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NHTSA campaign 19V150000 · manufacturer recall 42-0975

2016–2019 Elkhart ECE3 and 1 other Elkhart model: seats recall

In the event of a crash, if the seat back moves, the seat occupant has an increased risk of injury.

high 36 vehicles affected FMVSS 207 11% reported repaired

What was reported

Source: manufacturer filing, 49 CFR Part 573
Problem Forest River, Inc. (Forest River) is recalling certain 2016-2019 Elkhart ECE3 and ECE4 buses, equipped with Freedman GO-ES Foldaway Seats. 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," and 210, "Seat Belt Assembly Anchorages." Risk In the event of a crash, if the seat back moves, the seat occupant has an increased risk of injury. Fix Forest River has notified owners, and Freedman will repair the foldaway seat, free of charge. The recall begin March 8, 2019. Owners may contact Forest River Customer Service at 1-(574) 327-2700 or Freedman customer service at 1-800-443-4540. Forest River's number for this recall is 42-0975.

Reported to NHTSA Mar 1, 2019 by Forest River, Inc, owners notified Mar 8, 2019.

Which vehicles are covered

Source: NHTSA campaign 19V150000

Vehicles built Mar 16, 2016 to Jun 13, 2018 — a VIN outside that window is not part of this campaign even if the year, make and model match.

Model yearOn WhichTrim
2016 Elkhart ECE3
2017 Elkhart ECE3
2018 Elkhart ECE3
2019 Elkhart ECE3
2016 Elkhart ECE4
2017 Elkhart ECE4
2018 Elkhart ECE4
2019 Elkhart ECE4

None of the vehicles this campaign names has a page on WhichTrim: the catalogue covers the cars, trucks and SUVs the EPA certifies from 2016 on, and these vehicles fall outside it — older model years, or motorhomes, trailers, buses, motorcycles and chassis cabs the EPA does not rate. The campaign record above is complete as filed, and whether one specific vehicle is included is settled by its VIN. Other campaigns on vehicles without a page here →

How much of it has been fixed

Source: manufacturer quarterly report, 49 CFR 573.7
Reported repaired 11%

of the campaign

The final figure: the six quarters of reporting that 49 cfr 573.7 requires have closed.

This is the manufacturer's own cumulative count of vehicles it has inspected and repaired, divided by the vehicles the campaign covers. It files that count with NHTSA every quarter for six consecutive quarters, starting from the quarter in which owners were told a remedy was ready, and then the obligation ends — so a figure on an older campaign is where the count stopped, not where it stands today.

It rarely reaches 100%, and not because the work was not done. The same report asks manufacturers to count vehicles they could not reach at all — exported, stolen, scrapped, or simply never located — and those stay in the denominator. A low number means a lot of these vehicles are still out there unrepaired; it does not tell you which ones.

The federal paperwork

Source: nhtsa.gov

Filed documents

Check one specific vehicle

A recall applies to a build range, so year, make and model cannot settle it. NHTSA checks a VIN against the manufacturer's own list and tells you whether the repair is still outstanding on that vehicle.

NHTSA VIN recall lookup →

Campaign 19V150000 · the manufacturer calls it 42-0975

Own one, or run a fleet? Recall Watch checks each VIN against every new NHTSA campaign and emails you when one lands, this one's expansions included. Or take a free one-line alert by model year.

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Common questions

Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR Part 573

Is 42-0975 the same recall as 19V150000?

Yes. 42-0975 is the number Forest River, Inc uses for this campaign in its own paperwork and in the letter it sends owners. 19V150000 is the number NHTSA files it under. One recall, two references — dealers and service departments generally quote the manufacturer's.

Does this recall repair cost anything?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to remedy a safety defect or a compliance failure at no charge, for vehicles up to 15 years old measured from the date of first sale. A dealer that asks you to pay for a recall repair is in the wrong.

How do I know whether my vehicle is included?

By VIN, not by model year. This campaign covers vehicles built Mar 16, 2016 to Jun 13, 2018. The manufacturer files a build range with NHTSA and only vehicles inside it are covered, so two identical-looking cars from the same year can differ. NHTSA's own lookup checks a VIN against the manufacturer's list.

What if the repair is not available yet?

It happens, and often. Manufacturers must notify owners when a defect is found even if the parts or the software are not ready, then notify them a second time once the remedy exists. The remedy filed for this campaign is described above.

What did the manufacturer say was wrong?

The problem, risk and fix quoted on this page are the manufacturer's own words as filed with NHTSA under 49 CFR Part 573. WhichTrim does not paraphrase them.

Who started this recall?

NHTSA's record credits the manufacturer. A recall can begin with the manufacturer's own testing, with a defect investigation, or with a compliance test against a Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard.