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Ford Transit, Ram ProMaster vans: seat belts may not secure

NHTSA campaign 20V250000 · Reported 2020-05-05 · National Van Builders, Inc.

high How serious is it? About this label

An unsecured occupant has an increased risk of injury in the event of a crash. The notice does not tell owners to stop driving.

What's wrong, in plain English

These vans were fitted with Freedman fold-away seats by an outside company. A part inside the front seat belt retractor — the piece that lets the belt reel in and out — was not set up correctly. Because of that, the belt may not lock and hold a person snugly against the seat. The vans do not meet the federal safety rule for seat belts. A dealer will put in new retractors at no cost.

What you should do

1. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to confirm your van is included in campaign 20V250000.
2. Call National Van Builders at 1-800-527-7477 or Freedman at 1-800-443-4540 to schedule the retractor replacement.
3. Have the seat belt retractors replaced — the repair is free.

Affected vehicles (2)

2019 RAM Promaster
2020 Ford Transit

Who to contact

Ford — official Ford recall lookup

Customer service: 1-866-436-7332

RAM — official RAM recall lookup

Customer service: 1-800-853-1403

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 belt recalls: anchors, pretensioners and buckles explained · all 18 Ford recalls in this area
Are Ram seat belt retractors and anchors safe? Recall guide · all 6 RAM recalls in this area

Official notice

Component: SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
Summary: National Van Builders, Inc. (National Van Builders) is recalling certain vehicles based on 2019-2020 Ford Transit and 2019 Ram Promaster vans equipped with Freedman GO-ES foldaway seats. The seat belt retractor block out zone may have not been set correctly, potentially resulting in a seat belt that may not properly secure the occupant. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 209, "Seat Belt Assemblies."
Safety risk: An unsecured occupant has an increased risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Remedy: National Van Builders will notify owners, and dealers will replace the retractors, free of charge. The recall began May 19, 2020. Owners may contact Freedman customer service at 1-800-443-4540 or National Van Builders customer service at 1-800-527-7477.

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