NHTSA Complaint #11253397 — 2014 FORD ESCAPE

ON DEC 31, 2018 OUR 2014 FORD ESCAPE HAD RECALL 16S30 COMPLETED AT RICHMOND FORD WEST IN GLEN ALLEN VA. KIT CJ5Z54264A26A, TO INCLUDE 4 DOOR LATCHES WAS USED TO REPLACE THE ORIGINAL 4 DOOR LATCHES ON THE RECALL INVOICE S212041. THE DEALERSHIP DOCUMENTED THE RECALL REPAIR AS 1.4 HOURS TO GET INSIDE THE DOORS AND PERFORM THE WARRANTY SERVICE. WE WERE NOT CHARGED FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. PRIOR TO THIS REPLACEMENT, AND AS SOLE OWNERS OF THE 2014 ESCAPE, WE HAD NOT HAD AN ISSUE WITH DOOR LATCH FAILURE. ON AUG 31, 2019 IN OXNARD, CA WE EXPERIENCED A DOOR LATCH FAILURE ON THE DRIVER SIDE REAR DOOR; IT UNEXPECTEDLY OPENED WHEN WE PARKED. WE WERE NOT ABLE TO CLOSE, LATCH OR SECURE THE DOOR. THE CAR DOOR ALERT SYSTEM INDICATED A DOOR WAS OPEN. WHEN WE ATTEMPTED TO CLOSE THE DOOR, IT WOULD JUST BOUNCE BACK OPEN. WE REFERRED TO THE OWNER'S MANUAL FOR A QUICK FIX AND FOLLOWED THE MANUAL LOCK INSTRUCTIONS AND IT DID NOT WORK. WE SECURED THE DOOR BY ATTACHING A BUNGEE CORD TO THE OTHER REAR DOOR AND DROVE TO A DEALERSHIP. ON SEPTEMBER 3, 2019 AT SIMI VALLEY FORD IN SIMI VALLEY, CA THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT DIAGNOSED A DOOR LATCH FAILURE FOR THE REAR DRIVER SIDE DOOR AND RECOMMENDED A REPLACEMENT AT A CHARGE OF APPROXIMATELY $325. WE WERE INFORMED THE RECALL REPAIR HAD BEEN CLOSED OUT ON DECEMBER 31, 2018 BY RICHMOND VALLEY FORD. WE WERE TOLD THE REPLACEMENT PART IS NOT UNDER WARRANTY BECAUSE WE HAD EXCEEDED THE 12,000 MILE (OR 12 MONTH) THRESHOLD FOR REPAIRS UNDER WARRANTY. WE DO NOT BELIEVE THE DOOR LATCH IS A MILEAGE DEPENDENT REPAIR AND WE BELIEVE WE SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER THE ORIGINAL RECALL. WE ARE REPORTING THAT IT APPEARS THE RECALL REPAIR HAS ITSELF FAILED. THE FAILURE OF THIS PART CAN LEAD TO DEVASTATING CIRCUMSTANCES IN A SCENARIO OF A PASSENGER POSSIBLY FALLING OUT OF THE VEHICLE. PLEASE INVESTIGATE TO DETERMINE IF THE REPAIR OF THE RECALL HAS ALSO FAILED.