Ford Recalls 45,000 Vehicles Due to Door Latch Issues
Ford is issuing a recall for approximately 45,000 cars due to a malfunction affecting door latches. When exposed to warm weather, these latches may fail to close properly.
The recall especially concerns certain 2015 Ford Fiestas, 2016 Ford Fusions, and 2016 Lincoln KMZs, extending a previous recall conducted in 2020 concerning similar issues.
In a letter dated November 30, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) highlighted that a component within the door latches might break, leading to challenges in latching and possibly permitting the doors to open while driving.
This recall is confined to specific states, including 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.
Owners of vehicles affected by this issue might notice that their doors fail to close initially, or they may see a “door ajar” warning light on the dashboard. Additionally, they could experience elevated wind noise.
Back in 2020, Ford faced a much larger recall, affecting two million vehicles, after it was reported that even repaired doors may not have been rectified successfully.
What to Do If Your Vehicle is Affected
Ford plans to contact impacted vehicle owners starting the week of December 4. Owners can reach out to Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332, or contact the NHTSA’s Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or visit the NHTSA website for further assistance.
For this particular recall, Ford has designated the code 20S15.
If your vehicle is part of the recall, you can take it to any Ford or Lincoln dealership where they will inspect the door latch date codes. Repairs will be conducted free of charge if they fall within the specified timeframe.
Moreover, owners who previously incurred out-of-pocket expenses for repair may also qualify for reimbursement.
To confirm if your vehicle is impacted, either call the hotline or visit the NHTSA website and input your VIN number.
