NHTSA Complaint #10644012 — 2011 FORD FIESTA

DOOR LOCK ASSEMBLY SAFETY ISSUE, DOOR LATCH FAILS AND DOOR STAYS OPEN: I WENT TO CLOSE RIGHT REAR DOOR OF FIESTA. NO PROBLEM WARNING UNTIL THAT MOMENT. IT WOULD NOT STAY SHUT. DOOR LOCK ASSEMBLY WENT BAD. TOOK TO VISALIA FORD IN VISALIA, CA, APPOINTMENT THAT AFTERNOON. SERVICE WRITERS SAID THAT WAS THE 4-5TH FIESTA/ FOCUS WITH THIS PROBLEM LATELY AND THAT THEY WERE WAITING 2-3 WEEKS ON BACK ORDER FOR THE SAME PARTS FOR THE PREVIOUSLY KNOWN VEHICLES.THIS SMALL TOWN DEALER WAS WAITING 2-3 WEEKS ON BACK ORDER TO FIX THIS IN 4-5 OTHER FIESTA/FOCUS. I HAD TO ORDER AND PAY FOR PARTS SO THEY WOULD BE ORDERED. UPON MY GOING HOME, AFTER CINCHING UP THE DOOR AGAIN, I CALLED THE NUMBER FOR FORD WEST REPRESENTATIVE. I HAD "DIRECT #" ([XXX]) FROM PREVIOUS INCIDENT NOT RELATED TO THIS DOOR. THE PHONE WAS ANSWERED BY A DIFFERENT PERSON, WHO SAID SHE WAS IN THAT POSITION NOW AND THAT I WAS IN ERROR CALLING HER INSTEAD OF FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE. HER INFO: "[XXX] (866) 631-3788 [XXX]. I THEN TRIED TO EXPLAIN THE SITUATION ABOUT THE 4-5 FIESTA/FOCUS WAITING AT THIS SMALL DEALERSHIP AND THIS COULD NOT BE HAPPENING JUST IN VISALIA, CA. I ASKED ABOUT SAFETY RECALLS BY FORD; SHE BLEW ME OFF SAYING I WAS WRONG. I TOLD HER TO CALL VISALIA FORD I GAVE HER THEIR #. HER CONCESSION WAS THAT SHE WOULD TRY TO EXPEDITE THE PARTS TO VISALIA FORD, AND CALL ME A WEEK LATER, ON THE NEXT TUESDAY (9/30/14), TO CHECK ON PROGRESS. SHE NEVER CALLED AGAIN. I RECEIVED CALL THAT PARTS WERE IN ON 9/26/14, HAD THE REPAIR DONE ON 9/29/14, WHICH WAS THE NEXT DAY SERVICE DEPARTMENT WAS OPEN. THE CONCERN I HAVE ON THIS PROBLEM IS THAT SOME CHILD OR OTHER BACK SEAT RIDER WHO IS NOT BELTED IN IS GOING TO HAVE THE DOOR OPEN AND FALL OUT, I WOULD GUESS THIS WILL HAPPEN TO ANY OF THE DOORS. IF I WAS DRIVING AND A DOOR SUDDENLY OPENED FOR NO REASON DUE TO THE LATCH FAILURE, I MAY FREAK OR SWERVE OR WORSE. THANX INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR