My vehicle has an active status under Ford Safety Recall 20S15 (the federal safety agency Campaign 20V177) for a fractured door latch pawl spring. The defect has fully manifested: my side door physically will not latch or stay shut. There was no warning that the latch has malfunctioned. I was driving and my door swung open when I made a turn. I’ve been trying to get my car serviced because of the safety recall involving the door latch. Unfortunately, my driver’s side passenger door won’t physically shut. While my recall allows for free repairs, I can’t drive my car to the dealership because it’s unsafe. I’ve spoken to supervisors in Customer Relations, Services, and Body Shop, as well as Recall Corporate. I was also told that Lee would give me a call today, but I haven’t received a call back. Brandy Seals suggested using rope to tie the door shut, but I’m concerned about traveling from New Market in such a situation. I spoke with The Cooperate Recall Center, and they informed me that “Pick up and Delivery” is available under my provision. However, since my car is unsafe to drive, they couldn’t accommodate that request. I then asked for a mobile service van to come to my home to avoid towing, but that was denied as well. I also requested to have my car towed to the dealership, but that was denied as well. I’m a single mother of three, and this car is my only mode of transportation. Unfortunately, I don’t have the finances to pay for towing myself. Could you please assist me with this situation?
Ford Fiesta door locks problems
420 of the 3,179 owner complaints about the Ford Fiesta describe doors won't lock, open or latch, most of them for the 2012 model year.
- owner complaints
- 420
- worst model year
- 2012
- typical repair cost reported
- $418
- typical mileage
- 49,750
By model year
Often reported together
Shudder 8Jerking 6Stalling 5Loss of power 5Check engine light 4Battery drain 4Slipping 3Headlights 3
What owners say
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fiesta. The contact received the recall notification letter for the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 20V331000 (latches, locks, and linkages). The contact stated that the passenger-side door opened while driving at 30-35 MPH. While her daughter was driving, the passenger side rear door came ajar. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who was able to inspect and confirm the failure. The repair was approved then denied. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, who referred her to another dealer. The approximate failure mileage was 88,000.
My daughter and 2 friends were driving on the highway, the dash flickers and goes back to normal, flickered again and the car started slowing down so she pulled over, ( car still moving) and puts the car in park but the car still continues to move. Passenger notices out the side mirror the car is on fire, she jumped out; the car then accelerates ( still in park) and hits the “jersey wall “ where the rest of the car eventually went into flames. My daughter & friend ( who was in the back) got out thru the driver side door, the back doors would not open and the Airbags did not deploy.
I was told way back when that door latches had a defect. That there was a recall. Colonial ford of danbury ct avoided doing the complete recalls. Such is so that I paid out of pocket a transmission rebuild and took ford 2 years to reemburse me the cost. But the door latch recall was still in effect. It turns out that im getting a door open warning on dash while doors are closed. This was a defect recall going back 5-6 years but was never replaced. Now dealer tells me my car was'nt part of the recall.
The drivers side door latch will not latch, the door will swing open because the latch is defective. I have seen that this is a common issue with this vehicle and has been recalled on other 2012 ford fiestas but mine has not been.
The door latches have a safety recall and needs to be fixed or observed to ensure proper road safety. In addition I cannot move onto my vehicle registration renewal until this recall is repaired. I do not see any visible malfunction but the doors do have to slam shut to ensure they are properly closed. No individuals have been put at risk. The problem has not been confirmed by a dealer or service center, nor inspected by any party. No warning signals, signs or lights appeared on the car telling me about the particular issue or area with issue.
Top of the driver side door handle broke free from the door. The car has previously been cleared of any recall defects - but a loose door handle may absolutely have something to do with the inner workings of the door/latch and may be a safety issue.
