICLES

• Inspect all affected units in your new vehicle inventory using Attachment III: Technical Information.
• Correct all affected units in your new vehicle inventory before delivery.

NOTE:  It is anticipated that parts will be available in sufficient quantities to repair all vehicles by late July 2016.  Until then, this repair should only be performed on dealer stock vehicles with a customer sales contract.

 

SOLD VEHICLES

• Owners of affected vehicles will be directed to dealers for repairs.
• Correct other affected vehicles identified in OASIS which are brought to your dealership.

NOTE:  It is anticipated that parts will be available in sufficient quantities to repair all vehicles by late July 2016.  Until then, dealers are only to repair vehicles that arrive at your dealership with a broken driver seat backrest frame.

 

TITLE BRANDED / SALVAGED VEHICLES

Affected title branded and salvaged vehicles are eligible for this recall.

 

ADDITIONAL REPAIR (LABOR TIME AND/OR PARTS) 

Additional repairs identified as necessary to complete the FSA should be managed as follows:

• For vehicles within new vehicle bumper-to-bumper warranty coverage, follow existing warranty and policy guidelines for related damage claims. No SSSC approval is required for these vehicles:
  • Ford vehicles – 3 years or 36,000 miles

• For vehicles outside new vehicle bumper-to-bumper warranty coverage, submit an Approval Request to the SSSC Web Contact Site prior to completing the repair.

 

OWNER REFUNDS

Refunds are not approved for this program.

 

 

RENTAL VEHICLES

Dealers are pre-approved for up to 1 day for a comparable rental vehicle, if inspection of the driver seat backrest frame determines replacement is necessary.  Follow Extended Service Plan (ESP) guidelines for dollar amounts.  Rentals will only be reimbursed for the day(s) the vehicle is at the dealership for part replacement.  Prior approval for more than 1 rental day(s) is required from the SSSC via the SSSC Web Contact Site.

 

CLAIMS PREPARATION AND SUBMISSION

• Enter claims using Direct Warranty Entry (DWE) or One Warranty Solution (OWS).
  • DWE: refer to ACESII manual for claims preparation and submission information.
  • OWS: when entering claims in DMS software, select claim type 31: Field Service Action. The FSA number (16C11) is the sub code.
• Additional labor and/or parts must be claimed as related damage on a separate repair line from the FSA.
• For rental vehicle claiming, follow Extended Service Plan (ESP) guidelines for dollar amounts. Enter the total amount of the rental expense under Miscellaneous Expense code RENTAL.

 

ATTACHMENT II

DEMONSTRATION / DELIVERY HOLD – Compliance Recall 16C11
Certain 2016 Model Year F-150 and Explorer Vehicles Equipped with Manual Seat Backrest Recliner
Driver Seat Backrest Frame Inspection

 

LABOR ALLOWANCES

Description	Labor Operation	Labor Time
Inspect driver seat backrest frame – PASS – replacement not required	16C11A	0.3 Hours
Inspect driver seat backrest frame – DOES NOT PASS – replacement required –- parts not available* (claiming this labor operation will not close the program)	MT16C11	Actual Time, up to 0.3 Hours
Inspect driver seat backrest frame – DOES NOT PASS – replace the driver seat backrest frame	16C11B	1.4 Hours

 

*MT16C11 is only to be used to re-assemble the vehicle when parts are not available.  MT16C11 should not be claimed with 16C11A, 16C11B, or with a rental.

 

PARTS REQUIREMENTS / ORDERING INFORMATION

SSSC Web Part Order Tool:

Please submit a part order contact using the SSSC link at the bottom of the OASIS VIN report screen.

Part Number	Description	Order Quantity
FU5Z-9661019-A	Driver seat backrest frame	1
Order the parts below through normal order processing channels
W715828-S437	Backrest frame-to-lower frame bolts (4 bolts/package, 4 bolts required)	1
W711687-S300	Backrest cover-to-backrest frame push pins (4 pins/package, 2 pins required)	1
-96610A16-	Headrest guide pins, one inboard and one outboard needed per repair – refer to Ford Catalog Advantage to determine the specific part numbers based on interior trim color	2
W717731-S451	Lower seat frame-to-floor bolts – F-150 only (4 bolts/package, 4 bolts required)	1
W709428-S424	Seat track-to-floor bolts – Explorer only (4 bolts/package, 2 bolts required)	1
W709622-S424	Seat track-to-cross member bolts – Explorer only (4 bolts/package, 2 bolts required)	1

 

NOTE:  It is anticipated that parts will be available in sufficient quantities to repair all vehicles by late July 2016.  Until then, dealers are only to repair vehicles that arrive at your dealership with a broken driver seat backrest frame or dealer stock vehicles with a customer sales contract.

 

The DOR/COR number for this recall is 51047.

When submitting a part order using the SSSC for the driver seat backrest frame, please be prepared to provide dealer P&A code and VIN.

Dealers will be notified via a DOES II communication if circumstances warrant a change in part supply strategy and when open ordering resumes.

To guarantee the shortest delivery time, an emergency order for parts must be placed.

 

DEALER PRICE  

For latest prices, refer to DOES II.

 

PARTS RETENTION AND RETURN

Follow the provisions of the Warranty and Policy Manual, Section 1 – WARRANTY PARTS RETENTION AND RETURN POLICIES.

 

EXCESS STOCK RETURN

Excess stock returned for credit must have been purchased from Ford Customer Service Division in accordance with Policy Procedure Bulletin 4000.

