Of all of the things that can go wrong while driving, one of the last things that many drivers expect is for their doors to come open as they travel. Unfortunately, this is exactly what could happen to approximately 830,000 vehicles manufactured by Ford Motor Company. The recall, which most likely includes many here in Louisiana, indicates that a serious car accident is possible due to a defective latch.
The vehicles affected by the recall include the 2014-2016 Ford Transit Connect vehicles, 2012-2015 Ford Focus and 2013-2015 Ford C-MAX, along with the 2015 Ford Mustang and Lincoln MKC and 2013-2015 Ford Escape. The side doors of these vehicles have a pawl spring tab that can break. If that happens, the door will not latch and could come open while the vehicle is in motion.
States such as Louisiana that have a lot of sunlight and higher temperatures tend to have higher instances of this issue. The company says that at least one accident with injury was reported that is most likely connected to the broken latch. However, as time passes, more people could suffer injuries — especially during the summer months when the temperatures tend to reach their peak and the days are longer.
Louisiana residents who own one of the affected vehicles should call their local Ford dealers to have the issue fixed. If a serious or fatal car accident occurs before the issue can be fixed, the victim and/or the family retain the right to file a personal injury or wrongful death claim, as applicable. Restitution could help with the inevitable financial losses that occur after a crash.
Source: krcrtv.com, “Ford recalls 830,000 vehicles for door latches”, Stephen Anthony Sobek, Aug. 5, 2016