At the request of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Ford has expanded a previously announced recall in North America by roughly 1.5 million vehicles.
The total number of affected units rises to 2,383,292, out of which 2,046,297 are located in the United States and federalized territories, 233,034 in Canada, and 61,363 in Mexico, and covers the 2013-2015 Ford C-Max and Escape, 2012-2015 Focus, 2015 Mustang, 2014-2016 Transit Connect and 2015 Lincoln MKC.
“In the affected vehicles, the pawl spring tab in the side door latch could break. A door latch with a fractured pawl spring tab typically results in a ‘door-will-not-close’ condition. A door that opens while driving increases the risk of injury“, the Blue Oval writes, as it is now aware of one accident and three injuries that could be related to this condition.
As it was initially announced, the safety campaign will focus primarily on vehicles sold or registered in hot weather states, and the parts will be replaced at no cost to the owners, who should hear from Ford soon. In order to make sure that their cars are indeed covered by this recall, the Blue Oval advises them to visit the official Ford website and check their VINs at the bottom of the page.