NHTSA Complaint #10444329 — 2011 FORD TAURUS

MY 2001 TAURUS SES DURING COLD AND/OR SNOWY/RAINY MONTHS DOORS FREEZE UP CONSTANTLY. VERY DIFFICULT TO GET INTO CAR. WHEN I FINALLY MANAGE TO GET IN I HAVE TO DRIVE HOLDING ONTO THE DOOR BECAUSE IT WILL NOT RESHUT AS THE DOOR HANDLE ASSEMBLY BECOMES LODGED AND DOOR WILL NOT LATCH. I HAVE INSPECTED THE RUBBER AROUND DOOR AND IT LOOKS FINE. BUT I DO GO TREAT IT EVERY COLD SEASON IN HOPES THE DOOR WILL NOT RE-FREEZE BUT I HAVE BEEN UNSUCCESSFUL AS IT STILL IS HAPPENING. FINALLY AFTER CAR HAS BEEN HEATING UP FOR ABOUT 45 MIN. TO AN HOUR WITH HEATER ON FULL BLAST I AM THEN ABLE TO GET THE DOOR TO LATCH SHUT. WHEN THIS FIRST STARTED TO HAPPEN I WAS UNAWARE THAT DOOR WAS NOT LATCHED AND WHEN I WENT AROUND A CORNER GOING ABOUT 5 MILES AN HOUR THE DOOR FLEW OPEN. THIS STARTED TO HAPPEN IN 2010 AND HAS HAPPENED EVER SINCE AND IT IS NOW 2012. ALL 4 DOORS FREEZE UP BUT SINCE I DRIVE MAINLY ALONE IT IS THE DRIVER SIDE THAT HAS BECOME VERY ANNOYING AND HAZZARDOUS. THIS ISSUE HAS MADE ME LATE FOR WORK AND MANY OTHER APPOINTMENTS AS WELL. ONCE I HAD MY DAUGHTER AS A PASSENGER IN THE CAR AND THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR FLEW OPEN AND SHE WENT TO GRAB IT AND THE DOOR WAS HEAVY AND IT PULLED HER WITH IT. THANK GOT SHE HAD HER SEAT BELT ON AND THAT I WAS STILL IN TOWN GOING SLOW. SOMETHING NEEDS DONE ABOUT THIS IMMEDIATLY. AS FAR AS DOOR LATCH, I CARRY A SCREW DRIVER IN THE CAR SO I CAN WORK AT THE LATCH LOCATED ON THE INSIDE OF THE DOOR. NEED SOMETHING OVER THE DOOR TO KEEP MOISTURE FROM SEEPING IN OR SOMETHING ON THESE CARS.