On Wednesday, Ford issued a safety recall for various models in North America. One campaign includes 268,343 cars for doors that may not close properly due to faulty pawl spring tab inside the latch.
The door latch issue affects the Fiesta, Fusion and Lincoln MKZ
Ford is recalling 2014 – 2015 Fiestas, 2014 – 2016 Fusions and 2014 – 2016 Lincoln MKZs. According to the official statement, the action concerns 248,912 vehicles in the United States and federal territories. The remaining 19,431 vehicles are in Mexico and Canada. As for the specific problem, Ford says “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. If the customer is able to latch the door after repeated attempts, there is a potential the door may unlatch while driving, increasing the risk of injury.”
The company further said it isn’t aware of any accidents or injuries related to the condition, but this is not the first time this sort of recall has been done. Back in 2015, Ford recalled earlier Fiestas for broken pawl spring tabs, which could result in situations where the doors won’t latch.
The reference number for this recall is 20S15, and affected vehicles include:
- 2014 – 2015 Ford Fiestas built at the Cuautitlán Stamping and Assembly Plant in Mexico between November 1, 2013 and December 4, 2014
- 2014 – 2016 Ford Fusions built at the Flat Rock Assembly Plant in Michigan and Hermosillo plant in Mexico between November 1, 2013 and April 27, 2015
- 2014 – 2016 Lincoln MKZs built at the Hermosillo plant in Mexico between November 1, 2013 and April 27, 2015
Ford also specified that affected vehicles are or had been previously registered in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Washington and federal territories. If you aren’t sure whether your Fiesta, Fusion or MKZ is included in the recall, you can contact your dealer or visit Ford’s recall site.
