Ford Faces More Issues With Door Latches, Issues More Recalls; Certain Ford F-150 Trucks Facing Recall Over Issue With Brake Cylinder

Door latches and safety recalls have plagued Ford over the last 9-12 months. While these issues seem minor or fall under the nuisance category to some, they can also pose major issues if a door happens to fly open during operation.

As I reported earlier this year, there’s a class action lawsuit that remains unsettled over this door latch issue in certain Ford F-150 models. But just yesterday, Ford issued more safety recalls regarding the same door latch issue for certain Ford cars and SUVS and Lincoln SUVs.

Clearly, the issue is not exclusive to the F-150 and seems to be unresolved at Ford. Here’s the details on the latest door latch recalls as issued by Ford.

Select 2011-15 Ford and Lincoln vehicles for a door latch issue
Affected vehicles may not have had all door latches replaced or correctly replaced when repaired by dealerships under safety recalls 15S16 or 16S30. Safety recalls 15S16 and 16S30 were issued to replace door latches with latch pawl spring tabs that were susceptible to cracking and failure in areas with high thermal loads (i.e., a combination of outdoor air temperature and solar radiation).
A door latch with a fractured pawl spring tab typically results in a “door will not close” condition. If the door latches after repeated attempts to shut it, there is potential for the door to unlatch while driving, increasing the risk of injury.
Ford is not aware of any reports of accident or injury related to this condition.

This action affects approximately 2.15 million vehicles in the United States and federal territories.
Affected vehicles are as follows:
• 2011-14 Ford Fiesta vehicles built at Cuautitlán Assembly Plant, Jan. 26, 2010, to Oct. 31, 2013
• 2012-15 Ford Focus vehicles built at Michigan Assembly Plant, Oct. 4, 2010, to Jan. 31, 2015
• 2013-14 Ford Fusion vehicles built at Hermosillo Assembly Plant, May 11, 2012, to Oct. 31, 2013
• 2013-14 Lincoln MKZ vehicles built at Hermosillo Assembly Plant, July 19, 2012, to Oct. 31, 2013
• 2013-15 Ford Escape vehicles built at Louisville Assembly Plant, Dec. 23, 2011, to Jan. 31, 2015
• 2013-15 Ford C-MAX vehicles built at Michigan Assembly Plant, Feb. 2, 2012, to Jan. 31, 2015
• 2014 Ford Fusion vehicles built at Flat Rock Assembly Plant, June 18, 2013, to Oct. 31, 2013
• 2014-16 Ford Transit Connect vehicles built at Valencia Body and Assembly Plant, from Aug. 9, 2013, to Feb. 1, 2016
• 2015 Ford Mustang vehicles built at Flat Rock Assembly Plant, Feb. 14, 2014, to April 30, 2015
• 2015 Lincoln MKC vehicles built at Louisville Assembly Plant, Nov. 18, 2013, to Jan. 31, 2015

Owners will be given the option to inspect the door latch date codes and child safety locks and submit latch date codes online to confirm if repairs done under safety recalls 15S16 or 16S30 were completed correctly. The online system will provide instant validation that the door latches are OK or the latches cannot be confirmed and require dealer service.

If a customer does not want to do the inspection, has difficulty completing the inspection, or receives an indication that the latches cannot be validated, dealers will inspect the latch date codes and replace latches as needed. The Ford reference number for this recall is 20S30.

In addition to this safety recall, Ford also announced a new recall regarding the Ford F-150. Here’s the details on that.

Select 2014-17 Ford F-150 vehicles equipped with 3.5-liter EcoBoost engine
In affected vehicles, the brake master cylinder may allow brake fluid to leak from the brake master cylinder front-wheel circuit into the brake booster.

Depending on the amount of brake fluid loss from the brake master cylinder front-wheel circuit into the brake booster, the driver will receive an audible chime, message-center alert, red brake warning indicator in the instrument cluster, and/or may begin to experience a change in brake pedal travel and feel, including increased pedal effort. If a loss of brake fluid is substantial enough to reduce brake function to the front wheels, full braking function will remain in the rear wheel circuit. However, reduced brake function in the front wheels can extend stopping distance, increasing the risk of a crash.

Ford is aware of seven low-speed/low-impact accident allegations with two injuries associated with this issue.
This action affects 292,311 vehicles in the United States and federal territories, 43,536 in Canada and 8,053 in Mexico.
Affected vehicles are as follows:
• Select 2015-17 Ford F-150 vehicles built at Dearborn Truck Plant, Oct. 1, 2014, to Aug. 1, 2016
• Select 2014-17 Ford F-150 vehicles built at Kansas City Assembly Plant, Sept. 1, 2014, to Aug. 1, 2016

Dealers will replace the brake master cylinder and, if it is leaking, the brake booster will also be replaced. The Ford reference number for this recall is 20S31.

This all adds onto the known recalls and TSB bulletin for the frozen door latch related to the F-150 and the pending class action lawsuit that could net affected owners $400. Here’s the details on that.

What Vehicles Are Impacted By The Ford Frozen Door Lock Technical Service Bulletin (TSB)
The vehicles involved in the lawsuit settlement include: 2015-2019 Ford F-150, 2017-2019 Ford F-250, 2018-2019 Ford F-350, 2017-2019 Ford F-450 and 2017-2019 Ford F-550.

The settlement states that only vehicles built at the Dearborn Assembly Plant before February 26, 2019 or at Ford’s Kansas City Assembly Plant before March 4, 2019 were impacted. However, other vehicles built at the Kentucky Assembly Plant before March 5, 2019 or at the Ohio Assembly Plant before March 11, 2019 were added to the final settlement.

There are four known recalls for the 2020 Ford F-150. Click here for the list of those as I reported on earlier this year.

As I always say, when writing about recalls, it’s good that Ford stays ahead of these before they become a bigger issue or a forced recall by the government or mass lawsuits. Barring a few litigious filings, Ford has stayed out of the courtroom over these voluntary recalls and all things considered, especially when you take into account the volume of vehicles, there are not that many recalls for Ford cumulatively.

Jimmy Dinsmore has been an automotive journalist for more than a decade and been a writer since the high school. His Driver’s Side column features new car reviews and runs in several newspapers throughout the country. He is also co-author of the book “Mustang by Design” and “Ford Trucks: A Unique Look at the Technical History of America’s Most Popular Truck”. Also, Jimmy works in the social media marketing world for a Canadian automotive training aid manufacturing company. Follow Jimmy on Facebook, Twitter, at his special Ford F-150 coverage on Twitter and LinkedIn. You can read the most of Jimmy's stories by searching Torque News Ford for daily Ford vehicle report.