NHTSA Complaint #10145950 — 2004 FORD F-150

DEAR SIR/MADAM I OWN A 2004 F150 SUPER CAB PICKUP TRUCK WITH 4 DOORS, I AM HAVING A PROBLEM WITH THE DOOR AJAR LIGHT. WHEN THE REAR DOOR IS AJAR THE FRONT DOOR WILL LATCH TO THE REAR DOOR, WHICH SATISFIES THE DOOR AJAR SAFETY LIGHT, BUT THE FRONT AND REAR DOOR ARE NOT SAFELY LATCHED. I AM A LARGE MAN SO MY SEAT IS AS FAR BACK AS IT COULD GO AND THE BACK IS SLIGHTLY RECLINED, WHEN I GET IN AND OUT OF THE VEHICLE MY SHOULDER HITS THE REAR DOOR HANDLE THAT PROTRUDES INTO THE DRIVERS SEAT AND AT TIMES WILL SLIGHTLY OPEN THE DOOR. I WON'T REALIZE THAT I AM DRIVING WITH THE DOOR UNSAFELY LATCHED AND HAVE NO IDEA THAT THE DOOR IS AJAR UNTIL I HIT A BUMP LARGE ENOUGH TO RATTLE THE DOOR. MY QUESTION IS, IS IT SAFE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE WITH THE FRONT AND REAR DOORS AJAR AND IN AN AHEAD ON COLLISION WILL THIS AREA BE COMPROMISED, THUS WOULD THE CRUMPLE ZONE BE AFFECTED DRASTICALLY AND WOULD THE STABILITY OF THE VEHICLE BE COMPROMISED? ALSO IS IT SAFE IN A SIDE COLLISION? I FEEL THAT THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY CONCERN AND SHOULD BE ADDRESSED IMMEDIATELY. I TOOK THE TRUCK IN FOR SERVICE AT FULLERTON FORD IN SOMERVILLE NJ THE SAID THAT FORD SAID THAT THIS IS NORMAL AND I CALLED FORD COMPANY THEY SAID THIS IS NORMAL AND THAT I HAD NO RECOURSE WITH THEM. IF I WOULD HAVE KNOWN THAT THIS WAS INHERENT TO THE F150 SUPER CAB I WOULD NOT HAVE PURCHASED THIS MODEL, I WAS TOLD THE F150 CREW CAB HAS THIS SAFETY DEVICE INSTALLED THUS THE SAFETY PROBLEM WAS ADDRESSED IN THIS MODEL BUT NOT THE SUPER CAB. WAS THIS SAFETY CONCERN OVERLOOKED OR KNOWINGLY OMITTED FROM THE DESIGN? *JB