NHTSA recall 20V250000
A recall listed here may apply to a vehicle of this year, make and model. Only the manufacturer can say whether it applies to one vehicle: check the VIN with the official lookups.
| Published by | NHTSA (United States) |
|---|---|
| Campaign number | 20V250000 |
| Manufacturer's number | 20E-004 |
| Manufacturer | National Van Builders, Inc. |
| Reported | 2020-05-05 |
| Owners notified | 2020-05-19 |
| Component | SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR |
| Units potentially affected | 5 |
| Part numbers | 43705, 44000, 44001 |
| Report | Quarterly report 1, for 2020 quarter 2 |
|---|---|
| Filed with NHTSA | 2020-09-25 |
| Vehicles in the campaign | 5 |
| Reported remedied | 5 (100%) |
| Reported unreachable | 0 |
| Reported removed | 0 |
These are the manufacturer's totals for the whole campaign at the end of 2020 quarter 2, as filed with NHTSA. They do not say whether one vehicle has been remedied: check the VIN with the official lookups. The reports are from data as of 2026-10-19.
What is wrong
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."
What can happen
An unsecured occupant has an increased risk of injury in the event of a crash.
The 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.
Notes
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
| 2019 FORD TRANSIT | |
|---|---|
| 2020 FORD TRANSIT | |
| 2019 RAM PROMASTER |
A vehicle with no link is not in this site's catalog, which covers cars, multipurpose vehicles and trucks by model year. The campaign is from data as of 2026-10-19.
Bulletins for the same vehicles and component
| SSM 51907 | 2023-10-04. Service bulletin. Some 2015-2023 Transit vehicles may exhibit front seat safety belts that do not extend or retract properly or may exhibit an abnormal noise. Verify if the vehicle has been modified, in particular if a bulkhead partition between the front seats and cargo area has been added to the vehicle. Fasteners or holes in the lower b-pillar are indicators that the seat belt retractor mechanism could have been compromised. If diagnostics lead to retractor replacement, inspect for drill or screw holes in the retractor housing. Damage to the seat belt retractor caused by a vehicle modifier is not warrantable. |
|---|---|
| SSM 50874 | 2022-06-30. Service bulletin. Some 2015-2022 Transit vehicles may exhibit front seat safety belts that do not extend or retract properly or may exhibit an abnormal noise. Verify if the vehicle has been modified, in particular if a bulkhead partition between the front seats and cargo area has been added to the vehicle. Fasteners or holes in the lower b-pillar are indicators that the seat belt retractor mechanism could have been compromised. If diagnostics lead to retractor replacement, inspect for drill or screw holes in the retractor housing. Damage to the seat belt retractor caused by a vehicle modifier is not warrantable. |
| SSM 50236 | 2021-11-02. Service bulletin. Some 2015-2021 Transit vehicles may exhibit front seat safety belts that do not extend or retract properly or may exhibit an abnormal noise. Verify if the vehicle has been modified, in particular if a bulkhead partition between the front seats and cargo area has been added to the vehicle. Fasteners or holes in the lower b-pillar are indicators that the seat belt retractor mechanism could have been compromised. If diagnostics lead to retractor replacement, inspect for drill or screw holes in the retractor housing. Damage to the seat belt retractor caused by a vehicle modifier is not warrantable. |
| SSM 47723 | 2019-03-04. Service bulletin. Some 2015-2019 Transit vehicles may exhibit front seat safety belts that do not extend or retract properly or may exhibit an abnormal noise. Verify if the vehicle has been modified, in particular if a bulkhead partition between the front seats and cargo area has been added to the vehicle. Fasteners or holes in the lower b-pillar are indicators that the seat belt retractor mechanism could have been compromised. If diagnostics lead to retractor replacement, inspect for drill or screw holes in the retractor housing. Damage to the seat belt retractor caused by a vehicle modifier is not warrantable. |
A bulletin is the manufacturer's note to its dealers. It is not part of this recall.