No Vehicle Recall, But Vehicle Safety Investigation of Ford Fiesta Door Latches

US safety regulators are investigating complaints that the door latches on some model Ford Fiestas will not close properly. No vehicle recall has been issued yet, but rather a vehicle safety investigation.

The vehicle safety investigation covers 205,000 Fiestas from model years 2011 to 2013. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced the vehicle safety investigation, which may lead to a vehicle recall, because they had received 61 complaints about the Ford Fiesta doors.

Some personal injury complaints involve the doors rebounding when the passenger believed the door to be shut. For example, a driver complained that his 83-year-old mother was hurt when she closed the door, but instead of closing all the way, the door bounced back and hit her in the hip. The driver reported to the NHTSA that the door latch was made of plastic, and the material either bent or broke, leading to the minor injury.

The NHTSA also reported that 12 of those complaints involved the door latch opening while the vehicle was in motion. Some owners reported in their complaints that the door latch problem was so extreme, they had to secure the door in place with rope to prevent it from swinging open.

One complaint involved a driver who put a child in a car seat in the back of a 2011 model year Ford Feista, but before driving away, noticed that the door alert came on.

“When I started to reverse, the door alert came on,” the owner said, adding that it has repeatedly happened, but the vehicle is out of warranty. “I have the door tied to the inside of the car and the door open notification constantly comes on as well as well as the inside lights. Luckily, I noticed this before pulling off or the situation could have been life threatening for the kids.”

Unfortunately, Ford reported that it was experiencing delays in fixing the door latches because the parts were backordered. And, for out of warranty cars, because there is no vehicle recall, replacement door latches could cost up to $500 for Fiesta owners.

The NHTSA stated that the vehicle safety investigation was a preliminary step for the federal regulatory agency to determine if a vehicle recall would be necessary.

The Strom Law Firm Can Help with Defective Products and Vehicle Recall Cases

Every year, thousands of consumers sustain serious injuries from defective products. A defective product lawyer can help you with an injury you may receive. Many of these injuries could be avoided if the manufacturers or distributors of these products took additional steps to ensure consumer safety. Defective products that commonly cause injuries include medical devices, pharmaceutical products, and other defective products such as toys, cars and automotive parts.

If you have experienced a problem with a defective product in your automobile, especially if a defective part has led to an auto accident or personal injury, and a proper vehicle recall notice has not been issued, you may be entitled to compensation. The attorneys at the Strom Law Firm can help. We can help you with complicated auto insurance claims, and make sure you receive the compensation you deserve to help you with lost income and medical bills. Our attorneys are licensed to practice in South Carolina, Georgia, and New York. We offer free, confidential consultations to discuss the facts of your case, so contact us today at (803) 252-4800.