Ford recalls 2.1 million vehicles due to door hinge issue
Ford is recalling about 2.1 million vehicles due to an issue which could lead doors to open while driving, the company said Wednesday.
The vehicles have been recalled before under safety recalls 15S16 or 16S30 for faulty door latches, but the company said this time that dealers who were supposed to repair them the last time didn't do it properly or didn't do it at all, CNN reported.
In the previous recall, door latches were to be replaced as spring tabs were susceptible to cracking and failure if they got too hot, leading the doors to suddenly open while the vehicle is being driven. Such an incident could lead to injury.
"Ford is not aware of any reports of accident or injury related to this condition," the company said.
Recalled vehicles include the 2012 to 2015 Ford Focus, the 2013 to 2014 Ford Fusion, the 2011 to 2014 Ford Fiesta, and the 2013 to 2015 Ford Escape and C-Max. Also covered are the 2013 and 2014 Lincoln MKZ, the 2015 Lincoln MKC, the 2015 Ford Mustang and the 2014 to 2016 Ford Transit Connect van.
Not every model year for each car is included in the recall. Affected vehicles are in the U.S. and federal territories.
“Owners will be given the option to inspect the door latch date codes and child safety locks and submit latch date codes online to confirm if repairs done under safety recalls 15S16 or 16S30 were completed correctly,” Ford said in the recall statement. “The online system will provide instant validation that the door latches are OK or the latches cannot be confirmed and require dealer service.
“If a customer does not want to do the inspection, has difficulty completing the inspection, or receives an indication that the latches cannot be validated, dealers will inspect the latch date codes and replace latches as needed.”
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Kelcie Willis is a writer and online content producer for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. She graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Sociology from the University of Georgia. At the AJC, she covers state, regional and national news with the Content Curation Desk.
