Component

SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER

3,476 NHTSA complaints about seats:front assembly:recliner issues across 41 makes and 420 models.

The seats:front assembly:recliner is one of the standardized component categories NHTSA uses to classify consumer safety complaints. Across the public complaint database, it accounts for 3,476 filings from 41 manufacturers and 420 distinct vehicle models, a footprint large enough that defect engineers can isolate part-family patterns across different platforms that share the same supplier or the same federal motor vehicle safety standard.

Among filings citing this component, owners have reported 869 crashes, 6 fires, 1,177 injuries, and 24 fatalities. The most complained-about vehicle in this category is the FORD EXPLORER with 190 filings, followed by CHEVROLET BLAZER and SATURN SL. These severity counters are what separates a nuisance complaint trend from a pattern NHTSA is likely to escalate into a Preliminary Evaluation.

Component-level analysis is how the Office of Defects Investigation spots cross-manufacturer supplier issues — the same airbag inflator, the same takata-style ignition switch, the same brake hose material — before they become industry-wide recalls. When you see a single component accumulating large complaint volume across several unrelated nameplates, that is usually a signature of a shared supplier or a shared federal standard being stressed by real-world conditions. Use the affected-vehicles table below to see whether the pattern is concentrated on a handful of models or distributed evenly, and cross-reference each model's full recall and investigation history before drawing conclusions about any one nameplate.

3,476
Complaints
420
Models Affected
869
Crashes
6
Fires
24
Deaths

Most Affected Vehicles

# Vehicle Complaints
1 FORD EXPLORER 190
2 CHEVROLET BLAZER 139
3 SATURN SL 128
4 CHEVROLET S10 123
5 DODGE CARAVAN 101
6 PLYMOUTH VOYAGER 77
7 DODGE INTREPID 72
8 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 68
9 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 67
10 CHRYSLER CONCORDE 60
11 SATURN SC1 48
12 HONDA ACCORD 48
13 GMC SONOMA 45
14 DODGE DAKOTA 44
15 DODGE SHADOW 43
16 CHEVROLET CAVALIER 41
17 FORD RANGER 39
18 FORD EXPLORER SPORT 37
19 PONTIAC GRAND AM 35
20 SATURN SC 33
21 FORD MUSTANG 31
22 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN 31
23 HONDA CIVIC 30
24 GMC JIMMY 30
25 GMC SIERRA 29
26 FORD F-150 29
27 CHEVROLET ASTRO 29
28 FORD ESCORT 28
29 CHEVROLET TAHOE 28
30 CHEVROLET C1500 27

Recent Complaints

2019 TOYOTA HIGHLANDER

The contact owns a 2019 Toyota Highlander. The contact stated that while adjusting the driver's seat, the control was making an abnormal buzzing sound. The contact stated that the seat was not moving

2018 HYUNDAI TUCSON

My automatic seat recliner is stuck and hasn’t worked for quiet sometime now. Also The motor stopped working as I was driving home, So I took it to a mechanic to assess the situation and was told th

2011 NISSAN MURANO

The contact's daughter owns a 2011 Nissan Murano. The contact stated that after entering the vehicle, she noticed that the front passenger’s side seat back had completely lowered down and was lying

2016 KIA OPTIMA

The contact owns a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the driver's side seat would inadvertently lower without driver input. The contact stated that the failure recurred several

2019 JEEP WRANGLER

The contact owns a 2019 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that the lever located on the headrests of both the front driver’s and passenger’s seats failed to recline as needed. The contact stated t

2014 TOYOTA COROLLA

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 TOYOTA COROLLA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER HEAD REST WAS UNABLE TO BE REPOSITIONED AND WAS TILTED FORWARD. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT BOTH FRONT SEATS WE

1999 CHRYSLER 300M

MY 1999 300 M HAS THE FOLLOWING ISSUE: ******* RECALL ID # 57541 - SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINERPLUSHIDE DETAILS RECALL DATE: FEB 05, 2003 MODEL AFFECTED: 1999 CHRYSLER 300M SUMMARY: ON CERTAI

1999 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE LATCH FOR THE FRONT SEAT FAILED TO OPERATE CAUSING THE SEAT TO MOVE WHILE DRIVING. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRAC

