NHTSA Complaint #10240647 — 1992 FORD ECONOLINE

PROBLEM: DOOR LATCHES ON THREE OF SIX DOORS ON 1992 FORD ECONLINE CONVERSION VAN FAILED SUDDENLY WITHIN FOUR DAYS OF EACH OTHER PREVENTING DOORS FROM BEING OPENED. SAFETY HAZARD: DOORS NOT OPENING COULD PREVENT EGRESS FROM VEHICLE IN EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT. FAILURE CAUSE: DETERIORATION OF PLASTIC RETAINERS AT BOTH END OF DOOR MECHANISM CABLES. FOUR RETAINERS ARE MOLDED TO EACH END OF TWO CABLES INSIDE THE DOOR. FAILURE OF THE RETAINERS PREVENTS DOORS CABLES FROM FUNCTIONING PROPERLY TO OPEN DOORS. IN ALL THREE CASES EACH OF THE FOUR RETAINS IN ALL THREE DOORS FAILED SIMULTANEOUSLY. REPAIRS: FOLLOWING THE FIRST FAILURE, THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC WHO ADVISED THAT REPLACEMENT RETAINERS WERE NOT AVAILABLE. THIS REQUIRED REPLACEMENT OF ENTIRE HANDLE A CABLE ASSEMBLY AT AN INSTALLED COST OF @$300. ACCORDING TO THE MECHANIC INDIVIDUAL CABLES WERE NOT AVAILABLE EXCEPT AS PART OF THE ENTIRE ASSEMBLY. THE FOLLOWING DAY, THE SECOND REAR DOOR FAILED. BEFORE REPAIRS COULD BE UNDERTAKEN, THE LEFT CARGO DOOR ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE VEHICLE ALSO FAILED.. THE CONSUMER UNDERTOOK REPAIRS BY USING EPOXY PUTTY TO MOLD REPLACEMENTS OF THE FAILED PLASTIC RETAINER. IT APPEARS THAT THIS MAY WORK THOUGH THESE REPAIRS HAVE NOT YET BEEN SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED. IT IS ANTICIPATED THAT THE PLASTIC RETAINERS ON THE REMAINING THREE DOORS WILL FAIL IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME REQUIRING SIMILAR REPAIRS UNLESS THE PLASTIC RETAINERS WERE PART OF A BAD BATCH WHILE THE REMAINING CABLES WERE PART OF A GOOD BATCH. TOTAL COST OF REPAIRS IF ALL SIX DOORS FAIL WOULD BE APPROXIMATELY $1800 OR ALMOST HALF OF THE TOTAL CURRENT VALUE OF THE VEHICLE. RECOMMENDATION: FORD SHOULD RECALL ALL VEHICLES FOR WHICH THESE PARTS ARE USED TO INSPECT AND REPLACE, AS NECESSARY, THE CABLES CONTAINING THE PLASTIC RETAINERS. AT THE VERY LEAST, FORD SHOULD MAKE AVAILABLE REPLACEMENT RETAINERS THEREBY AVOIDING THE NEED TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE HANDLE ASSEMBLY WHICH IS EXPENSIVE AND WASTEFUL. *TR