Safety regulators have opened an investigation into an estimated 205,000 Ford Fiesta cars after receiving consumer complaints that doors failed to properly latch or stay closed. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened a preliminary evaluation into the issue in model year 2011 to 2013 Fiestas after it received 61 complaints. A spokeswoman at Ford said on Monday that the No. 2 U.S. automaker was cooperating with the NHTSA investigation.
In several cases, the "door ajar" warning light on the dashboard appeared, according to documents filed on the NHTSA website. In 12 cases, the door opened after it was shut and the vehicles were being driven. One injury was reported. NHTSA said in the documents filed online that it was opening the investigation to further analyze the scope, frequency and consequences of the reported incidents. A preliminary investigation is the first step in a process that could lead to a recall if regulators determine that a manufacturer needs to address a safety issue.
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- Reuters