2000 FORD EXPLORER SPORT

I GOT INTO MY CAR TO GO TO LUNCH FROM MY PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT WITH MY CEO. WHEN I SAT DOWN THE SEAT FELL BACK AND THE SEAT BACK WOULD NOT CATCH AGAIN. I TOOK MY LIFE INTO MY HANDS DRIVING HOME THAT EVE

2002 FORD EXPLORER

2002 FORD EXPLORER. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO A BOLT UNDER THE FRONT SEAT THAT CAN BREAK CAUSING THE SEAT TO MOVE BACK AND FORTH *TGW THE CONSUMER WOULD LIKE HIS VEHICLE REPAIRED AT NO CHARGE, EV

1995 SATURN SL

MY WIFE WAS ON THE WAY HOME FROM PICKING UP OUR KIDS FROM SCHOOL AND THE DRIVERS SEAT RECLINING BACK GAVE WAY RECLINING THE SEAT BACK ALL THE WAY. I LOOKED UP A PREVIOUS RECALL SATURN HAD FOR THE YR,

2000 FORD RANGER

DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT RECLINER RETENTION BOLT HEADS SHEARED OFF WHILE DRIVING, CAUSING DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT TO FALL BACK AGAINST BACK WALL OF TRUCK CAB. ACCIDENT NARROWLY AVOIDED AS HANDS MOMENTARILY CAME

2002 HONDA ODYSSEY

2002 HONDA ODYSSEY. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO SAFETY RECALL CAMPAIGN RELATED TO TRANSMISSION *TGW THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THE RECALL HAD ALREADY BEEN PERFORMED AT 28,232 MILES. HOWEVER, THE CON

2003 CHRYSLER 300M

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 CHRYSLER 300M. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 03V035000 (SEATS: FRONT ASSEMBLY: RECLINER) IN 2003 AND THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. AFTER THE REC

1999 FORD EXPLORER

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS LITTLE SUPPORT FOR THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT BACK AND WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE SEAT FRACTURED. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CA

1995 FORD EXPLORER Crash

1995 FORD EXPLORER. CONSUMER STATES SEAT BACK FAILURE IN REAR -END COLLISION *TGW THE CONSUMER STATED WHILE SITTING AT A RED LIGHT, HE WAS REAR ENDED BY ANOTHER VEHICLE TRAVELING AT ABOUT 30 MPH. UPO

1999 FORD EXPLORER SPORT

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 FORD EXPLORER SPORT. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH WHEN A CHILD PASSENGER IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE PULLED ON THE DRIVER SEAT TO RECLINE HERSELF AND THE SEA

2007 JEEP COMMANDER

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 JEEP COMMANDER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART BY TURNING THE KEY BAC

2006 HYUNDAI SONATA

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 HYUNDAI SONATA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE PASSENGER AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED WHILE THE PASSENGER SEAT WAS OCCUPIED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VE

2005 NISSAN MURANO

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 NISSAN MURANO. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AS HE SET IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT THE BACK LEFT SIDE OF THE SEAT COLLAPSED. HE HAD NOTICE BEFORE THE SEAT COLLAPSED THAT THE SEAT W

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints involve seats:front assembly:recliner issues?
The NHTSA has received 3,476 complaints about seats:front assembly:recliner problems across 420 vehicle models from 41 manufacturers.
How dangerous are seats:front assembly:recliner defects?
SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER issues have been linked to 869 crashes, 6 fires, 1,177 injuries, and 24 deaths according to NHTSA complaint data.
Which vehicles have the most seats:front assembly:recliner problems?
The most complained-about vehicle for seats:front assembly:recliner issues is the FORD EXPLORER with 190 complaints.
Where does PlainCars get its safety data?
All vehicle safety data comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints database, which collects reports from vehicle owners about safety-related defects.

Data Sources

Vehicle complaint data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) complaints database. Includes consumer-reported safety issues filed with NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Severity counts cross-reference NHTSA FARS (Fatality Analysis Reporting System) for fatal incidents where a corresponding FARS record exists.

Component categories are standardized by NHTSA. Crash-test ratings where shown are drawn from the NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP). Complaint counts, crash reports, fire reports, and fatality data reflect consumer-submitted reports and may not represent all incidents.

Disclaimer: This data is for informational purposes only and should not be used as the sole basis for vehicle purchase decisions. NHTSA complaint data is self-reported by consumers and has not been verified or investigated. A high complaint count does not necessarily indicate a defect. Always consult a qualified mechanic and check official NHTSA recall notices before making safety-related decisions.

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