Ford Recalls 2 Million Vehicles Because the Doors Could Open While Driving

Ford Recalls 2 Million Vehicles Because the Doors Could Open While Driving
Ford had promised the Mustang Shelby GT500 would be its most powerful factory-built car ever. (CNN Business)

Ford is recalling more than 2 million vehicles in the United States because the doors could open while the vehicle is being driven.

These vehicles have been recalled before for faulty door latches but, according to Ford, some dealers that claimed to have fixed this problem during the previous recalls either didn’t do the work correctly or didn’t do it at all. Ford did not name any specific dealerships. CNN Business has contacted a dealership association but has yet to hear back.

The recall covers a range of models, including some Ford Fiesta, Focus, Fusion, C-Max and Mustang cars, Escape SUVs, Transit Connect vans, as well as Lincoln MKZ sedans and MKC SUVs, with model years ranging from 2011 to 2016. (Model year ranges vary by the specific model.)

The problem results from a door latch part that can crack, especially when subjected to high heat. That can make the door difficult to close properly so that, as the car is driven, the door can unexpectedly pop open.

Ford said in a statement that it is not aware of any crashes or injuries from doors coming open, but the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s public safety reporting database contains numerous complaints of doors suddenly coming open while vehicles are being driven.

This recall follows two earlier recalls in 2016 and 2017 covering the same problem. Each of the previous recalls covered a different subset of Ford and Lincoln vehicles from this most recent recall.

Anyone who thinks their vehicle may be involved in this recall should search the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s recall database or contact their local Ford dealer.

Owners will also have the option to inspect the door latch date codes on their vehicle and submit those codes online to check if the recall work needs to be done.

Ford also announced a recall of more than 290,000 F-150 trucks with 3.5-liter V6 engines. In some of those trucks from the 2014 to 2017 model years, a leak in the brake master cylinder may weaken the front brakes. The truck may emit an audible warning chime inside the cab, show an alert in the dashboard message center and display red brake warning indicator, Ford said.

There have been at least seven low-speed crashes alleged to be a result of this issue and two injuries that Ford is aware of, the company said in a statement.

The CNN Wire contributed to this report.

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