NHTSA Complaint #10671382 — 2013 FORD FIESTA

I WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH WHEN THE RIGHT REAR DOOR OF MY VEHICLE FLEW OPEN RAPIDLY. I WAS AFRAID OF THE DOOR STRIKING ANOTHER VEHICLE OR INJURING MY PASSENGER AND HAD TO QUICKLY PULL OVER. IN ORDER TO PULL OVER SAFELY, THE PASSENGER WAS FORCED TO GRAB AHOLD OF THE DOOR SO THAT I COULD STEER THE VEHICLE OUT OF TRAFFIC. ONCE I REACHED THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, WE EXAMINED THE DOOR, AT FIRST THINKING THAT PERHAPS IT HAD BEEN IMPROPERLY SHUT. WE DISCOVERED, IN FACT, THAT WAS NOT THE CASE. THERE WAS SOME DEFECT IN THE CAR THAT CAUSED THE DOOR TO FLY OPEN WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION. THE CAR WAS NOT DRIVABLE AS-IS BECAUSE THE DOOR WOULD NOT LATCH SO WE HAD TO TIE THE DOOR SHUT FROM THE INTERIOR TO DRIVE IT HOME SAFELY. THE DEALERSHIP MECHANIC WAS NOT OPEN AT THAT TIME. ONCE HOME, I COULD NOT ACTIVATE THE ALARM SYSTEM SO THE CAR SAT UNLOCKED OVERNIGHT WITH THE INTERIOR LIGHTS ON. THE LIGHTS WOULD NOT SHUT OFF BECAUSE THE DOOR WOULD NOT CLOSE. I DROVE THE VEHICLE TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP MECHANIC AS SOON AS THEY OPENED THE NEXT MORNING AND HAD TO MISS HALF A DAY OF WORK BECAUSE OF THE ISSUE. IT TOOK SEVERAL HOURS FOR THE DEALERSHIP MECHANICS TO FIX THE LATCH AND THEY REFERRED ME TO FORD MOTOR COMPANY TO VOICE MY COMPLAINTS AND CONCERNS ABOUT A DEFECT THAT CAUSED ME TO FEAR FOR MY SAFETY AND THAT OF MY PASSENGER. I FILED A CLAIM WITH FMC. TWO WEEKS LATER I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM FORD MOTOR COMPANY SAYING THAT MY CASE HAD BEEN CLOSED. FMC OFFERED ME NO EXPLANATION OF OR RESOLUTION TO THIS SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN. *TR