Ford is recalling 2.5 million vehicles because of a faulty door latch and brake fluid leak.
The door latch recall covers more than 2.1 million cars, SUVs, and vans in North America. The latches can fail and cause the doors to open while the vehicles are moving. It’s the third recall Ford has issued for the door latch problem.
The recall involves vehicles in the U.S. and Canada. It includes the 2012-2015 Ford Focus, the 2013-2014 Ford Fusion, the 2011-2014 Ford Fiesta, and the 2013-2015 Ford Escape and C-Maxe. Also impacted are the 2013 and 2014 Lincoln MKZ models, the 2015 Lincoln MKC, the 2015 Ford Mustang, and the 2014-2016 Ford Transit Connect van.
Ford also is recalling nearly 344,000 F-150 pick-up trucks. These models may develop a fluid leak from the brake master cylinder. The company said the problem has caused seven low-speed crashes with two injuries. The brake fluid recall includes 2014-2017 F-150s in the U.S. and Canada. The F-Series pick-up trucks are the bestselling vehicles in North America.
Ford said in a written statement that previous door latch recalls were done because of defective pawl spring tabs. These tabs could crack and fail in high temperatures. Usually the doors won’t close if there’s a failure. However, if they do close, they could open again while the vehicle is in motion. Previously recalled vehicles may not have had the latches replaced. It’s also possible the repairs may not have been done correctly, the company added.
Repair Plans
Owners of affected vehicles will be able to inspect the latch date codes. Then they can check online to see if the two previous recalls were done correctly or if further service is needed. Those who don’t want to do the inspection (and those who do need latches to be replaced) will be told to go to dealers for repairs and replacements.
All the recalled trucks have 3.5-litre turbocharged engines. Ford says fluid can leak from the master cylinder for the front-wheel circuit. Depending on how much fluid is lost, the front brakes could lose much of their stopping ability. However, the rear brakes would still work. That can lengthen stopping distances and possibly cause a crash.
Ford said in a statement that the driver could hear a chime or get a warning light on the dashboard. It could also take more pressure on the pedal to stop affected trucks. Dealers will replace the brake master cylinder and the brake booster if it’s leaking.
Ford will contact affected owners in the near future. In the meantime, you can always check your VIN against the NHTSA recall database to see if your car has been subject to a recall.
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