NHTSA campaign 15V171000 · Ford campaign 15S11

Ford Recall 15V-171: Interior Door Handle Return Spring may Unseat

NHTSA recall 15V171000 (Ford campaign 15S11) was reported by Ford Motor Company on March 24, 2015, with 194,484 vehicles potentially affected (per NHTSA). NHTSA's record lists the Ford Explorer for model years 2011–2013. Owners were notified on July 23, 2015, per NHTSA.

Updated daily from NHTSA's recall files

Is my vehicle included?

This page lists, by model year, the vehicles NHTSA's recall record names for campaign 15V171000 in the model years try.vin imports (1995 and later); NHTSA's own record can list more. A model year on the list doesn't mean every vehicle of that year is included, and some may already have been repaired.

To see whether a specific vehicle is included and still needs the repair, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Ford VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.

Key facts

NHTSA campaign
15V171000 (also written 15V-171 or 15V171)
Filed by
Ford Motor Company
Ford campaign number
15S11
Report received
Potentially affected
194,484 vehicles (per NHTSA)
Component
Structure — Body — Door
Owners notified

Repair completion: 67.75% (latest rate the manufacturer reported to NHTSA; dataset updated October 21, 2026)

NHTSA cautions against comparing completion rates across recalls or manufacturers. How try.vin reads them.

Vehicles listed for this recall

NHTSA's recall record lists these vehicles for recall 15V171000. try.vin imports model years 1995 and later, so NHTSA's own list can be longer. Model years with a try.vin recall page link to it. Build dates are NHTSA's range for a model year (per NHTSA); a vehicle built in that range is not necessarily included.

Ford

  • Ford Explorer

    • 2011, 2012, 2013 · Vehicles built February 1, 2011 – January 31, 2012 (per NHTSA)
All Ford recalls

NHTSA's recall notice

As NHTSA's recall record states it for campaign 15V171000.

Defect description

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2011-2013 Explorer vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the interior door handle return spring may unseat, resulting in interior door handle that does not return to the fully stowed position after actuation.

Safety consequence

If the interior door handle return spring is unseated, the door may unlatch in the event of a side impact crash, increasing the risk of personal injury.

Manufacturer remedy

Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect all four of the interior door handles and either repair or replace them, free of charge. The recall began on July 23, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S11.

Notes

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Sources

Official NHTSA notice for recall 15V171000

Campaign details come from NHTSA's recall files, which try.vin imports once a day. The plain-language subject and the completion rate come from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Recalls Data dataset. How try.vin reads recall data.