Ford Door Latch Recall

Product Liability

Ford has issued a nationwide recall for vehicles listed below.

2013-15 C-MAX – Michigan Assembly Plant, April 19, 2012 to Jan. 31, 2015
2013-15 Escape – Louisville Assembly Plant, Oct. 19, 2011 to Jan. 31, 2015
2012-15 Focus – Michigan Assembly Plant, Aug. 1, 2010 to Jan. 31, 2015
2015 Lincoln MKC – Louisville Assembly Plant, Dec. 4, 2013 to Jan. 31, 2015
2015 Mustang – Flat Rock Assembly Plant, May 28, 2014 to April 30, 2015
2014-16 Transit Connect – Valencia Assembly Plant, Aug. 9, 2013 to Feb. 1, 2016

Door Spring Has Tendency To Break

Ford says that vehicles with the defects have a pawl spring tab in the door latch that can break. When this happens, the door will typically not even latch closed. Ford claims that where a door is able to be closed, the door may unlatch while driving in certain situations. This creates a recognized risk of injury in addition to the potential for property damage. Ford also reports that this defect occurs more frequently in places with higher ambient temperatures and solar loading. Ford reports that there is one reported accident and one reported injury that may be related to this issue.

No Cost Replacement

Dealers have been instructed to replace the side door latches at no cost to the customer. Ford is also supposed to launch a customer satisfaction program for vehicles outside the scope of the recall. Ford states that if a vehicle exhibits a broken door latch, then the company will provide a one-time replacement at no charge for the life of the vehicle.

Ford Door Latch Recall

This particular defect has the potential to cause serious injury or death if a vehicle’s doors fail to stay closed while driving. Even though a driver or passenger has a seatbelt and should be wearing it anyway, there are a number of situations where the doors are needed to keep people from being ejected from the vehicle. Also, doors that do not stay closed present a real safety issue when an accident occurs.