try.vin
Log in

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation

Preliminary Evaluation PE16-001: Door Latch Failure

  • Closed

NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE16-001 on January 16, 2016 and closed it on October 29, 2016. NHTSA's investigations file lists 10 models from 2 makes for it and links recall 16V-643 to it.

Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file

Key facts

NHTSA number
PE16-001 (also written PE16001)
Investigation type
Preliminary Evaluation The first stage of most defect investigations: NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation gathers basic information about a possible safety defect, including from the manufacturer.
Status
Closed October 29, 2016
Opened
Closed
Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
Ford Motor Company
Components
Latches/Locks/Linkages; Latches/Locks/Linkages — Doors — Latch
Recall linked by NHTSA
  • 16V-643: Doors may Unexpectedly Open, reported
Vehicles and equipment
10 models from 2 makes, including the Ford Focus and Ford Focus Electric

NHTSA's summary

As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Preliminary Evaluation PE16-001.

try.vin does not copy NHTSA's investigation documents; NHTSA's investigation record lists the ones NHTSA has published.

In January, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this Preliminary Evaluation based on consumers' allegations of doors failing to latch and/or inadvertently opening on model year (MY) 2012-2013 Ford Focus vehicles (subject vehicles).

ODI has received 464 unique reports related to the alleged problem, with over 200 claiming that the door(s) opened inadvertently while the vehicle was in motion.

One consumer alleged an injury that occurred while driving when a door inadvertently opened and then closed on a child's arm.

Another alleged that a door that inadvertently opened struck a parked vehicle.

In response to ODI's information request, Ford Motor Company (Ford) provided 500 unique reports related to the alleged problem on the subject vehicles.

Ford reported no injury or accident claims.

Ford also submitted 1,513 warranty claims related to door latch failures.

Many customers indicated that the affected door could not be latched at all and some of them decided to restrain the door by other means in order to operate the vehicle.

Some customers also reported door latch failures occurring on multiple doors and at different times.

Additionally, Ford stated that MY 2014-2015 Ford Focus, 2013-2015 Ford Escape, 2013-2015 Ford C-Max, 2014-2016 Ford Transit Connect, 2015 Ford Mustang, and 2015 Lincoln MKC, all use the same door latch as the 2012-2013 Ford Focus.

On September 6, 2016, Ford notified ODI that it would conduct a safety recall (16V-643) to remedy the door latches in the MY 2012-2015 Ford Focus and other Ford models mentioned above (total of approximately 2 million vehicles).

According to Ford, a component within the door latch may break preventing the door from latching.

Ford dealers will replace all four door latches in the recalled vehicles with a new more robust latch design that is currently in production.

The recall action initiated by the manufacturer appears to address the safety risks.

Accordingly, this investigation is closed.

The ODI reports cited above can be reviewed at www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchNHTSAID under the identification (ODI) numbers found in the attached list.

Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation

NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE16-001. A listed model year means only that an investigation names it; it says nothing about any particular vehicle. Model years with a try.vin recall page link to that page's NHTSA investigations section.

Ford

All Ford recalls

Lincoln

All Lincoln recalls

What an NHTSA investigation is

NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) looks into possible safety defects in vehicles and equipment, often after owner complaints. An investigation usually starts as a Preliminary Evaluation, or as a Recall Query when it concerns whether an existing recall covers the right vehicles or fixes the problem, and ODI can upgrade it to a more detailed Engineering Analysis. A Defect Petition asks NHTSA to open an investigation, and Audit and Equipment Queries are administrative investigations into whether companies complied with federal vehicle safety requirements, such as reporting, recall and certification rules.

An open investigation is not a finding that a safety defect exists, and NHTSA can close one without a recall.

To see whether a specific vehicle has an open recall, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

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

Sources

NHTSA's investigation record for PE16-001

Investigation details come from NHTSA's investigations file, which try.vin imports once a day. The investigation types are described from the U.S. Department of Transportation Inspector General's May 2023 report on NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation, NHTSA's petition rules (49 CFR Parts 552 and 557) and NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation procedures. How try.vin reads NHTSA investigations.