Ford dealer to recall vehicles over seat defect

Ford Motor, the second largest US automaker, will recall cars and sport utility vehicles (SUV) of 2010 models due to a defect in the front seat manual recliner, said Al Tayer Motors, the local distributor of Ford.

In a statement to Emirates Business, Al Tayer Motors said the vehicles to be recalled for servicing are Ford Fusion, Explorer, Sport Trac, Mercury Milan and Mountaineer models equipped with front seat manual recliners.

"The front seat manual recliner in some of the affected vehicles may have been improperly manufactured, possibly causing the seatback to move rearward in some cases. Approximately 80 vehicles are estimated to be included in this campaign in the UAE," it said.

The UAE announcement follows Ford Motor's decision last week to recall 33,256 vehicles globally, including its best-selling Fusion, because front seats and headrests may collapse back during a crash.

Al Tayer Motors, which also represents other major European and American automobile manufacturers such as Land Rover, Jaguar, Lincoln, Mercury, Ferrari, Maserati and Spyker across the UAE, said vehicle owners of the Ford models listed above would be contacted to schedule their vehicle's inspection. Repairs will be free of charge.

The auto major said the affected seats will be replaced by manual seats without the defect or power seats.

The automaker is expected to post first-quarter profits due to increased production at its North American facility and a gradual recovery in the United States auto industry sales.

Global automakers have been badly hit by the recalls, which have taken a toll on their profits and left them facing rating downgrades.

Toyota, the world's largest automaker, last week announced recall of 34,000 vehicles due to technical defects. Ratings agency Moody's Investors Service downgraded Toyota to Aa2 from Aa1 on Thursday and said the rating came with a negative outlook.

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