NHTSA Complaint #10875485 — 2012 FORD FOCUS

THE CAR DOOR IN THE BACK SEAT ON THE DRIVERS SIDE OF MY 2012 FORD FOCUS SE, FLUNG OPEN AS I WAS MAKING A SHARP TURN WHILE I WAS ATTEMPTING TO DRIVE INTO MY SON'S APARTMENT COMPLEX. LUCKILY MY TWO CHILDREN WHO WERE SEATED IN THE BACK SEATS WERE WEARING THEIR SEATBELTS, OR THIS COULD'VE BEEN MUCH WORSE. THE DOOR LATCH NO LONGER WANTS TO LATCH ON. THE DOOR DOES NOT CLOSE. THE DOOR AJAR SENSOR KEEPS SHOWING AND AN ANNOYING BEEPING SOUND KEEPS GOING OFF TO LET ME KNOW THAT THE BACK DRIVERS SEAT DOOR IS AJAR. FORTUNATELY THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT, THEREFORE LAW ENFORCEMENT WAS NOT CONTACTED OR NEEDED. WE SAFELY PULLED OVER AND ATTEMPTED TO CLOSE THE DOOR. AGAIN, THE DOOR WILL NOT STAY CLOSED. THE CAR IS ATTEMPTING TO LOCK THE DOOR BUT CANNOT. YOU CAN HEAR IT. ALSO THE DOOR HANDLES APPEAR TO STILL BE IN WORKING CONDITION. IT SEEMS THAT IT'S THE LATCH THAT DOES NOT CLOSE AROUND THE METAL BAR WHEN CLOSED. THERE IS NOT A CURRENT RECALL ON THE 2012 FORD FOCUS SE, BUT FROM STORIES ON THE INTERNET, I'M NOT THE FIRST TO HAVE THIS HAPPEN TO THIS YEAR AND MODEL. THIS IS NOT SAFE AND NEEDS TO BE THOROUGHLY INVESTIGATED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THERE ARE TWO OR THREE OTHER FORD CARS ON RECALL FOR THE FAULTY LATCHES. I TRULY BELIEVE THAT THIS MODEL NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT AS WELL. THANK YOU. *TR