Do Ram ProMaster and Ram 1500 seats have a recall?
Three of these four recalls are the same defect reported by three different van converters. Prime-Time, Mobility Transportation Services and New England Wheels each recalled Ram ProMaster and Ford Transit vans fitted with Freedman GO-ES foldaway seats, spanning 2014-2019 ProMaster models: when the seat cushion is rotated up from the stowed position, it may not remain locked in place. Only one recall covers a factory-built truck — the 2019 Ram 1500, where the seat track position sensor on a manually adjusted passenger seat can come loose and out of position, so it cannot detect whether the seat is full forward and the passenger airbag may deploy incorrectly.
Warning signs to watch for
- A foldaway seat cushion that does not stay locked when raised upright
- A foldaway seat that shifts or folds back down when you push on it
- No noticeable warning on the 2019 Ram 1500 — the loose seat sensor shows up only in how the passenger airbag deploys in a crash
Is it safe to keep driving?
None of these four recalls carries a stop-driving or park-outside order, so the van or truck can be driven while you arrange the repair. The difference is who rides where. On the converted ProMaster and Transit vans, the foldaway seats should not be used to carry passengers until a Freedman dealer has repaired them, because a cushion that unlocks can move in a crash. The 2019 Ram 1500 drives normally; the seat sensor only matters to how the front passenger airbag deploys.
What the free repair involves
For the foldaway seat recalls, Freedman Seating dealers inspect and repair the GO-ES seats so the cushion locks upright; the upfitter directs owners to them. For the 2019 Ram 1500, a Ram dealer inspects the passenger seat track position sensor bracket and replaces it if necessary. Both are free of charge, and neither is a software or over-the-air fix.
Severity at a glance
| Severity | Recalls |
|---|---|
| high | 1 |
| medium | 3 |
Models affected most
Every recall in this group
| Date | Recall | Severity |
|---|---|---|
| 2019-04-29 | Ford Transit and Ram ProMaster foldaway seats may unlatch | medium |
| 2019-04-18 | Ford Transit and Ram ProMaster fold-away seats may unlock | medium |
| 2019-03-01 | Ford Transit and Ram ProMaster foldaway seats may unlock | high |
| 2018-11-20 | RAM 1500 seat sensor may misjudge airbag deployment | medium |
Common questions
Why did three different companies recall the same ProMaster seats?
Each van converter — Prime-Time, Mobility Transportation Services and New England Wheels — installed the same Freedman GO-ES foldaway seats, so each had to recall the vehicles it built. The defect and the repair are the same in all three.
Can passengers sit in the foldaway seats before the repair?
Better not to. If the cushion does not lock after you rotate it upright, the seat can move in a crash and injure whoever is in it. The van itself is not under a stop-driving order.
What goes wrong with the 2019 Ram 1500 passenger seat?
The seat track position sensor on manually adjusted passenger seats can come loose, so it cannot detect a full-forward seat. The truck drives normally, but the front passenger airbag may not inflate correctly in a crash. The bracket is inspected and replaced as needed.
A recall applies only to specific vehicles. Check your 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.