Ford recently identified an issue with certain rear seat covers for the EcoSport. Specifically, owners of accessory rear seat covers bearing part numbers VNJ1Z-6163812-A (taupe) or VNJ1Z-6163812-B (charcoal) are urged to remove them due to a design flaw hindering the deployment of rear side airbags.
Supplied by CoverCraft Industries, these seat covers obscure the side airbag tear seams, impeding proper airbag deployment. Ford’s Critical Concern Review Group became aware of this on January 16, instigating an investigation.
It was found that the engineering team used a non-North American vehicle for patterning, possibly from the EcoSport’s production in Chennai, India.
Though 207 covers were sold by US dealers, no incidents have been reported. Dealers are contacting customers for refunds, stressing the importance of returning and disposing of the covers. Notably, customers won’t receive mail notifications, relying instead on dealer outreach for rectification.
