Recently had my 2017 Fiesta serviced and MOT'd at my local Ford dealer.

Afterwards I found the 2 mysterious screws on the passenger seat.  Photo attached.  They are spotlessly clean and given where they were found I sumise that they are internal screws rather than external ones(?)

During the service and MOT they changed the cabin filter and also adjusted the handbrake.

Have checked behind the panel that was removed during the filter check but can't see anything missing.  Also removed the cup holder section of the centre dash and again nothing obvious.

I have raised the issue with the dealer who says that they are not screws removed during the work they completed and aren't even from a Ford!  Their explanation is they fell out of the technicians pocket during the service and MOT and its nothing to worry about.

I think this is tosh but I would love to be proved wrong.  Can anyone help identify where these screws may have come from and advise me so I can put them back.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. 

Kind Regards

Radar

34 minutes ago, Radar1968 said:

Their explanation is they fell out of the technicians pocket during the service and MOT and its nothing to worry about.

I kinda like that explanation! As long as nothing rattles, or falls off, I wouldn't be losing sleep over it...

If they fell out of a Ford technicians pocket at a Ford dealership, but they're not from a Ford, I guess he must be moonlighting at another garage.😀

News Flash:

Technician reports his pocket just fell off 🤣

1 hour ago, StephenFord said:

I kinda like that explanation! As long as nothing rattles, or falls off, I wouldn't be losing sleep over it...

Given it was a main Ford dealer, to be honest I was shocked by their response and apathy.

They are significant screws that look like they are to hold something substantial.  I'm not really too keen on just waiting for a rattle or something falling off, especially as my son drives the car as well.

I'll continue to investigate and remove various pieces of internal trim.

 

3 minutes ago, Eric Bloodaxe said:

If they fell out of a Ford technicians pocket at a Ford dealership, but they're not from a Ford, I guess he must be moonlighting at another garage.😀

They work on other brands obviously but are a Ford dealership.  The screws 'look like VW' apparently. 🤨

Is this Mk7 or Mk8?

Just now, TomsFocus said:

Is this Mk7 or Mk8?

Sorry not sure.  Sorry.  It's a 66 but registered in Feb 2017.

It's not the most recent shape. So Mk 7?  Just like the attached photo.  Not mine but identical.

1 minute ago, Radar1968 said:

Sorry not sure.  Sorry.  It's a 66 but registered in Feb 2017.

It's not the most recent shape. So Mk 7?  Just like the attached photo.  Not mine but identical.

Yes that's Mk7.  So no screws at all in the cupholder section (unlike Mk8).  And the cabin filter screws are silver because they can't be seen.  I think I would have to agree that these haven't come from a cabin filter change or handbrake adjustment on this car.

(Someone else's centre console is probably falling apart as we speak...  )

4 minutes ago, TomsFocus said:

Yes that's Mk7.  So no screws at all in the cupholder section (unlike Mk8).  And the cabin filter screws are silver because they can't be seen.  I think I would have to agree that these haven't come from a cabin filter change or handbrake adjustment on this car.

(Someone else's centre console is probably falling apart as we speak...  )

I'd like to agree with you, I really would, but ask yourself what the chances of this happening are.

If we ignore the filter change and handbrake, where else, internally, around that area could they have come from?  I have no idea what trim etc was removed in order to do any of the work.  I understand there may be a specific steps to change filters and adjust handbrakes but if they were taken off elsewhere to accommodate the work at the personal preference of the technicians then perhaps they were forgotten.

They look very big, substantial screws, like they should secure something important.  They are about 20mm long and I'm guessing 6mm across the thread.  I suppose they could be from the outside but they look too clean.

They look like the sort of thing used to secure various underbonnet trim pieces. You can see similar looking screws in the pic below, for instance.

5 minutes ago, Radar1968 said:

I'd like to agree with you, I really would, but ask yourself what the chances of this happening are.

If we ignore the filter change and handbrake, where else, internally, around that area could they have come from?  I have no idea what trim etc was removed in order to do any of the work.  I understand there may be a specific steps to change filters and adjust handbrakes but if they were taken off elsewhere to accommodate the work at the personal preference of the technicians then perhaps they were forgotten.

They look very big, substantial screws, like they should secure something important.  They are about 20mm long and I'm guessing 6mm across the thread.  I suppose they could be from the outside but they look too clean.

They just look like standard trim screws to me, probably T20 heads, very short, so nothing critical.

They could be HS1 on this diagram?

3 hours ago, Radar1968 said:

they changed the cabin filter

Screws for the pollen filter cover ? 🤔

29 minutes ago, Eric Bloodaxe said:

They look like the sort of thing used to secure various underbonnet trim pieces. You can see similar looking screws in the pic below, for instance.

Thanks  Unfortunately they seem to all be present and they are plastic rather than metal.