Request Reversal of Recall Cancellation by the Ford Dealer. RE: Safety Recall Notice 20S30/the federal safety agency Recall 20V‑331 VIN [XXX] ***IMPORTANT SAFETY RECALL *** I have been working with the Service Manager, Forest at James Hodge Ford in Muskogee, Oklahoma, (1‑918‑682‑1345) and Ford Customer Relationship Center at 1‑866‑436‑7332. In March of 2025, an inspection was completed on my 2013 Ford Fiesta in regards to this safety recall. IAW service manager performed an inspection of the door latches and closed out the recall. The issue for this recall states that my vehicle was previously repaired under Safety Recall 15S15 or 16S30. Evidently this was completed by the previous owner but it states that it is possible that one or more of the door latches was not replaced or may not have been replaced correctly. This proved to be true because in April while on vacation I was driving when my door swung open. After grabbing it I was able to find a place to stop. Then, I discovered the latch would not close! I found a rope to wrap around it to keep it closed to finish out my vacation. Ford has recognized and issued a safety recall due to the risk of doors not closing or doors opening while driving. As stated in the letter I received about the recall the risk is: If a door latch is not replaced, there is still a risk that the pawl spring tab inside the door latch could break. This condition will typically prevent the door from latching. Where the door is able to be closed, the door may unlatch while driving, increasing the risk of injury. I returned the car to the Ford Dealer and was told the recall was for an inspection only and was cancelled. I began calling the Ford Customer Relationship Center at 1‑866‑436‑7332 on May 1st. Case # [XXX] I have been unsuccessful obtaining a reversal of the cancellation of the recall that is a critical danger. I have been ignored, lied to and promised it would be fixed. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Door locks keep unlocking and locking as I'm driving. It is very loud. 4 or 5 times as I'm going 35 and 60 mph
The door latch on one of the doors has a broken piece inside of it that won't allow the door to close, no dealer has checked it out yet, my safety is a concern because any of the doors could break as well and open while I'm driving
Related recalls
Latches/locks/linkages: doors: latch
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015 Fiesta, 2016 Fusion, and 2016 Lincoln MKZ vehicles sold, or ever registered in Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Washington, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands. A component inside the door latches may break, which can make it difficult to latch or possibly allow the doors to open while driving.
- Risk
- Vehicle doors opening unexpectedly while driving can increase the risk of a crash or injury.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the door latch date codes and if necessary, replace all four side door latches, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 20, 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S15. This recall is an expansion of the federal safety agency recall number 20V‑177.
Recall number 23V775000 · Recall details
Latches/locks/linkages: doors: latch
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2011-2014 Fiesta, 2013-2014 Fusion, 2015 Mustang, 2013-2015 Escape and C-Max, 2012-2015 Focus, 2014-2016 Transit Connect, 2013-2014 Lincoln MKZ, and 2015 MKC vehicles. These vehicles were previously recalled and repaired under recalls 15V‑246, 16V‑643 or 17V‑210, however the repair may not have been completed properly. A component within the door latches may break making the doors difficult to latch and/or leading the driver or a passenger to believe a door is securely closed when, in fact, it is not.
- Risk
- A door that is not securely latched could open while the vehicle is in motion, increasing the risk of injury to a vehicle occupant.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the latch date codes to confirm if the repair was done correctly, and replace the side door latches if necessary, free of charge. Owners will also have the option to inspect their own vehicle's door latches and enter the date codes into a website to determine if the latches are correct. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 27, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S30.
Recall number 20V331000 · Recall details
Latches/locks/linkages: doors: latch
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2014-2015 Fiesta, 2014-2016 Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles sold, or ever registered in Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Washington, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands. A component within the door latches may break making the doors difficult to latch and/or leading the driver or a passenger to believe a door is securely closed when, in fact, it is not.
- Risk
- A door that is not securely latched could open while the vehicle is in motion, increasing the risk of injury to a vehicle occupant.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and Ford or Lincoln dealers will replace the side door latches, free of charge. The recall began September 21, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S15.
Recall number 20V177000 · Recall details
Latches/locks/linkages: doors: latch
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2014 Ford Fiesta, 2013-2014 Ford Fusion and 2013-2014 Lincoln MKZ vehicles. A component within the door latches may break making the doors difficult to latch and/or leading the driver or a passenger to believe a door is securely closed when, in fact, it is not.
- Risk
- A door that is not securely latched could open while the vehicle is in motion, increasing the risk of injury to a vehicle occupant.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace all four door latches, free of charge. The recall began May 1, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S16.
Recall number 17V210000 · Recall details
Latches/locks/linkages: doors: latch
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) notified the agency on April 23, 2015, that they are recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles manufactured July 1, 2012, to May 31, 2013, and 2012-2014 Fiesta vehicles manufactured February 1, 2012, to May 31, 2013. On April 30, 2015, Ford expanded the recall to cover an additional 119,567 vehicles, including certain model year 2011 Ford Fiestas manufactured from November 11, 2009, to May 31, 2013 and certain model year 2013 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles manufactured from February 1, 2012, to June 30, 2012. A component within the door latches may break making the doors difficult to latch and/or leading the driver or a passenger to believe a door is securely closed when, in fact, it is not.
- Risk
- A door that is not securely latched could open while the vehicle is in motion, increasing the risk of injury to a vehicle occupant.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace all four door latches with an improved part, free of charge. Interim notifications were mailed to owners on June 5, 2015. The recall began on December 18, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S16.
Recall number 15V246000 · Recall details
Questions about the Ford Fiesta door locks
Which Ford Fiesta years have doors won't lock, open or latch problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2012 (130 complaints), 2011 (114 complaints) and 2013 (90 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix doors won't lock, open or latch on the Ford Fiesta?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $418 (median of 43 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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