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NHTSA Recall 13V081000: Seats

Ford Motor Company reported this safety recall to NHTSA on , covering an estimated 196,667 vehicles. It affects 2 models including the Ford Freestar.

196,667
vehicles potentially affected
2
models affected
2013
owners notified (March 28)
NHTSA campaign13V081000
Manufacturer campaign13S01
ComponentSEATS
Report receivedMarch 7, 2013
Owner notificationMarch 28, 2013
Initiated byNHTSA Office of Defects Investigation

Defect

Ford is recalling certain model year 2004-2007 Freestar and Mercury Monterey vehicles manufactured from March 24, 2003, through November 7, 2006, equipped with a third row seat and originally sold in, or currently registered in, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia. The third row stowable seat can experience corrosion and structural degradation at the seat anchor mechanism mounted to the rear wheel wells. As a result of the corrosion, the third row seat may not fully latch into its seating position.

Safety risk

In the event that the vehicle is crashed into from the rear, an unlatched seat may increase the risk of personal injury.

Remedy

Ford will notify owners, and dealers will install new third row seat latch striker mounting brackets, free of charge. The recall began on March 28, 2013. Owners may contact Ford Motor Company Customer Relationship Center at 1-866-436-7332.

Notes

Ford's recall campaign number is 13S01.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.

Vehicles covered by recall 13V081000

Make and modelModel years
Ford Freestar2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
Mercury Monterey2004, 2005, 2006, 2007

Being listed here means the campaign covers the model year, not that every car was built with the defect or is still unrepaired. Enter your VIN above to check your specific vehicle. Recall repairs are free at authorised dealers. Source: NHTSA, October 2026.