Ford and its Lincoln luxury marque have issued a recall for about 45,000 cars because their doors can open unexpectedly while driving. The recall applies to Ford Fiesta subcompact cars from the 2015 model year and Ford Fusion midsize cars and Lincoln MKZ sedans from the model year 2016. But it affects only cars that have spent time in areas with “high ambient temperatures.”
Specifically, Ford says, cars sold or ever registered in 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 should come back to a dealership for repair.
The company says that a supplier provided Ford with some improperly cast door latch pawls that can crack after repeated exposure to high heat. That can leave the door unable to close correctly or cause it to open while driving.
Ford says it has happened at least 14 times, though no one has been injured as a result.
Ford knows which pawls are at risk based on the serial number on the part. But it doesn’t have a record of which cars received which pawls, so it needs to inspect the vehicles to find them. Dealers will inspect the door latches to see if they’re part of the recalled lot and replace them if needed.
Many cars are recalled, often more than once, during their lifespan. Automakers try to contact every owner but don’t always reach them all. Find out whether your vehicle has any outstanding recalls with the easy VIN tool at our recall center.
