NHTSA Complaint #10892251 — 2012 FORD FOCUS

IN MARCH 2016 THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR LATCH BROKE. AS WE WERE GETTING READY TO LEAVE HOME I OPENED THE CAR DOOR, BUT WHEN I TRIED TO CLOSE THE DOOR IT WOULD NOT LATCH. AT THIS TIME, WE WERE LUCKY THAT THE CAR WAS IN OUR DRIVEWAY AND NOT IN MOTION OR AWAY FROM HOME. WE HAD TO TIE THE DOOR CLOSED TO GET IT TO OUR LOCAL FORD DEALER. THE DEALER DECIDED THE LATCH WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THIS COST ALMOST $500. THEN, IN JULY 2016 THE LATCH ON THE FRONT PASSENGER DOOR FAILED. IN THIS INSTANCE, WHILE MY 16 YEAR OLD SON WAS DRIVING, THE PASSENGER DOOR SWUNG OPEN. LUCKILY, IT DID NOT HIT ANYTHING AS IT SWUNG OPEN. HE SLOWED DOWN FOR HIS PASSENGER TO CLOSE THE DOOR, BUT JUST LIKE THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR EARLIER THIS YEAR, THE DOOR WOULD NOT LATCH. MY SON'S FRIEND HAD TO HOLD THE DOOR CLOSED THE ENTIRE DRIVE TO OUR HOUSE (ABOUT 5 MILES ON A HIGHLY TRAVELED ROAD THAT HAS A SPEED LIMIT OF 55 MPH). THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A VERY SERIOUS OR DANGEROUS SITUATION IF MY SON HAD BEEN DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY OR HAD BEEN ALONE IN THE CAR. WE IMMEDIATELY CALLED OUR LOCAL FORD DEALER TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT AND CALLED FORD CUSTOMER RELATIONS IN HOPES THAT THEY WOULD ASSIST WITH THE COST OF REPLACEMENT. EVEN THOUGH THE FORD FOCUS IS UNDER INVESTIGATION FOR MANY VEHICLES HAVING THE SAME ISSUE AND OTHER FORD VEHICLES HAVE BEEN RECALLED FOR THE SAME ISSUE, FORD HAS STATED THAT THEY CAN NOT HELP WITH THE COST OF REPLACEMENT BECAUSE THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN RECALLED. TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE, THERE ARE NO REPLACEMENT LATCHES AVAILABLE IN THE DALLAS AREA, AND IT WILL BE ALMOST A WEEK BEFORE A NEW LATCH WILL BE AVAILABLE. WE ALSO REQUESTED TO HAVE BOTH REAR LATCHES REPLACED BECAUSE I NO LONGER FEEL IT IS SAFE FOR MY 16 YEAR OLD SON TO DRIVE THIS VEHICLE WITH ITS ORIGINAL LATCHES, BUT I WAS TOLD THAT THE REAR LATCHES ARE ON BACK ORDER AND WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE FOR AT LEAST A MONTH.