— A Ford door latch recall issued in 2015 and another door latch recall ordered in 2017 are under investigation by federal safety regulators.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says owners continue to complain about doors that open while driving 2012-2014 Fiesta, 2013-2014 Fusion and 2013-2014 Lincoln MKZ vehicles.
More than 528,000 vehicles are included in the investigation into both recalls and if Ford's repairs were good enough to protect occupants.
The door latch problems have plagued Ford for years, as NHTSA opened an investigation in 2014 after complaints of doors unexpectedly opening in Fiestas.
The government expanded the Fiesta door latch investigation in 2015 by adding Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles. At the time more than 600 door latch complaints had been filed and more than 1,000 warranty claims had been submitted to Ford.
The federal investigation was followed by a Ford door latch recall of nearly 337,000 model year 2012-2014 Ford Fiesta, 2013-2014 Ford Fusion and 2013-2014 Lincoln MKZ vehicles. The automaker said the latches would be replaced because the pawl spring tabs could break and cause latch failures.
Ford knew of one incident where the door opened and struck another vehicle, and two incidents that occurred when the doors were shut but bounced back open and hit people.
Another door latch recall was announced in 2017 for 2014 Ford Fiesta, 2013-2014 Ford Fusion and 2013-2014 Lincoln MKZ vehicles to replace the latches with improved versions.
NHTSA says it has received 235 complaints about door latch failures since the recalls were announced, with many complaints filed about vehicles that were previously repaired. More than 100 complaints allege the doors opened while driving, and multiple door latch complaints have been filed about vehicles that were never recalled.
Two complaints claim people were injured when the doors opened while driving, and one complaint alleges debris fell out of the vehicle and onto the highway.
According to NHTSA, all aspects of the recalls will be investigated, including if additional vehicles should be recalled.
CarComplaints.com will update our website with results of the Ford door latch investigation.
Read owner-reported complaints about the cars named in the door latch recall probe:
- Ford Fiesta: 2012 / 2013 / 2014 / All Model Years
- Ford Fusion: 2013 / 2014 / All Model Years
- Lincoln MKZ: 2013 / 2014 / All Model Years