NHTSA Complaint #10058601 — 2000 FORD EXCURSION

I AM THE OWNER OF A 2000 FORD EXCURSION (DIESEL). SINCE OWNING THE VEHICLE I HAVE HAD A CONTINUOUS PROBLEM WITH THE AUTOMATIC DOOR LOCKS. WHEN THEY FAIL, PERSONS CAN NOT ENTER OR LEAVE THE CAR. TWO YEARS AGO I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE FORD DEALER SO THEY COULD REPAIR OR REPLACE TWO FAILED DOOR LOCK MECHANISMS. INSTEAD OF REPLACING ONLY THE TWO FAILED COMPONENTS, THEY REPLACED ALL 4 DOORS (NOT THE HATCH) AND TOLD ME THEY KNOW THE OTHERS WILL FAIL AS WELL. NOW THE REAR PASSENGER DOOR LOCK AND THE HATCH DOOR LOCK DO NOT WORK. I WENT BACK TO THE DEALER AND THEY TOLD ME THE COST OF THE REPAIR IS $1500. THEY INDICATED THE PROBLEM WAS RAMPED AMONG SIMILAR VEHICLES WITH THE SAME DOOR LOCK MECHANISMS BUT THEY WOULD NOT HONOR THE REPAIR OR REPLACEMENT AS A FAULTY COMPONENT PROBLEM. I HAVE SINCE CONTACTED SEVERAL OTHER AUTO REPAIR BUSINESSES IN MY AREA AND LEARNED THEY HAVE A FAIRLY STEADY FLOW OF BUSINESS RELATED TO FORD DOOR LOCK MALFUNCTIONS. I HAVE THREE SMALL CHILDREN AS DO MANY FAMILIES CHOOSING TO PURCHASE LARGER FORD SUVS. THE KIDS GET INTO THE HABBIT OF RELYING ON THE AUTOMATED DOORLOCKS CONTROLLED BY THE ADULTS IN THE FRONT SEATS. IN THE EVENT OF AN AUTOMOBILE FIRE TYPE OF ACCIDENT THE ADULTS WOULD PROBABLY RELY ON THE DOORLOCK MECHANISMS AS WELL. THE KIDS MAY NOT BE ABLE TO GET OUT AND THE RESCUERS WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO GET IN WITHOUT USING FORCE. BY THE STATEMENTS GIVEN TO ME BY THE FORD DEALERSHIP EMPLOYEES, THE UNRELIABLE DOORLOCK MECHANISMS USED BY FORD IS A WELL ESTABLISHED DEALER PROBLEM, BUT IT HAS NOT BEEN ADDRESSED AS A RECALL ITEM. I FEEL THAT FORD, KNOWING ABOUT THE FAULTY COMPONENT SHOULD RECALL THE DOORLOCK MECHANISMS AND REPLACE THEM WITH WITH A MORE RELIABLE COMPONENT. I HAVE A LIFETIME NUMBER OF VEHICLES. ONE OF MY VEHICLES IS A 1990 CHEVY K5 BLAZER. I HAVE NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEMS WITH ANY AUTOMATIC DOORLOCK MECHANISMS BEFORE PURCHASING THE FORD EXCURSION. SINCERELY, GREG GAY. *AK