Component

SEATS:MID/REAR ASSEMBLY

353 NHTSA complaints about seats:mid/rear assembly issues across 31 makes and 150 models.

The seats:mid/rear assembly is one of the standardized component categories NHTSA uses to classify consumer safety complaints. Across the public complaint database, it accounts for 353 filings from 31 manufacturers and 150 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 37 crashes, 9 fires, 106 injuries, and 4 fatalities. The most complained-about vehicle in this category is the DODGE CARAVAN with 16 filings, followed by NISSAN QUEST and CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY. 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.

353
Complaints
150
Models Affected
37
Crashes
9
Fires
4
Deaths

Most Affected Vehicles

# Vehicle Complaints
1 DODGE CARAVAN 16
2 NISSAN QUEST 15
3 CHRYSLER TOWN AND COUNTRY 14
4 FORD EXPLORER 13
5 FORD WINDSTAR 12
6 TOYOTA SIENNA 10
7 KIA SEDONA 8
8 PLYMOUTH VOYAGER 7
9 HONDA ODYSSEY 7
10 FORD EXPEDITION 7
11 DODGE GRAND CARAVAN 7
12 CHEVROLET SUBURBAN 7
13 CHEVROLET IMPALA 7
14 FORD FOCUS 6
15 HONDA ACCORD 5
16 FORD FREESTAR 5
17 DODGE DURANGO 5
18 TOYOTA COROLLA 4
19 TOYOTA CAMRY SOLARA 4
20 MERCEDES-BENZ ML320 4
21 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE 4
22 HONDA CR-V 4
23 CHEVROLET UPLANDER 4
24 CHEVROLET TAHOE 4
25 CHEVROLET MALIBU 4
26 CHEVROLET CAVALIER 4
27 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA 3
28 PONTIAC SUNFIRE 3
29 PLYMOUTH GRAND VOYAGER 3
30 MERCURY VILLAGER 3

Recent Complaints

2025 KIA CARNIVAL

See attached document for complaint.

2021 FORD EXPLORER

I am having major issues with the 3rd row seating on my Ford explorer getting stuck and not able to be moved. This is happening causing children to not have places to sit and seatbelts to secure them

2018 VOLKSWAGEN ATLAS

The contact owns a 2018 Volkswagen Atlas. The contact stated while, pulling out of the driveway traveling approximately 5 mph the second-row seat sprung forward, with a child utilizing a car seat. The

2014 FORD FUSION

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and attempting to place the rear driver’s side and center seat in the upright position, the seats failed to

2009 CHEVROLET HHR Crash

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2009 CHEVROLET HHR. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE CRASHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE THAT CUT HIM OFF ON THE ROADWAY. THE CONTACT'S CHILD, WHO WAS SECURED

2007 FORD FREESTAR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 FORD FREESTAR. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING REVERSED WITH PASSENGERS SEATED IN THE THIRD ROW, THE THIRD ROW SEAT ATTACHMENT BOLT FRACTURED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SEAT

2017 TOYOTA COROLLA

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 TOYOTA COROLLA. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY AND WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE REAR DRIVER SIDE SEAT FAILED TO LATCH CORRECTLY TO THE FLOORBOARD AND BECAME LOOSE. I

2013 TOYOTA COROLLA

THE REAR SEAT WAS ALWAYS TOUGH TO GET IT TO STAY LOCKED IN PLACE AFTER FOLDING THE SEAT DOWN. AT 70,000 MILES, ONE HALF OF THE 60/40 SEAT WOULD NOT STAY LOCKED IN POSITION, AFTER BEING FOLDED DOWN.

2010 CHEVROLET IMPALA

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2010 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRUNK LOCKED AND WAS UNABLE TO BE OPENED. WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED, THE TURN SIGNALS ALSO FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO TH

2004 MERCURY MONTEREY

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MERCURY MONTEREY. WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT BOTH REAR SEAT

2005 FORD FREESTAR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD FREESTAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE THIRD ROW SEAT ANCHOR/LATCH RUSTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. TH

2003 DODGE RAM 1500

THE REAR SEAT IN THE 2003 DODGE RAM QUAD CAB DOES NOT HAVE HEAD RESTRAINTS. I'M CONCERNED THAT IN AN ACCIDENT MY CHILDREN THAT SIT BACK THERE CAN BE INJURED. THE BACK GLASS IS RIGHT BEHIND THE SEAT AN

2011 CHEVROLET IMPALA

REAR SEAT CENTER HEAD REST LIMITS VISIBILITY, SHOULD BE A RECALL ON THIS. IT IS A DEFINITE HAZARD. *TR

2004 FORD FREESTAR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD FREESTAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PARKED THE CONTACT PULLED THE REAR SEATS UP AND NOTICED THE STUD WHICH HOLDS THE BACK SEAT IN PLACE WAS LOOSE. THE CONTACT PUSH

2004 FORD FREESTAR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD FREESTAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS USED AS A TAXI AND A CUSTOMER COMPLAINED THAT THE REAR SEATS WERE LOOSE. THE CONTACT THEN NOTICED THAT THE REAR SEATS

2011 CHEVROLET IMPALA Crash

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE REVERSING FROM A RESIDENTIAL DRIVEWAY, HE CRASHED INTO A PARKED CAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HIS VIEW OF THE VEHICLE WAS OBS

2011 DODGE JOURNEY

1. TWO AND HALF YEAR OLD TODDLER FELL INSIDE THE CAR IN THE 2ND ROW ISLE. 2. INSIDE SEAT RAILS ARE NOT COVERED AS THE OUTSIDE ONES THAT ARE CLOSER TO THE PASSENGER DOORS. THE POTENTIAL OF HAPPENING AG

2011 CHEVROLET IMPALA

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THE REAR MIDDLE HEAD RESTRAINT WAS OBSTRUCTING HER VISION. AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WAS NOTIFIED AND THEY INFORMED THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATIN

2011 CHEVROLET IMPALA Crash

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 CHEVROLET IMPALA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEADREST IN THE MIDDLE REAR OF THE VEHICLE WAS OBSTRUCTING HIS VIEW. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO DRIVE IN REVERSE, THE CONTACT STATED

2007 KIA SEDONA

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 KIA SEDONA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO LOCK THE SECOND ROW SEAT BACK IN PLACE AFTER IT WAS REMOVED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO PERFORMED A DIAGNOS

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints involve seats:mid/rear assembly issues?
The NHTSA has received 353 complaints about seats:mid/rear assembly problems across 150 vehicle models from 31 manufacturers.
How dangerous are seats:mid/rear assembly defects?
SEATS:MID/REAR ASSEMBLY issues have been linked to 37 crashes, 9 fires, 106 injuries, and 4 deaths according to NHTSA complaint data.
Which vehicles have the most seats:mid/rear assembly problems?
The most complained-about vehicle for seats:mid/rear assembly issues is the DODGE CARAVAN with 16 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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