NHTSA Complaint #10462882 — 1998 FORD E-350

I RECENTLY HAD A PROBLEM AND STILL HAVE WITH THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR DOOR OF NOT BEING ABLE TO OPEN IT. I GOT OUT OF THE MY FORD VAN AND WENT AROUND TO THE SIDE DOOR TO OPEN IT UP TO GET MY DOGS OUT OF IT. I COULD NOT OPEN THE SIDE DOOR, I THOUGHT THE DOORS HAD SOMEHOW GOT LOCKED AND I WAS PANICING. IT WAS VERY HOT AND I KNEW I HAD TO GET MY DOGS OUT FAST. I WAS HUNTING FOR SOMETHING TO BREAK THE WINDOW OUT WITH BUT HAD NO LUCK FINDING ANYTHING. AFTER ABOUT 20 OR SO MINUTES I FINALLY NOTICED THAT THE FRONT DOOR LOCKS WERE IN THE UP POSITION INDICATING THAT THE DOORS WERE NOT LOCKED. I WAS ABLE TO OPEN THE FRONT DOOR SAVING ME FROM HAVING TOO BREAK OUT THE GLASS AND THEN I WAS ABLE TO GET INTO THE VAN AND OPEN THE REAR DOOR. I LOVE MY DOGS BUT WHAT IF THIS HAD BEEN A CHILD.AND COULDN'T OPEN THE DOORS IN TIME. LUCKLY I DISCOVERED THAT THE FRONT DOORS WERE NOT LOCKED AND THAT IT WAS A MALFUNCTION OF THE BACK DOOR MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO OPEN THAT DOOR. THE RESULTS COULD HAVE BEEN DISTRASTROUS AND NOT TO MENTION THE COST OF REPAIRING THE WINDOW HAD I BEEN ABLE TO BREAK IT, THINGS TURNED OUT WELL THANK GOODNESS BUT IF IT SHOULD HAPPEN TO SOMEONE ELSE THE RESULTS COULD BE VERY DIFFERENT. THIS IS SUNDAY AND I NOW HAVE TO GET MY VAN TO A FORD DEALER TO FIX THE REAR DOOR SO I CAN OPEN IT UP AS I STILL CAN'T OPEN IT UP FROM THE OUTSIDE.. I THINK THE IS A SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM THAT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED. *TR