— A Ford door latch recall involves more than 45,000 model year 2015 Ford Fiesta, 2016 Ford Fusion and 2016 Lincoln MKZ vehicles with doors that may open while driving.
However, the recall includes only vehicles that were sold or registered in these locations.
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.
Ford says a component inside the door latch may break and make it difficult to latch or possibly allow the doors to open while driving.
This recall is an expansion of a March 2020 Ford door latch recall.
"The latch pawl spring tab design is susceptible to cracking and failure in areas with high ambient temperatures. A door latch with a fractured pawl spring tab typically results in a “door will not close” condition." — Ford
Ford learned of a 2016 Fusion with door latch problems in August and a review of complaints showed all the vehicles were built between April 28, 2015, and May 23, 2015. This indicated the March 2020 Ford door latch recall may not have been accurate.
Apparently there were more faulty latches in stock when the supplier and Ford believed there were none.
As of October 18, 2023, Ford is aware of 14 door latch warranty claims and 39 complaints between October 8, 2015, and August 21, 2023.
However, Ford is not aware of any reports of crashes or injuries related to the door latches.
An occupant may notice problems when latching the doors or experiencing a door that rebounds when trying to shut it closed. A driver should notice a door ajar warning light, a chime, wind noise or an illuminated dome light.
Ford dealers will inspect the door latch date codes and possibly replace all four door latches.
Ford door latch recall letters are expected to be mailed December 4, 2023.
Owners with questions should call 866-436-7332. Ford's door latch recall number is 20S15.
