NHTSA is forcing Ford Motor to expand a previously announced door latch safety recall to include another ~1.5 million vehicles. The total of potentially unsafe vehicles is now 2,383,292. Affected by the door latch recall are 2013-15 Ford C-MAX, Escape, 2012-15 Focus, 2015 Ford Mustang and Lincoln MKC, and 2014-16 Ford Transit models.
The reason for the massive door latch recall is that the pawl spring tab in the side door latch supplied by Brose could break causing a “door-will-not-close” safety defect. A door that opens while driving increases the risk of injury, of course. (See NHTSA Warns Ford Fiesta, Fusion, Lincoln MKZ Owners of Sudden Door Openings)
Ford claims to have identified one reported accident and three reported injuries that “may be related to this issue.”
There are 2,383,292 vehicles affected in this safety recall, including 2,046,297 in the United States and federalized territories, 233,034 in Canada and 61,363 in Mexico. Dealers will replace side door latches at no cost to the customer – as is required by U.S. regulations. Customers can visit www.ford.com, click on safety recalls at the bottom of the page and enter their vehicle identification number if the door latch is covered.
NHTSA Door Latch Warnings
Back in May NHTSA issued two warnings to Ford and Lincoln owners:
- If you experience difficulty getting the door to latch while attempting to close it, do not drive the vehicle, even if it appears the door has latched. Do not attempt to temporarily secure the door in a closed position (e.g., with a rope or by using the seat belt). And do not have an occupant attempt to hold the door closed while the vehicle is being driven. Be safe and have the vehicle towed to the nearest dealership instead.
- If the door opens while the vehicle is in motion, pull over immediately and have the vehicle towed to the nearest dealership. Do not attempt to re-close the door or to drive the vehicle.