Just now, unofix said:

Screws for the pollen filter cover ? 🤔

Sadly not. They are small silver ones and are in place.  This is the exact video I sent to the dealer to show them where id looked. 😆

27 minutes ago, TomsFocus said:

They just look like standard trim screws to me, probably T20 heads, very short, so nothing critical.

They could be HS1 on this diagram?

Thanks for the diagram.  Very useful but sadly the HS1 is in place both sides.  They are slightly smaller as well.  The HX1 at the front is correct on my car but the rear HX1 is an actual Torx screw both sides on mine so maybe this diagram is a bit different to mine as the main green panel is different to mine as well.  

40 minutes ago, Radar1968 said:

Thanks for the diagram.  Very useful but sadly the HS1 is in place both sides.  They are slightly smaller as well.  The HX1 at the front is correct on my car but the rear HX1 is an actual Torx screw both sides on mine so maybe this diagram is a bit different to mine as the main green panel is different to mine as well.  

There are two options for the green panel.  This one with an arm rest, and the other without an armrest for lower spec models.  The basic fixings are the same on both diagrams though.

There really isn't anything else they could've removed inside.  The airbox and MAF use similar screws under the bonnet on some engines, but these ones don't look long enough for that.

24 minutes ago, TomsFocus said:

There are two options for the green panel.  This one with an arm rest, and the other without an armrest for lower spec models.  The basic fixings are the same on both diagrams though.

There really isn't anything else they could've removed inside.  The airbox and MAF use similar screws under the bonnet on some engines, but these ones don't look long enough for that.

Thanks for all your thoughts and help. 
I’m stumped now really but can’t get it out of my head that they came from somewhere. 
Why oh why did they have to end up on my passenger seat. 

If it's any comfort, I have had similar experiences in the past, sometimes more than the odd screw. My tool kit contains several useful items that were left under the bonnet over the years!

 

Does your stop/start function still work? If not, they could have fallen out of the module breaking the system

On 2/21/2025 at 11:08 AM, Radar1968 said:

and aren't even from a Ford!

This is absolute bullshit. I know for a fact that one thing that exact screw in your photo is used for is securing the instrument cluster in place in a Mk2/2.5 Focus. I happen to have a spare one sitting right here with me to compare it with.

Taking a quick skim through the pictures in the Haynes manual I happen to have for the 2013-2017 Fiesta, the pictures aren't great, but it looks like the exact same ones are used for the instrument cluster, plus certain places in/on/for the centre console, facia, FCDIM, doors, parcel shelf support, tailgate trim, the light aperture in the ceiling, the sunvisor mount, and even possibly the camshaft position sensor in the engine bay.

If they took the panels off around the handbrake as part of adjusting it, it seems that they would have been exposed to these sort of screws according to the Haynes manual. While it's entirely possible they're from another vehicle and genuinely fell out of a pocket, it's far more likely that they removed them and forgot to put them back. Mechanics sometimes make mistakes like this, so how can they possibly say confidently that this isn't so without actually checking*. They clearly just don't want to have to go through the effort of correcting their mistake.

*Edit: They may have just adjusted the handbrake at the rear wheels, but the handbrake adjustment procedure in the Haynes manual involves taking apart the centre console.

Specifically in the centre console / facia area, the Haynes manual depicts similar or same screws in the following locations (note there may be more not shown in pictures):

• There's a pair either side at the rear of the centre console (chapter 11, image 24.7)
• Another pair either side toward the "front" end of the centre console (chapter 11, image 24.8), edit, actually more like mid-way along, see the 38-seconds in on the video unofix posted, just after the plastic panel is pulled off, you can see one of these two on the far left; and again at 1:26.
• Another pair underneath the panels securing the centre console to the facia (chapter 11, image 24.9)
• A pair securing the 'upper centre switch/vent panel' to the facia (chapter 12, image 4.23)
• Four fixing the 'switch pack' to the 'facia centre switch/vent panel' (chapter 12, image 4.26)
• Three securing the instrument cluster (chapter 12, images 10.5 and 10.6)
• Two securing the 'front control/display interface module (FCDIM)' to the facia (chapter 12, image 11.2)

Regarding the possibility of it falling out of a pocket, consider not just trouser pockets but possibly a shirt/polo-shirt chest pocket - they may have leaned into the car.

On 2/21/2025 at 2:03 PM, Eric Bloodaxe said:

They look like the sort of thing used to secure various underbonnet trim pieces. You can see similar looking screws in the pic below, for instance.

Those are usually plastic push-rivets.

On 2/23/2025 at 9:08 PM, rd457 said:

Taking a quick skim through the pictures in the Haynes

Thanks for the very detailed reply.  I've ordered a manual and will have a look.

Some of the screws referred to in the video are present and are smaller than the ones I found anyway. 

Regards

Radar

On 2/21/2025 at 1:01 PM, Radar1968 said:

Given it was a main Ford dealer, to be honest I was shocked by their response and apathy.

I'm not

If pollen filter has been changed then they will be from the glovebox area

They really don't do anything else (the dealer)