Ford has issued a security recall that applies to the Fiesta and the Fusion, and Lincoln is recalling the MKZ as a part of the identical marketing campaign. The recalled vehicles competed in numerous segments, however they have been all constructed with defective door latches that may permit the doorways to open whereas driving.
Assigned recall quantity 23V-775 by the Nationwide Freeway Site visitors Security Administration (NHTSA), and 20S15 internally, the marketing campaign consists of 45,173 vehicles, although Ford estimates the defect is just present in about 1% of those automobiles. The complete record of recalled vehicles is beneath.
- 198 items of the 2015 Fiesta constructed between December 5, 2014, and January 30, 2015.
- 41,061 items of the 2016 Fusion constructed between December 13, 2014, and July 31, 2015.
- 3,914 items of the 2016 MKZ constructed between December 13, 2014, and July 31, 2015.
To additional slim it down, Ford notes that solely vehicles that both are, or have been, registered in comparatively warm-weather states are affected. These embody Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, and Washington. Fiesta, Fusion, and MKZ fashions registered in abroad territories are a part of the recall, too.
Ford advised the NHTSA that the latch’s pawl spring tab can crack in scorching temperatures, which prevents the door from latching. Whereas motorists are unlikely to drive off with a door that will not shut, the agency provides that the door could find yourself latching after a number of makes an attempt to shut it, but when this occurs it may unexpectedly open whereas driving. Elevated wind noise and a “door ajar” message are indicators that the latch is damaged.
Sellers have acquired 14 latch-related guarantee claims since October 2015. Ford just isn’t conscious of accidents or accidents linked to the problem.
House owners of affected vehicles might want to cease by a licensed Ford or Lincoln vendor so {that a} technician can examine the date code on the door latches and substitute the half(s) if wanted. Drivers who’ve already paid to get the issue can declare a refund earlier than December 22, 2023.
This is not the primary time the Fiesta, the Fusion, and the MKZ have been recalled on account of a door latch-related drawback. Assigned recall quantity 20V-177, a marketing campaign issued on March 23, 2020, utilized to 248,912 vehicles (together with 37,122 items of the Fiesta, 192,146 items of the Fusion, and 19,644 items of the MKZ) additionally registered in warm-weather states. This marketing campaign included older vehicles, together with automobiles constructed through the 2014 mannequin 12 months, however it aimed to repair the same latch pawl spring-related drawback that might additionally trigger the doorways to swing open whereas driving.