NHTSA Complaint #10896935 — 2012 FORD FOCUS

THE DOOR LATCH ASSEMBLY FAILED ON THE DRIVER DOOR, WHERE THE LATCH PAWL AND SPRING HAVE BROKEN, IDENTICAL TO THE ISSUE WITH THE FORD FIESTA & FORD FUSION RECALLS. HAVING WORKED AT FORD, I KNOW THE FIESTA & FUSION ARE NEAR IDENTICAL PLATFORMS THAT IN THE MINDSET OF COMMONALITY OF SIMILAR PARTS OR THE GLOBAL WORLD CAR STRATEGY ESPOUSED BY FORD FOR NEARLY A DECADE NOW, SUCH A DEVICE WOULD IN ALL LIKELIHOOD USE THE EXACT SAME LATCH PALL AND SPRING IN ALL THREE PLATFORMS/VEHICLE MAKE. THE INCIDENT LUCKILY OCCURRED WHILE STATIONARY, BUT WHILE SHOPPING ON 8/17/2016 AND THE DOOR WILL NOT LATCH OR LOCK. MY WIFE PROCEEDED TO HOLD THE DOOR CLOSED FOR THE 7 MILE RETURN TRIP HOME THROUGH AFTERNOON RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC, SHE IS LESS THAN THRILLED. BEING THIS IS A DIRECT SAFETY ISSUE, NEED GUIDANCE IN HOW TO FORCE FORD TO CORRECT THEIR OBVIOUS RESPONSIBILITY ON THE ISSUE AS FRANKLY NO CAR OEM SHOULD BE HELD GUILTLESS FOR SUCH A SAFETY DEVICE FAILURE WITHIN 5 YEARS OF MANUFACTURE. SUPPOSEDLY THERE IS A RECALL POTENTIALLY EXPANDED TO INCLUDE THE FORD FOCUS COMING SOON, BUT I NEED TO DO SO NOW AS THE COST OF THE ASSEMBLY AND LABOR WILL LIKELY APPROACH $600 OR MORE AS THE ASSEMBLY OEM COST TO RETAIL IS OVER $300 ALONE.