door latch recall
Ford Focus door locks problems
984 of the 22,111 owner complaints about the Ford Focus describe doors won't lock, open or latch, most of them for the 2012 model year.
- owner complaints
- 984
- worst model year
- 2012
- typical repair cost reported
- $500
- typical mileage
- 63,332
Is there a fix? There are 5 recalls for this area of the car. See below
By model year
Often reported together
Stalling 30Key fob 18Jerking 15Fuel pump 14Transmission failure 13Hesitation 13Grinding brakes 13Check engine light 11
Trouble codes mentioned
P0456 2
What owners say
My rear passenger door latch is corroded. It is difficult to open, it sometimes fails to open. I have children under the age of 3 in the backseats of my car. I do not want the latch to fail and the door to open while in motion. It is available for inspection upon service. Problems started to appear within the last year and has persisted to the point of being very difficult to open. No warnings or messages prior, since it is a body issue. Has not been inspected by any professionals.
Started July 2026, my drivers side door handle keeps getting stuck open
Inside of door latch malfunctioned and my driver side door opened up while driving.
Group 1 Ford of South Austin, TX refused to perform door latch recall unless we purchased additional parts and service out of pocket. The door will not latch and flies open even at slow speeds.
March 27th I went to have my focus recalled March 31st there was still one unopened recall. I did not go back to them to fix it the my documentation was falsified there's still an open recall on my Ford there's no documentation that I have it replaced. In fact it'd be easier to prove that they falsified information nths. It is a simple way to prove you need to remove the door handle and see if the door lock has been repaired and it hasn't
The driver’s side door will not latch and the door cannot close. This is the same defect covered by Ford recalls 16S30 and 20S30, but my VIN was excluded. Ford CRC opened case number CXH05284452-Z8X6J1, but denied coverage. I have had to rent a vehicle while my car is unsafe to drive. This is a major safety hazard as the door can open while driving.
Door lock and windows dint work properly. Transmission not working appropriately or at . Randomly says transmission overheating or won't go in reverse
I took my car to Downtown Ford Sacramento for a door latch recall and Transmission Control Module (TCM) coverage under Campaign #14M02. A day later, they called saying it was ready for pickup. When I asked about the transmission, they claimed a diagnosis was required at my expense before warranty coverage would apply. I approved the diagnosis, yet my car sat for over a week with no updates. Every time I called, I was directed to Service Advisor Christian Silva, who never answered or returned my voicemails. When I finally went in person, they asked me to sign paperwork but refused to provide diagnosis results. Another advisor then admitted no diagnosis was ever performed, they only completed the door latch recall. They now demand $360 for a diagnosis and insist I leave the car again, refusing to honor Campaign #14M02. This is unacceptable, and I need Ford to address this. (VIN# [XXX] ) INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
When driving the car it shutters, jerks, loses power and accelerations, shakes. The transmission was replaces once and it is doing it again under 100k miles. It could easily cause an accident. Transmission also randomly says it is hot to stop. There is a customer safety extended warranty on the tcm for this specific car. From what I have seen there is a recall on transmission clutches for the 2014 Ford Focus SE just not my car apparently for the clutch. Ford wants me to take it to pay 250 to tell me if its covered under warranty recall but a transmission place already told me it was a faulty clutch they told me about the extended warranty. I have read this happened to hundreds of people. It is dangerous. How can I file a class action lawsuit, report to the better business bureau to be resolved or report to the proper place? Also not to long ago driving down the highway the doors just swung open door locks stopped working. There was a recall and got fixed but this car is a safety hazard and ford should care more about their product and customer safety. Is there anyone who has a 2014 Ford Focus with a clutch issue. I was told if its the TCM the car wont start I don't want to spend 250 to be told the clutch isn't under warranty. It is a ripoff. I know its not the TCM.
Related recalls
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: hatchback/liftgate: lock
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013-2017 Ford Focus hatchback vehicles manufactured February 14, 2012, to August 26, 2016 and equipped with a manual transmission. The hatchback of the affected vehicles may be unlatched with a single press of the interior latch release button. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 206, "Door Locks and Door Retention Components."
- Risk
- With only a single press needed, the driver may accidently unlatch the hatchback, increasing the risk of injury to any unsecured passengers in the back.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the Body Control Module with updated software, free of charge. The recall began February 10, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16C13.
Recall number 16V698000 · Recall details
Latches/locks/linkages: doors: latch
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2012-2015 Ford Focus, 2013-2015 Ford Escape and Ford C-MAX, 2015 Lincoln MKC and Ford Mustang, and 2014-2016 Ford Transit Connect vehicles. A component within the door latches may break, preventing the doors from latching 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 the door latches with an improved part, free of charge. The recall began on January 27, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S30.
Recall number 16V643000 · Recall details
Latches/locks/linkages
- What is wrong
- Ford is recalling certain model year 2013 Focus and C-Max vehicles built from November 16, 2012, through November 21, 2012; and model year 2013 Escape vehicles manufactured from November 14, 2012, through November 21, 2012. The left rear door child lock was built incorrectly. As a result, the child lock may not engage when the operator uses normal force to activate the child lock.
- Risk
- The operator may incorrectly believe the child lock is engaged. However, the door may be opened from the inside, increasing the risk of injury to an unrestrained child.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the affected rear door latches, and replace them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on March 27, 2013. Owners may contact Ford Motor Company Customer Relationship Center at 1‑866‑436‑7332.
Recall number 13V085000 · Recall details
Latches/locks/linkages: doors: latch
- What is wrong
- Certain passenger vehicles with four or five doors and originally sold in or currently registered in connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin, and the district of columbia, a build-up of corrosion at the pawl pivot area of the rear door latch can cause a binding condition of the pawl that may affect proper engagement of the pawl into the catch. The occupant may experience difficulty opening or closing a rear door, and eventually the rear door may not latch properly.
- Risk
- If not latched properly, the door may open while the vehicle is in motion. If an occupant fell out of the vehicle, personal injuries could occur.
- Remedy
- Dealers will have a lower rocker seal added to the door and have the rear door latches evaluated free of charge. A latch that passes the evaluation will be lubricated to prevent future corrosion. A latch that does not pass the evaluation will be replaced. In addition, a sticker will be affixed to the rear doors advising the owners to use the recommended lubricant. The recall began on march 9, 2005. Owners may contact ford at 1‑800‑392‑3673.
Recall number 05V030000 · Recall details
Questions about the Ford Focus door locks
Which Ford Focus years have doors won't lock, open or latch problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2012 (374 complaints), 2000 (116 complaints) and 2013 (85 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix doors won't lock, open or latch on the Ford Focus?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $500 (median of 124 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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