Seat Back No Lock Position

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BET

UPDATE EMAIL ADDRESS
I noticed that the seat backs on our 2002 model do not lock into position: they can be pushed forward whether the car is parked or in motion. I asked the dealer about it and he informed me that all the cars had this characteristic and that he wasn't aware of any safety issues related to it. Is he correct?
 

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BET, I believe that the seats will lock automatically when you make a hard stop/ panic stop. I know that's how it works on my 96 Riviera. I also looked through the T-Bird manual and I can't find anything on the subject.
 
My '85 T-bird was this way. No latch to push seat forward to give access to back seat. But hard stop or even parking on a hill kept it from moving all the way. I don't think there's any safety issue.

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red/red/partial red
 
JT, also thank you for thinking about this: looks as if there probably is a panic/hard stop locking feature, but I will also try to find some official verification from Ford as well as report on the hill test. Many thanks.
 
I have found the same thing on my Bird. It doesn't seem right to have a latch there that is non-functional. Who can give us an authoratative answer? Who do we contact at Ford?

Mike
 
The seatback latch we are used to in older cars had to be released everytime the seatback was pushed forward. Todays new Ford's the seatback latch is only there for emergency purposes. In the event of a frontal crash the latch will lock just like the seatbelt pre-tensioners will re-coil. The latch would then be used to allow the seatback to go forward. This is really more useful for cars with backseats.

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Yellow/Yellow Prem. 02 Bird w/full accent
1999 F150 Super Cab 4x4 Off Road
1998 Taurus SE Sport 24V
 
Lon, thanks for what seems to be the definitive answer. I couldn't imagine that the car could have passed the recent crash tests without some feature like the one you describe. I saw a car like yours today - very nice. We have the same package in blue which fits our coastal setting in Santa Cruz, CA.

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