NHTSA Complaint #10682306 — 2011 FORD FIESTA

MY WIFE DRIVES THIS CAR ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY TO WORK AND RARELY WITH A PASSENGER. THIS DAY, I WAS THE PASSENGER AND AS WE WERE LEAVING A FRIENDS HOUSE, I CARRIED OUT A BAG AND OPENED THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE DOOR, PUT THE BAG ON THE SEAT, AND CLOSED THE DOOR IN A NORMAL FASHION. TO MY SURPRISE, THE DOOR BOUNCED BACK OPEN. I INSPECTED THE DOOR FRAME, EXPECTING TO FIND A SEATBELT OR SIMILAR PREVENTING CLOSURE BUT THERE WAS NOTHING. I JIGGLED THE HANDLE AND ATTEMPTED TO CLOSE THE DOOR AGAIN. IT BOUNCED. I THEN ACTUATED THE INSIDE DOOR HANDLE AND TRIED AGAIN. BOUNCED. I CYCLED THE CHILD LOCKS. BOUNCED. THEN I INSPECTED THE MECHANISM THAT IS DESIGNED TO CATCH THE DOOR CLOSED AND FOUND IT COULD BE MOVED FREELY WITH MY FINGER OR A DEVICE LIKE A KEY. THERE WAS NO MECHANICAL RESISTANCE OR "CLICK" OR ANY OTHER INDICATION THAT IT WOULD HOLD THE DOOR CLOSED. I WENT TO THE DRIVER SIDE REAR DOOR AND COMPARED ITS CLOSURE MECHANISM TO THE PASSENGER SIDE DOOR AND FOUND THIS DEVICE COULD NOT BE EASILY MOVED. A QUICK GOOGLE SEARCH FOUND MANY SIMILAR PROBLEMS DOCUMENTED WITH THE ONLY RESOLUTION BEING REPAIR BY FORD. WE WERE FORCED TO DRIVE HOME WITH THE REAR DOORS TIED TOGETHER TO HOLD THE PASSENGER DOOR SHUT. I MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH MULLINAX FORD WHO STATED IT WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY OR RECALL, EVEN THOUGH ONLINE DOCUMENTATION SUGGESTS THERE IS A FEDERAL INVESTIGATION ONGOING WITH THIS PROBLEM. THE REPAIR BILL WAS $400+ DOLLARS. I CONSIDER THIS TO BE A SERIOUS SAFETY CONCERN. I HAVE NO DOUBT IT COULD HAVE HAPPENED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION, POTENTIALLY WITH BACK SEAT PASSENGERS. *TR