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