Has Ford Opened the Door for More Personal Injury Claims?

Ford is issuing a major recall of 1.34 million trucks in the United States because faulty door latches allow doors to swing open unexpectedly while driving.

Ford Truck Recalls

Unsafe, poor-quality door latches have triggered another major recall at Ford. The recall involves one of the most popular pickup trucks in America, the Ford F-150, and covers approximately 1.3 million vehicles in the United States, 21,000 vehicles in Mexico, and over 200,000 vehicles in Canada.

Ford Motor Company recently issued a massive recall for its Ford F-150 trucks (manufactured from 2015-2017) and its Ford Super Duty trucks (manufactured in 2017). The recall is due to faulty door latches that can result in doors not opening or closing properly. To repair the problem, dealers will be required to install water shields over the door latches and repair any damaged or broken door latch cables. Repairs are expected to cost approximately $267 million. According to a Ford spokesperson, customers will be notified shortly of the recall, but repair parts may not be immediately available.

Ford initially notified dealers of the faulty latch problem on its Ford F-150 and Super Duty trucks in 2015. Dealers were told that door latches may malfunction in freezing temperatures and that rain shields should be installed to fix the problem. Since 2016, Ford has recalled approximately five million vehicles for door-latch problems, but the current latch problem is unrelated to previous recalls.

There have been numerous consumer complaints to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration about faulty door latches on Ford F-150 trucks. Ford warns that if a latch is faulty, the door may appear to be closed, but may open suddenly while driving putting drivers and passengers in danger of falling out of the truck. Although Ford states that it has not seen any reports of accidents or injuries related to the faulty door latches on the F-150 or Super Duty pickup trucks, the recall will prevent potential injuries that could happen if doors open while the vehicles are in operation.

When national vehicle recalls are issued, drivers must take them seriously to avoid potential accidents. Auto safety violations lead to thousands of serious injuries and road deaths each year in the U.S. Consumers should be vigilant about taking recalled vehicles in for inspections and repairs to prevent injuries and fatalities. Recall repairs are paid by auto manufacturers and dealers.