Another Ford recall, but no accidents are reported.
Ford Motor Company is recalling 281,000 F-Series pickup trucks made at its Kansas City and Dearborn final assembly plants for defective door latches that can pop open during a crash.
Model year 2009 and 2010 F-Series pickup trucks have a defective interior door handle module from supplier Brose. During a side impact crash, the door handle spring can fail, causing the door latch to open, in violation of U.S. safety standards.
The F-Series is by far Ford’s best selling vehicle, and this is Ford’s 15th U.S. recall during 2011.
Owners will be notified in mid-February. There are no
reports of accidents or injuries from the defect.
Since Ford does not have repair parts on hand, dealers will first inspect the trucks for interior door handles that are loose or fail to return to the stowed position. If a handle fails, the owner will have to return for repairs when parts are available.
Owners may contact Ford at 1-866-436-7332 about 11S15. Owners may also contact The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236, or go to http://www.safercar.gov. NHTSA 11V049.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
