Blue Oval is expecting to spend $267 million on the fix.
Ford Motor Company announced a major safety recall of its F150 pick-up trucks and F-Series Super Duty trucks due to door latches that may fail in certain circumstances. The recall covers 1.3 million North American trucks built between 2015 and 2017.
This problem is only seen in cold temperatures and occurs when water enters the latch. Ford states that affected vehicles may experience a frozen latch or bent or kinked actuator cable for the latch. This can cause the door to not open fully or close properly. This could lead to the door opening unexpectedly while the truck is being used.
Install water shields on door latches to fix the problem. Ford dealers will inspect the latches and other components for damage and replace any that are damaged. The automaker has not yet received any reports or injuries related to this issue.
The recall applies to 2015-2017 F-150 trucks manufactured in Dearborn between March 12, 2014 and the end of 2016. The recall also affects F-150s of the same year that were built in Dearborn between March 12, 2014 and December 31, 2016. The recall also affects 2017 F-Series Super Duty trucks manufactured in Kentucky between October 2015 and September 2016.
This recall appears to be unrelated to a door latch recall by Ford last year which affected 2 million vehicles. Although the issue was caused by a defective spring tab, the end result was the same: doors that opened unexpectedly while driving.
Automotive News reports on a filing by Ford to the Securities and Exchange Commission stating that the recall will eventually cost Ford $267 million. This is not a lot of money, especially considering the fact that almost all segments of automotive sales have seen declining or stagnant sales this year.