NHTSA Complaint #10225562 — 2004 FORD FREESTAR

IN NOV, 2007 MY 7 YEAR OLD GRANDDAUGHTER STARTED TO EXIT THE BACK PASSENGER VAN DOOR. THE DOOR OPENED AND SHE WAS ABOUT HALF WAY OUT THE DOOR WHEN IT STARTED TO CLOSE ON HER. MY HUSBAND HAD ALREADY GOT OUT OF THE VAN AND WAS ABLE TO STOP THE DOOR FROM CLOSING ON HER. IT DID NOT AUTOMATICALLY STOP AND GO BACK ON CONTACT. THEN IN DEC MY SISTER-IN-LAW WAS ALSO STARTING TO EXIT THE VAN FROM THE SAME DOOR AND THE SAME THING HAPPENED TO HER. THE DOOR OPENED, HESITATED AND THEN STARTED TO CLOSE ON HER. ON APRIL 6, 2008 MY 80+ MOTHER OPENED THE REAR PASSENGER VAN DOOR AND STARTED TO ENTER THE VAN. THE DOOR STARTED CLOSING ON HER. HER LEFT FOOT WAS ALREADY IN THE VAN AND THE DOOR CLOSURE CAUSED HER TO FALL BACKWARDS ONTO THE PAVEMENT. HER LEFT FOOT WAS TANGLED UNDER THE PASSENGER SEAT. HER COUSIN WAS ALREADY SEATED ON THE OTHER SIDE AND WAS ABLE TO GET THE DOOR STOPPED BEFORE IT HURT HER LEG ANY WORSE. SHE HAD LANDED ON HER LOWER BACK AND WAS SORE, STIFF AND UNABLE TO SIT COMFORTABLY FOR ABOUT A WEEK. I MADE AN APPT WITH THE LOCAL FORD DEALER TO SEE IF THEY COULD FIND A PROBLEM. THE FIRST TIME I TOOK IT IN, THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. I TOLD THEM IT WAS INTERMITTENT,MOST OF THE TIME IT WORKED. WHEN I PICKED THE VAN UP I HAD THE SERVICE MANAGER WALK OUT WITH ME, AND I SHOWED HIM HOW WE OPENED THE DOOR FROM THE OUTSIDE AND THE DOOR OPENED AND IMMEDIATELY STARTED TO CLOSE. THE SERVICE GROUP WAS TESTING IT BY USING THE BUTTONS ON THE REMOTE. THEY TESTED THE VAN AGAIN AND FOUND CODES OF B2589, B2592 AND B2594 IN THE COMPUTER FOR THE SLIDING DOORS. THEY THEN FOUND THE LATCH AND SENSOR ASSEMBLY WERE STICKING AND SHORTED OUT. THEY TOLD US THEY FOUND THE CODES IN BOTH DOORS, EVEN THOUGH WE HADN'T HAD ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE SLIDING DOOR ON THE DRIVERS SIDE. THE ONLY WAY TO "FIX" THE PROBLEM WAS TO REPLACE BOTH SIDES REAR SLIDING DOOR CABLES AND LATCH ASSEMBLIES. THIS IS FOR A 2004 FREESTAR VAN WITH ONLY 10,072 MILES! IT COST US $736.41 TO HAVE THIS FIXED. *TR