 

CERTAIN 2016 MODEL YEAR F-150 AND EXPLORER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH
MANUAL SEAT BACKREST RECLINER — DRIVER SEAT BACKREST FRAME
INSPECTION

OVERVIEW

Some of the affected vehicles may fail to conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 202: Head Restraints, and FMVSS 207: Seating Systems. The driver seat backrest frame may have been improperly welded and may not adequately restrain an occupant in a crash, increasing the risk of injury. Dealers are to inspect, and if necessary, replace the driver seat backrest frame.

 

INSPECTION PROCEDURE

NOTE: This inspection procedure will access the driver seat backrest frame build date to determine if
replacement is required. The build date information is located at the lower rear portion of the
backrest frame.

1. From behind the driver seat, release both electrical connector retainers from under the seat and position the wire harnesses aside. See Figure 1.

FIGURE 1

 

2. Detach the two backrest cover straps and position the backrest cover upward. See Figure 2.

FIGURE 2

 

3. Detach the backrest cover lower J-clip. See Figure 3.

FIGURE 3

 

4. For F-150 vehicles, detach the hook-and-loop retainer and position the backrest cover strap aside. See Figure 4.

FIGURE 4

 

5. Remove the four push-pin retainers and position aside the wire harness to access the driver seat
   backrest frame label or engraved part information. See Figure 5.

FIGURE 5

 

6. Determine the driver seat backrest frame build date, which will be listed on a label or engraved. See Figures 6 and 7.

FIGURE 6

 

FIGURE 7

 

NOTE: Alternatively, a QR code scanner application can be used to retrieve the build date code using a smart phone or tablet.

• The build date code will be listed in YYMMDD format after the fourteen character engineering
  part number. See Figure 8.

FIGURE 8

 

7. Was the driver seat backrest frame built on February 15, 2016 (160215) through February 19, 2016 (160219)?
   • NO – The driver seat backrest frame PASSES inspection and no further action is required.
     Reassemble the vehicle.
   • YES – The driver seat backrest frame DOES NOT PASS inspection and must be replaced.
     Proceed to the Driver Seat Backrest Frame Replacement Procedure:
     • – For F-150 vehicles, see Page 6.
     • – For Explorer vehicles, see Page 11.

 

F-150 Vehicles – Driver Seat Backrest Frame Replacement Procedure

1. Remove the driver front seat. Please follow the Workshop Manual (WSM) procedures in Section 501-10A.
2. If equipped with manual lumbar, adjust the lumbar to the fully relaxed position.
3. Remove the recline handle and lumbar knob (if equipped). See Figure 9.

FIGURE 9

 

4. Remove the two head restraint guide sleeves. Please follow the WSM procedures in Section 501-10A.
5. Remove the two side shield screws. See Figure 10.

FIGURE 10

 

6. Remove the side shield. See Figure 11.
   1. Lift up on the rear of the side shield and pull outward.
   2. Push the side shield forward.
   3. Disconnect the electrical connector.

FIGURE 11

 

7. Remove the two screws and the recline cover. See Figure 12.

FIGURE 12

 

8. Remove the two seat cover side push-pins. See Figure 13.

FIGURE 13

 

NOTE: Do not seperate the side airbag from the seat cover.

9. Remove the side airbag. Please follow the WSM procedures in Section 501-20B.
10. If equipped, detach the backrest cover J-clips from the lumbar support wire and position the backrest cover up. See Figure 14.

FIGURE 14

 

11. Remove the seat backrest cushion, cover, and the side airbag as an assembly. See Figure 15.

FIGURE 15

 

12. Remove and discard the four bolts and remove the front seat backrest. Disconnect the lumber cable if equipped. See Figure 16.
    • Torque: 33 lb.ft (45 Nm).

FIGURE 16

 

13. Remove the lumbar assembly. See Figures 17 and 18.
    1. Release the lumbar assembly cable retainer (manual lumbar only).
    2. Detach the lumbar assembly cable (manual lumbar only).
    3. Detach the lumbar assembly J-hooks.
    4. Detach the lumbar assembly upper J-hooks.
    5. Disconnect the electrical connector (power lumbar only).

FIGURE 17

 

FIGURE 18

 

14. To install the new driver seat backrest frame, reverse the removal procedure.

 

Explorer Vehicles – Driver Seat Backrest Frame Replacement Procedure

1. Remove the driver front seat. Please follow the Workshop Manual (WSM) procedures in Section 501-10A.
2. Remove the two front head restraint guide sleeves. Please follow the WSM procedures in Section 501-10A.
3. If equipped, remove the recline handle. See Figure 19.

FIGURE 19

 

4. Remove the two side shield screws. See Figure 20.

FIGURE 20

 

5. Remove the side shield. See Figure 21.
   1. Lift up on the rear of the side shield and pull outward.
   2. Push the side shield forward.
   3. Disconnect the electrical connector.

FIGURE 21

 

6. Remove the two screws and the recline cover. See Figure 22.

FIGURE 22

 

NOTE: Do not separate the side airbag from the cushion cover.

7. Remove the side airbag. Please follow the WSM procedures in Section 501-20B.
8. Remove the seat backrest cushion, cover, and the side airbag as an assembly. See Figure 23.

FIGURE 23

 

9. Remove and discard the four bolts and remove the front seat backrest. See Figure 24.
   • Torque: 33 lb.ft (45 Nm).

FIGURE 24

 

10. Disconnect the electrical connector, release the J-hooks, and remove the power lumbar assembly. See Figure 25.

FIGURE 25

 

11. To install the new driver seat backrest frame, reverse the removal procedure.