Ford and Lincoln are recalling 45,173 vehicles for a rather unusual problem, doors that can open while driving.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the 2015 Ford Fiesta, 2016 Ford Fusion, and 2016 Lincoln MKZ have a component inside the door latches that may break. If this occurs, the “door may unlatch while driving, increasing the risk of injury or a crash.”
The government said the latch pawl spring tab is susceptible to cracking and failing in areas with high ambient temperatures. This helps to explain why the recall is focused on vehicles sold or 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.
More: Lincoln Sedans Live On In China As Brand Unveils New Zephyr Sedan At Guangzhou Auto Show
Ford became aware of a potential problem in August and an investigation determined an earlier recall might not have identified the correct “clean point” to ensure all impacted models were covered. This led the automaker to review “records for Fusion, Fiesta, and MKZ programs with its supplier to determine the proper clean points” using “shipment data, estimated stock on hand, and known production volume to identify the time needed to exhaust the stock of defective door latches.”
While it appears some vehicles initially slipped through the crack, Ford isn’t aware of any injuries or accidents due to the issue. That being said, there were 14 warranty claims and 39 complaints between October 2015 and October 2023.
Owners will be notified by mail and told to take their vehicle to a dealer, who will then inspect the door latch date codes to see if they’re from the “suspect time frame.” If they are, all four door latches will be replaced free of charge.
