Vehicle recalls are not something that everyone appreciates, but it is a necessity in this day and age. After all, safety first before anything else, and if a vehicle manufacturer has decided to issue a recall in order to fix a particular problem, it would be best to heed such claims as soon as possible. While we probably do not give too much thought to door latches, it seems that Ford has issued a regional recall that will affect approximately 830,000 vehicles in total concerning its door latches.
As for the states where the recall is focused, these tend to have higher ambient temperatures and far more extensive solar exposure than average. In other words, those are the states where the sun comes out to play a whole lot more often.
Door latches are crucial as they should work every single time, otherwise you are going to end up having an extremely frustrating user experience. Imagine being unable to open your car’s door simply because the door latch is stuck or jammed -- now that would be an embarrassment. Even worse, what if the door latches fail to work, resulting in the door opening while you are hurtling down the freeway at the maximum legal speed before sweeping into a sharp corner. Best to be belted in then, don’t you think so? Ford's recall will involve 830,000 vehicles or so, which will be spread across Ford as well as Lincoln brands.
As for the vehicle models involved in this Ford recall for the door latches, it will comprise of six different models. These half dozen various models would include the 2013-2015 C-Max, 2013-2015 Escape, 2012-2015 Focus, 2015 Mustang, 2014-2016 Transit Connect and 2015 Lincoln MKC. Basically, if you happen to own any of these rides and reside in Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, Oregon and Washington, you would do well to send your ride back to Ford in order for them to have a look at it and fix whatever issue that is plaguing those door latches.
What is the cause of all this ruckus that leads up to a recall? Apparently, a solitary pawl spring tab that is located in the side door latch is the main culprit. Should that particularly important spring tab end up breaking, the door could actually stop itself from latching securely. Should said door be closed, it might end up unlatched as you are driving, and this would certainly be a shock for everyone in the vehicle, not to mention the danger of being thrown out along the way. Definitely not the idea of fun or excitement, to say the least.
In this massive vehicle recall, Ford will rightfully perform a replacement of the affected vehicles' door latches for free -- which should be good news for owners of the models listed above. If you happen to realize that your ride has the same problem but it is not part of the recall, Ford will go out of the way to offer a free one-time latch replacement. Talk about customer satisfaction!
