NHTSA Complaint #10357216 — 2001 FORD TAURUS

I FIRST NOTICED THE RIGHT REAR DOOR OF MY 2001 TAURUS WAS NOT UNLOCKING WITH THE AUTOMATIC FEATURE, ABOUT ONE YEAR AGO. THOUGHT THAT MAYBE ONE OF MY GRANDCHILDREN HAD CAUSED THE PROBLEM. THEN, ABOUT ONE MONTH AGO, THE SAME THING HAPPENED TO THE FRONT PASSENGER DOOR. MY GRANDCHILDREN DO NOT TRAVEL IN THE FRONT COMPARTMENT OF MY CAR. NOR DO I HAVE VERY MANY PASSENGERS. ALSO, MY GRANDCHILDREN HAVE NOT BEEN IN MY CAR MUCH IN THE PAST 14 MONTHS, AS THEY HAVE MOVED TO ANOTHER COUNTY. I THEN HAD MY MECHANIC CHECK IT OUT. HE DID SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT HE COULD NOT ORDER THE PARTS TO REPLACE THE DOOR LOCKING ACTUATOR. THE PART WAS OUT OF STOCK, BECAUSE A LARGE NUMBER OF OTHER FORD TAURUS OWNERS WERE HAVING THE VERY SAME PROBLEM. I'M SORRY THAT I DID NOT CONTACT YOU EARLIER. MY MOTHER HAD BEEN IN THE HOSPITAL FOR A WEEK, AND I HAD LOTS OF CATCHING UP TO DO. ANYWAY, MY MECHANIC DID NOT RECOMMEND INSTALLING A USED PART, AS THE SAME THING WOULD VERY LIKELY HAPPEN. WHEN I CONTACTED FORD MOTOR COMPANY REGARDING THIS PROBLEM, I EXPLAINED THAT I THOUGHT IT WAS A SAFETY ISSUE. THEY PRETTY MUCH TOLD ME "SORRY FOR THE INCONVENIENCE, LADY ... BUT, YOU'RE ON OUR OWN". IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT, I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO UNLOCK ALL DOORS ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE CAR BY WAY OF AUTOMATIC FEATURE, EITHER ON THE DOOR HANDLE OR THE HAND-HELD REMOTE. CHILDREN ARE NOT ALWAYS SWIFT IN BEING ABLE TO UNLOCK A CAR DOOR AND THEN OPENING THE DOOR IN AN EMERGENCY. I FEEL THAT THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND SHOULD BE LOOKED INTO. EVERYONE THAT I HAVE MENTIONED THIS PROBLEM TO HAS SAID, WITHOUT ME MENTIONING THE SAFETY ISSUE FIRST, THIS WAS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. I LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR RESPONSE TO THIS MATTER. *TR