Ford Expands Door Latch Safety Recall To Additional 1.5 Million Vehicles

DEARBORN (WWJ) - Ford Motor Co. is expanding a previously announced safety recall regarding faulty door latches to include approximately 1.5 million additional vehicles.

Affected vehicles include 2013-15 Ford C-MAX, 2013-15 Ford Escape, 2012-15 Ford Focus, 2015 Ford Mustang, 2015 Lincoln MKC and 2014-16 Ford Transit Connect. The recall now includes a total of 2,383,292 vehicles.

The automaker says a spring tab in the side door latch could break, preventing the door from closing securely. Ford says the door may also unlatch while driving, increasing the risk of injury.

In the affected vehicles, the pawl spring tab in the side door latch could break. A door latch with a fractured pawl spring tab typically results in a "door-will-not-close" condition. A door that opens while driving increases the risk of injury.

Ford has identified one reported accident and three reported injuries that may be related to this issue.

Dealers will replace side door latches at no cost to the customer.