Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling 2015 Fiesta, 2016 Fusion, and 2016 Lincoln MKZ vehicles sold, or ever registered in certain US regions, According to documents released today by National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall number 20V-177 from several years ago. The build date ranges for vehicles built in Mexico at Cuautitlan and Hermosillo Assembly Plants have been extended, partially due to NHTSA Office of Defect Investigations monitoring of customer vehicle complaints (VOQs) made to the Federal Safety Agency.
A component piece made by Kiekert USA inside the door latches may break, which can make it difficult to latch or possibly allow the doors to open while driving. In some of the affected vehicles, the door latches have a pawl spring tab that may break. The latch pawl spring tab design is susceptible to cracking and failure in areas with high ambient temperatures. This safety defect will typically prevent the door from latching. If the customer is able to latch the door after repeated attempts to shut the door, there is potential the door may unlatch while driving, increasing the risk of injury.
Covered are vehicles sold, or ever registered in Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Washington, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Owners will be notified by mail and instructed to take their vehicle to a Ford or Lincoln dealer to inspect the door latch date codes. If any of the door latch date codes are from the suspect time frame, dealers will replace all four side door latches. There will be no charge for this service as required by US regulations. Mailing of owner notification letters is expected to begin December 4, 2023 and is expected to be completed by December 11, 2023.
Timeline
- 16 Aug 2023: An issue pertaining to 2016 Ford Fusion door latch concerns was brought to Ford’s Critical Concern Review Group (CCRG) for review. This issue was identified by Ford’s Trend and Early Warning Support (TEWS) team and NHTSA Office of Defect Investigations (ODI) for VOQ trends alleging doors failing to latch and/ or inadvertently opening. August 2023:Ford’s review of the VOQs with complete VINs revealed that all of the vehicles were built between 28 April 2015 and 23 May 2015, indicating that the prior “clean point” for safety recall 20V-177 (20S15) may be incorrect.
- 2023 September – October: Ford reviewed Production Part Approval Process (PPAP) dates and shipping records for Fusion, Fiesta and MKZ programs with its supplier to determine the proper clean points. Ford used this shipment data, estimated stock on hand, and known production volume to identify the time needed to exhaust the stock of defective door latches.
- 20 October 2023: Ford’s Field Review Committee reviewed the concern and approved a field action. As of October 18, 2023, Ford is aware of 14 warranty claims and 39 VOQs between October 8, 2015 and August 21, 2023 relating to door latches failing to latch and/or inadvertently opening from the added suspect population in North America.
Ford told NHTSA that is not aware of any reports of accidents or injury related to this safety defect.
Recalls on 2015-16 Lincolns, Fords for Sudden Door Openings
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling 2015 Fiesta, 2016 Fusion, and 2016 Lincoln MKZ vehicles sold, or ever registered in certain US regions, According to documents released today by National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall number 20V-177 from several years ago. The build date ranges for vehicles built in Mexico at Cuautitlan and Hermosillo Assembly Plants have been extended, partially due to NHTSA Office of Defect Investigations monitoring of customer vehicle complaints (VOQs) made to the Federal Safety Agency.
A component piece made by Kiekert USA inside the door latches may break, which can make it difficult to latch or possibly allow the doors to open while driving. In some of the affected vehicles, the door latches have a pawl spring tab that may break. The latch pawl spring tab design is susceptible to cracking and failure in areas with high ambient temperatures. This safety defect will typically prevent the door from latching. If the customer is able to latch the door after repeated attempts to shut the door, there is potential the door may unlatch while driving, increasing the risk of injury.
Covered are vehicles sold, or ever registered in Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Washington, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Owners will be notified by mail and instructed to take their vehicle to a Ford or Lincoln dealer to inspect the door latch date codes. If any of the door latch date codes are from the suspect time frame, dealers will replace all four side door latches. There will be no charge for this service as required by US regulations. Mailing of owner notification letters is expected to begin December 4, 2023 and is expected to be completed by December 11, 2023.
Timeline
Ford told NHTSA that is not aware of any reports of accidents or injury related to this safety defect.