MM rearended, drivers seat back collapsed...?

[Ozz]

Greetings,
My 300A was rear ended and they just called me and told me it's totaled. I want to use the insurance money to go out and get another one with fewer miles (mine had just under 120k). There is a problem though.

The driver's seat back collapsed flat when I was hit from behind. I have 2 kid booster seats in the back and would have certainly crushed my daughter's legs if she had been in the car. Now the wife is strongly opposed to me getting another Marauder.

Has anyone else had this happen?

I see Ford has paid out large sums of money over the years due to this issue on CV/GM/MM's as well as on other cars.

Is there a 'fix' for this that I could do to ensure this does not happen again???

The funny thing is that I worked for the company that designed and built the seats for the Marauder... although I did not personally work on these seats.

Suggestions please?

[WhatsUpDOHC]

Man! That sucks! You must have gotten wacked. Glad that your daughter was not with you.

Can you see any structural issues with the seat that caused it to collapse like that?

Is your lower back OK?

[lji372]

1st, glad your ok.

I have no info on the drivers seat collapsing. I'm thinking it could happen with any car depending on drivers weight and how hard you get hit.

How much is the buy out on the car from the insurance company? If your not interested I may be.

[Ozz]

Unfortunately, it looks like seat back collapse is/was a known problem across the whole industry... at this point I'm trying to find out if the requirement (FMVSS 207) has been upgraded since it was written in the '60's. As of a 1999 LA Times article I found, it was being considered at that time - but I'm not sure if it ever was.

My understanding is that the gear teeth in the power seat mechanism are not strong enough to withstand much force. I read that some seats have failed at toll booths when people put extra force on the seat digging for change in their pockets... again, all makes and models.

My back is sore but my neck hurts worse - as the seat fell back I had no neck support and my instinct was to try to stay upright - so I strained all the muscles in the front of my neck - so much so that it still hurts to swallow.

Unfortunately I was pushed into the truck in front of me and when I did I slid forward and into the dash. If I had been upright that would not have happened...

[Ozz]

1st, glad your ok.

I have no info on the drivers seat collapsing. I'm thinking it could happen with any car depending on drivers weight and how hard you get hit.

How much is the buy out on the car from the insurance company? If your not interested I may be.

I see you're local... The car is currently at Bill Brown in Livonia and MetLife is giving me $9,900 for it... plus my $500 deductible (mini-tort filed - should recover this $ from the other driver's insurance company also). The adjuster said he found absolutely no deductions... no dents, no scratches, no interior issues, etc... exceptionally clean car. I'm not sure where it's going but I think it will go to Copart in Woodhaven for auction. If you are interested, I'll find out where it's going and get contact info for you...

I just detailed it and hadn't even washed it one time since... did Maguires 'Crystal System' 3 step cleaner/polish/wax on it...

The front bumper cover was messed up too... I've attached a picture.

[lji372]

I see you're local... The car is currently at Bill Brown in Livonia and MetLife is giving me $9,900 for it... plus my $500 deductible (mini-tort filed - should recover this $ from the other driver's insurance company also). The adjuster said he found absolutely no deductions... no dents, no scratches, no interior issues, etc... exceptionally clean car. I'm not sure where it's going but I think it will go to Copart in Woodhaven for auction. If you are interested, I'll find out where it's going and get contact info for you...

I just detailed it and hadn't even washed it one time since...

The front bumper cover was messed up too... I've attached a picture.

You should have the option of buying it before it goes down the pipe. Most people don't know to ask the question. Ask your adjuster and he will give the the price you can keep it for with a salvage or scrap title.

[burt ragio]

Wow I am sorry to hear about your injury sustained by th accident. It didn't look like a big hit. For a seat to collapse in todays day & age is unrexceptable for any car Co.

[blkZooM]

Wow this is kind of scary, I love my Marauder but with a little one on the way I will be worried about this when ever he/she is in the car

[Ozz]

I figure I was going about 20 and the guy hit me at 45-50 or so. I wasn't hard on the brakes so the car was free to lurch forward. It would have been worse if I had been hard on the brakes.

I agree on your seat assessment. I know who the engineer was that designed the Marauder seat and I just sent him a LinkedIn email 5 minutes ago... hopefully he'll accept and I can ask him some serious questions.

I think it really comes down to the FMVSS. If the requirements are the same as they were in 1968 when it was written, you're not truly safe in the back seat of ANY car... new or old.

Ultimately, this is what I'm trying to figure out... Would my family be safer in the back of a lightly used 2012 Charger RT than they would be in a 2003 or 2004 Mercury... - not to mention the additional cost of a newer car?

[Ozz]

Wow this is kind of scary, I love my Marauder but with a little one on the way I will be worried about this when ever he/she is in the car

ALWAYS put a single in the center seat. When you have a second, then you're screwed... you'll have to figure out which kid you like better...

[ctrlraven]

Glad you are okay and one of your kids was not sitting behind you!

I know the pain of having a driver seat collapse from a rear end crash. Almost 8 years later and I still feel the pain everyday. My accident actually prompted me to buy something bigger with more meat in the rear and the Marauder was picked. I had almost pulled the trigger on a Subaru WRX STi but read reports about a few rear impact crashes causing the main seat bolts to snap and break so that was out of the question.

Not to hijack your thread or anything. Hit by a drunk driver doing 102 mph while I was going 62 mph.

[Ozz]

Glad you are okay and one of your kids was not sitting behind you!

I know the pain of having a driver seat collapse from a rear end crash. Almost 8 years later and I still feel the pain everyday. My accident actually prompted me to buy something bigger with more meat in the rear and the Marauder was picked. I had almost pulled the trigger on a Subaru WRX STi but read reports about a few rear impact crashes causing the main seat bolts to snap and break so that was out of the question.

Not to hijack your thread or anything. Hit by a drunk driver doing 102 mph while I was going 62 mph.

Wow... that's terrible. I work in the auto industry and I have to catch myself at work so I don't call small cars 'death traps' out loud.... Anyone who understands physics would never drive anything small. I don't care if gas is $10 a gallon, I will never put myself or my family in a small car.

[Black Dynamite]

Glad you're OK. Sorry to see another MM out though.

I had a '97 Chevy pickup that the seat back gave out like that in. It had bucket seats in it.

[blkZooM]

Wow... that's terrible. I work in the auto industry and I have to catch myself at work so I don't call small cars 'death traps' out loud.... Anyone who understands physics would never drive anything small. I don't care if gas is $10 a gallon, I will never put myself or my family in a small car.

My dad has always like SUV's after having an 01 Impala as my first car the 04 SS as my second and the marauder as my third, and the GF having a 05 Jetta I told my self Ill only buy big sedans and an SUV. kinda of the reason I've been looking at srt8 Jeep

[Limited360]

Glad to hear you are ok! Crazy how such a big car can crumple up so badly...