NHTSA Complaint #11299438 — 2017 FORD F-250

ON TWO OCCASIONS THIS WINTER I HAVE HAD DOOR LATCHES ON THIS 2017 FORD F-250 CREW CAB SUPER DUTY FREEZE PREVENTING THE DOOR FROM LATCHING CLOSED AFTER IT WAS OPENED. THE MILEAGE ON THE VEHICLE WAS APPROXIMATELY 19,700 MILES. THE FIRST OCCURRENCE HAPPENED IN DECEMBER 2019. THE MORNING TEMPERATURE WAS IN THE MID 20'S (DEGREE FAHRENHEIT) AND THE TRUCK WAS PARKED OUTSIDE OVERNIGHT. AFTER OPENING BOTH FRONT DOORS OF THE TRUCK TO LOAD PERSONAL ITEMS AND MYSELF, I WAS UNABLE TO SECURE EITHER FRONT DOOR DUE TO THE FROZEN LATCHES. I TRIED SEVERAL TIMES TO SHUT AND SLAM THE DOORS AND CONDUCTED A CURSORY VISUAL INSPECTION OF BOTH LATCHES. THE 'DEFECT' WAS CLEARLY INTERNAL AND THERE WAS NOTHING I WOULD BE ABLE TO DO AT THAT TIME. AFTER SEVERAL MINUTES OF MANIPULATING BOTH DOORS, EVENTUALLY, ONE DOOR LATCHED CLOSED. REPEATED ATTEMPTS WITH THE OTHER DOOR WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. I THEN DROVE APPROXIMATELY 2 MILES TO MY DESTINATION, ON PUBLIC ROADS, HOLDING THE UNLATCHED DOOR CLOSED WITH MY HAND. I FULLY ACCEPT THE DANGER I PLACED MYSELF IN THAT DAY AND BELIEVE MANY OTHERS WILL MAKE THE SAME CHOICE WHEN FACED WITH A SIMILAR SITUATION. MOREOVER, I BELIEVE OTHERS WILL TRAVEL MUCH LONGER DISTANCES WITH FROZEN, UNLATCHED DOORS. THIS FROZEN LATCH PROBLEM WILL ONLY BEFALL MORE SIMILAR VEHICLES AS THEY AGE. I WAS AWARE OF THE POTENTIAL OF THIS PROBLEM FROM ONLINE FORUMS. I RECEIVED FORD'S LETTER ALERTING OWNERS OF A 'POTENTIAL FIX' FOR ONLY VEHICLES WHICH HAVE EXPERIENCED THE PROBLEM. I HAVE ALSO SEEN NUMEROUS ONLINE POSTINGS THAT FORD'S FIX FOR THE LATCHES IS SOMETIMES UNSUCCESSFUL. I HAVE NOT HAD THIS PROCEDURE PERFORMED AS I DO NOT BELIEVE IT 'FIXES' THE ISSUE OF FROZEN LATCHES AND A FULL REDESIGN OF THE LATCH IS REQUIRED. PEOPLE DRIVING THESE VEHICLES WITH UNLATCHED DOORS IS CLEARLY UNSAFE. THE DANGER IS EVEN GREATER IF PEOPLE DO NOT REALIZE THE DOOR IS UNLATCHED.