In early June, Ford announced that it is recalling over two million vehicles across the country due to a defective door hinge. These faulty door hinges may cause the doors to fly open while the vehicle is in motion, posing a great risk to those inside and to other cars, cyclists, and pedestrians on the road. While many newer Ford models have been impacted by this issue, the current recall also applies to older models that may have been repaired under a similar recall and that are still experiencing problems with the doors falling open.
A Widespread Problem
According to Ford, this recall affects around 2.15 million vehicles in the United States. The affected models include the 2011-2014 Ford Fiesta, 2012-2015 Ford Focus, 2013-2014 Ford Fusion, 2013-2015 Lincoln MKZ, 2013-2015 Ford Escape, 2014-2016 Ford Transit Connect, and 2015 Ford Mustang. Many of these models have already been recalled for the same issue, but it’s been determined that some dealerships were unable to adequately repair the vehicle, while others failed to attempt such repairs at all.
The Details of the Door Issue
The faulty door latches typically have a fractured pawl spring tab, which makes it difficult to close the door completely. In some instances, the door may eventually latch after repeated attempts to close it, but there’s still a potential for the door to unlatch while the vehicle is in motion. There were previous recalls for this same defect, but the affected vehicles may not have had all door latches properly replaced. Ford acknowledges that some of these replacement latches for the previous recalls were susceptible to cracking and failure, especially when exposed to heat. So far, Ford states that it is not aware of any reports of injuries or accidents associated with these faulty latches.
Steps Consumers May Take
If you own or lease a Ford model that is affected by this recall, you can submit the latch date codes via an online system to see if your latches need to be replaced or repaired. You can also take your car in to the dealership to have the codes inspected. Once it’s determined that your vehicle requires new latches, the dealership will handle the necessary repairs.
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