NHTSA Complaint #10588404 — 2008 FORD FUSION

MY WIFE PARKED HER 2008 FORD FUSION IN OUR GARAGE AND AS SHE TRIED TO EXIT THE VEHICLE THE INSIDE LEFT DRIVER'S DOOR HANDLE WOULD NOT OPEN THE DOOR. SHE TRIED TO OPEN THE DOOR SEVERAL TIMES AND ALMOST PANICKED. SHE WAS TRAPPED INSIDE. FORTUNATELY HER CAR IS EQUIPPED WITH A MICROSOFT SYNC SYSTEM AND SHE WAS ABLE TO CALL ME INSIDE THE HOUSE FROM THE GARAGE. I CAME TO HER AND WAS UNABLE TO OPEN THE DOOR FROM THE OUTSIDE BECAUSE THE DRIVER'S DOOR LOCK DID NOT AUTOMATICALLY DISENGAGE WHEN SHE SHUT THE KEY OFF. SHE ROLLED DOWN THE WINDOW AND I REACHED INSIDE TO TEST THE INNER DOOR HANDLE AND LOCK. THE LOCK WAS STUCK AND THE HANDLE JUST MOVED FREELY BACK AND FORTH AS I PULLED ON IT. FINALLY, AFTER WIGGLING THE INNER LOCK BACK AND FORTH MANY TIMES I WAS ABLE TO DISENGAGE THE DOOR LOCK. I THEN COULD OPEN THE DOOR BY USING THE OUTSIDE DRIVERS DOOR HANDLE. SHE GOT OUT OF THE VEHICLE AND I PROCEEDED TO EXAMINE THE DOOR MECHANISM. I REMOVED THE COVER PLATE AND SAW THAT THE PLASTIC ACTUATOR ARM ON THE INNER END OF THE DOOR HANDLE HAD BROKEN IN TWO AND PART OF IT HAD GOTTEN CAUGHT UP IN THE LOCKING MECHANISM. SO I CAME INSIDE AND SEARCHED ON-LINE TO BUY A NEW REPLACEMENT HANDLE. DURING MY SEARCH I DISCOVERED THAT PEOPLE ALL ACROSS THE UNITED STATES ARE CLAIMING THAT THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH SEVERAL DIFFERENT YEARS OF FORD FUSIONS. FORTUNATELY FOR MY WIFE SHE WASN'T INVOLVED IN A MAJOR ACCIDENT AND COULDN'T GET OUT OF THE VEHICLE WHEN THE MALFUNCTION OCCURRED BUT I BELIEVE IT'S JUST A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE SOMETHING TRAGIC HAPPENS AS A RESULT OF THIS POTENTIALLY DEFECTIVE PART. I FEEL THAT EVEN THOUGHT THE VEHICLE HAS HIGH MILEAGE THIS PART SHOULD NEVER FAIL. THIS ACTUATOR ARM IS JUST A VERY, VERY, THIN PIECE OF PLASTIC AND I SUSPECT THAT ALL FOUR INNER DOOR HANDLES OF THE FORD FUSION ARE OF THE SAME DESIGN. *TR