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Ford Transit Foldaway Seat May Not Lock

NHTSA campaign 18V782000 · Reported Nov 6, 2018 · National Van Builders, Inc.

medium How serious is it? About this label

If the seat back does not stay locked in place during a crash, the seat occupant faces an increased risk of injury. The notice does not tell owners to stop driving.

Key facts

NHTSA campaign number	18V782000
Reported to NHTSA	Nov 6, 2018
Manufacturer	National Van Builders, Inc.
Part affected	Seats
Vehicles covered	1 model/year combination, model years 2018
Do-not-drive advisory	No
Park-outside advisory	No
Repair	Free at any franchised dealer

What's wrong, in plain English

Some 2015-2018 Ford Transit vans equipped with Freedman GO-ES foldaway seats have a back seat cushion that, when rotated up from its stowed position into the upright seating position, may not stay locked in place under load, such as during a crash or a sudden stop.

What you should do

1. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to confirm your vehicle is included.
2. Contact National Van Builders customer service at 1-508-222-2272.
3. The seat inspection and repair are free.

Where do I find my VIN, and what do I tell the dealer?

Your VIN is the 17-character code on the lower left of the windshield, on your registration and usually on your insurance card. Enter it at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether this recall is still open on your car. When you call the dealer, say you have an open safety recall and give them NHTSA campaign number 18V782000. More in how recalls work.

Affected vehicles (1)

2018 Ford Transit

Who to contact

Ford — official Ford recall lookup

Customer service: 1-866-436-7332

Any franchised dealer for the brand can do the repair. Phone numbers are taken from manufacturer sites and recent NHTSA notices; if one has changed, the number in your own recall letter is the one to use.

The bigger picture

Ford Seat Recalls Involving Unlocked Seatbacks and Unexpected Movement · all 21 Ford recalls in this area

Other Ford Transit recalls

Dec 17, 2025Wheelchair Restraints in Various Vehicles May Not Lockhigh
Sep 4, 2025Ford Rearview Camera May Show Distorted Imagemedium
Jun 27, 2025Ford and Lincoln rearview cameras may show blank imagemedium
Jul 19, 2023Ford Transit Fuel Hose May Leak Gasolinecritical
Dec 16, 2021Ford Transit AWD Driveshaft Bolts May Loosenhigh
Aug 11, 2021Ford Transit parking brake cable may failhigh

All 22 Transit recalls

Official notice

Component: SEATS
Summary: National Van Builders, Inc. (National Van) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Ford Transit vehicles equipped with Freedman GO-ES Foldaway Seats, part numbers 43705, 45467, 48923, and 75719. When the back seat cushion is rotated from the stowed position to the upright position, the seat cushion may not remain locked into place when under load, such as in a crash or a sudden stop. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 207, "Seating Systems."
Safety risk: In the event of a crash, if the seat back moves, the seat occupant has an increased risk of injury.
Remedy: National Van will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and repair the foldaway seat, free of charge. The recall began November 26, 2018. Owners may contact National Van customer service at 1-508-222-2272.

Verify your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov. Recall repairs are free of charge by law.