Ford Motor Co. has announced a recall of about 830,000 vehicles equipped with side door latches that could break and open while driving, or may not close at all, according to a recent statement by the automaker.
The recall includes the following Ford models:
- 2013 to 2015 Ford Escape and C-Max.
- 2012 to 2015 Focus.
- 2015 Mustang and Lincoln MKC.
- 2014 to 2016 Ford Transit Connect vans.
Affected vehicles may have door latches with a broken pawl spring tab, which may prevent the door for latching, according to media reports. If the door closes, it could open while the vehicle is moving and increase the risk for injury.
A larger portion of the recalled vehicles come from states with higher temperatures, including Texas, California and Florida, which is where most of the reports of defective door latches originate.
Dealers will replace the side door latches free of charge to customers, according to Ford. The company will begin notifying customers by mail by the week of Sept. 5, 2016.
The recall brings the number of affected vehicles to more than 1.3 million since 2015, Ford said. The first recall of 205,000 Ford Taurus sedans came in January 2015, followed by a recall of 213,000 Ford Explorer and Police Interceptor SUVs in March 2015.
Additional recalls in May 2015 followed, including model year 2011 to 2014 Ford Fiesta; 2013 to 2014 Ford Fusion; and Lincoln MKZ vehicles.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration launched an investigation of Ford in January 2016 after receiving nearly 75 complaints over faulty door latches on model year 2012 and 2013 Ford Fiestas, according to Law360. The investigation is ongoing.
Customers can go to safercar.gov to find out if their Ford vehicles are affected by the recall.