Ford recalls 830K vehicles to fix faulty door latches

DETROIT — Ford is recalling about 830,000 vehicles in the U.S. and Mexico because parts in the side door latches can break and the doors can open while the vehicles are moving.

The recall announced Thursday covers certain 2013 to 2015 Ford Escape SUVs and C-Max cars, and 2012 to 2015 Focus cars. Also included are 2014 to 2016 Ford Transit Connect vans, and Ford Mustang sports cars and Lincoln MKC SUVs from 2015.

Ford says a faulty spring part can break, stopping the doors from latching. The company says the rate of problems is higher in states with high temperatures and sunlight exposure, so the recall is focused on all of Mexico and 16 states mainly in the south and west. States included are Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, Oregon and Washington.

States were included even if only parts met the criteria for high temperatures and sunlight exposure, the company said.

Dealers will replace all latches in the recall states and Mexico. In other states they will replace the latches if they break.

The company says it knows of one crash and one injury that could have been caused by the problem.

The recall will cost Ford about $270 million, and that figure will be included in the company’s third-quarter pretax results, Ford said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Door latches have been problematic for Ford during the past two years. In May of 2015 the company had to recall 692,000 small and midsize cars for a similar latch problem. At the time, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration warned owners of the cars to get them repaired as soon as they get a notice from Ford.